No wine snobs here, just enthusiastic drinkers of all wines
Two stalwart grapes of Spanish white wines are in fact sibling. Verdejo, cultivated in the Rueda region, and Godello, used primarily in Valdeorras and Bierzo, are both derived from the same parent grapes: Savagnin (or Traminer) and Castellaña Blanca. Verdejo is often considered the Sauvignon Blanc of Spain. This entirely separate grape variety also shares … Continue reading Sibling Grapes: Verdejo and Godello
This is the first wine from the Madrid & Darracott Lockdown Virtual Tastings. It is a classic Verdejo white wine from the Rueda D.O. Rueda white wines are served in just about every bar in Madrid and around most of Spain. Ask for a glass of white without specifying, and you will probably get a … Continue reading Rey Santo Verdejo 2019
Named after the winery's former president, this is one of Bodega Cuatro Rayas' most select wines. It was a surprise addition to the tasting at vinopremier.com. 100% Verdejo. It is made from the best grapes from Cuatro Rayas' oldest vines (over 100 years of age) and spends 8 months maturing in french oak. It should … Continue reading Amador Diez Cuvee 2017
In the 1980s the Spanish wine industry went through a revolution in modernising wine making techniques, introducing quality standards and perfecting which grapes grow best in their soil. Rueda is one of the most successful examples of this revolution. Prior to this time many Bodegas in the Rueda region acted as co operatives. Local farmers … Continue reading Dorado 61
The second white wine from the Bodega Cuatro Rayas tasting at Vinopremier.com. Another Rueda Verdejo Wine but this time with grapes harvested from vines over 100 years old and left on the lees for about 5 months. It is made using more traditional methods and only a limited number of bottles are produced. Like the … Continue reading Cuatro Rayas Viñedos Centenarios 2018
Last month Cuatro Rayas Bodega paid a visit to Vinopremier.com to let us sample their range of wines. Reading their website Cuatro Rayas is a large winery using modern wine making methods designed for bulk. It produces some 20% of all wines from the Rueda region, about 15 million bottles annually, and exports much of … Continue reading Cuatro Rayas Verdejo 2018
This wine is an excellent example of how sometimes a Vino de Tierra is your best choice. Historically when it comes to the Spanish wine quality labelling system wines from a DO or DOCa were a guarantee of quality levels and wines representative of that region. Vinos de Tierra were considered the lesser cousin. These … Continue reading Barcolobo Verdejo
When summer comes we switch to white wine and in Spain that usually means a bottle of Verdejo. These eminently drinkable whites usually come from the Rueda region, but the other week I went to. Wine tasting at vinopremier.com for the Bodegas Valbusenda where we tried a Verdejo from Toro. It was a very pale … Continue reading Abios Verdejo 2018
The second wine from the Colourfulwines.com wine tasting hosted by TomeVinos.com. The theme of this wine tasting was Spring Wines and this little Rose certainly meets that requirement. In fact it would be a good summer wine. The bodega is based in the D.O. Toro but this wine does make the D.O. qualification because it … Continue reading Bodegas Frontaura Rose 2018 edición limitada
The final offering from the Bodega Diez Siglos one tasting at Vinopremier.com. This is not so much a wine as a Mosto. Basically in between a wine and grape juice. It has only 5.5% alcohol, is sweet and has a natural fizz to it. The fermentation process is cut short so that not all the … Continue reading Canto 5 Blanco
