Verdejo is a variety of

wine grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...

that has long been grown in the Rueda region of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The grape originated in

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, and was spread to Rueda in about the 11th Century, possibly by Mozarabs. Verdejo was generally used to make a strongly

oxidized Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of the reactants change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is ...

Sherry Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...

-like

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. In the mid-20th century, Verdejo almost became extinct, had it not been for the local winegrower Ángel Rodríguez Vidal (Bodega Martinsancho), who opted for this variety and contributed to re-establishing its prominence in the region. In recognition of his work, he was honoured with the Cross of the

Order of Agricultural Merit The Order of Agricultural Merit () is an order of merit bestowed by the France, French Republic for outstanding contributions to agriculture. When it was created in 1883, it was second in importance only to the Legion of Honour within the Frenc ...

by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In the 1970s, the winemaking company Marqués de Riscal began to develop a fresher style of white wine based on Verdejo with the help of French oenologist Émile Peynaud.Asimov, Eric (2008)
"Wines of the Times: Emerging, in Spain, to Warm Applause"
''The New York Times'', March 5, 2008. Online version retrieved 2008-03-07. In 1980, white wines from the Rueda region were recognized by a

Denominación de Origen In Spain and Latin America, the (; )In other languages of Spain: * Catalan: (). * (). * (). is part of a regulatory geographical indication system used primarily for foodstuffs such as cheeses, condiments, honey, and meats, among others. ...

(DO). Wines labeled ''Rueda'' must contain 50% Verdejo; the remainder is typically Sauvignon blanc or Macabeo. Wines designated "Rueda Verdejo" must contain 85% Verdejo, and are often 100% Verdejo. The Verdejo grapes are generally harvested at night. This means that the grapes enter the cellar at the lower night-time temperature of instead of the daytime temperature, which can be as high as in September. Lower temperatures means less oxidation (and therefore less browning) of the juice. Verdejo wines are

aromatic In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibits a stabilization stronger than would be expected from conjugati ...

, often soft, and full-bodied.

History

After the Reconquest of Toledo, the Duero area was repopulated by Asturians, Vascones and Mozarabs. It is probable that the grape was brought from Algaida, in North Africa, along the silver route. The first vines of this variety in Spain were planted in Toro and Tierra del vino and the region of Madrigal de las Altas Torres (hence its name madrigal white) and Rueda during the reign of Alfonso VI (11th–12th centuries).

References

White wine grape varieties Spanish wine {{wine-grape-stub