Rueda
Continental, high plateau
A high, dry plateau in Castilla y León that rescued the Verdejo grape from near-extinction and turned it into one of Spain's most popular dry whites.
Overview
About Rueda
On the high Duero plateau south-west of Valladolid, Rueda was for centuries known for oxidative, Sherry-like wines before growers in the 1970s and 80s — with input from Bordeaux consultants including the Lurton family — refocused on fresh, cold-fermented dry white wine from the local Verdejo grape. Sauvignon Blanc is also grown, sometimes blended with Verdejo.
Rueda's high altitude gives cool nights even in a hot, dry Castilian summer, preserving the aromatic, slightly bitter-almond freshness that made Verdejo one of Spain's biggest white-wine success stories.
Rueda is marked on the map.
Spain
Shaded: Valladolid. Map units are states, provinces or départements, so a smaller place appears as the larger area that contains it.
The land
Climate & terroir
Climate
Continental, high plateau
Hot, dry summer days but cool nights from the plateau's altitude (around 700 metres), which keeps Verdejo's acidity and aromatics intact.
Terroir & soils
What the vines grow in
Stony, sandy and gravelly soils over limestone, poor and well-drained, which keeps yields naturally low.
Go deeper
Rules, years & producers
Naia
Old-vine Verdejo from a respected small estate.
Ossian
Ancient, ungrafted Verdejo vines, farmed and vinified with unusual care for the appellation.
Belondrade y Lurton
A Bordeaux-trained pioneer of barrel-fermented, age-worthy Verdejo.