The area of Rueda, where our Finca Montepedroso winery is located, has an undisputed protagonist in its vineyards, the Verdejo grape.
Under the mantle and watchful eye of the Rueda Denomination of Origin, the Verdejo grape is responsible for the great white wines we can enjoy, such as Finca Montepedroso Verdejo or Montepedroso Enoteca.
Today we tell you some of the curiosities of this emblematic grape variety:
Etymological Origin
Its name comes from its characteristic color, green. Although this variety is also called, in a not so significant way, with other names such as: white cock button, verdal del país, verdeja or madrigal vine.
In the area of Portugal, we can find a variety with a very similar name, Verdelho, with which it should not be confused, as they do not share the same characteristics.
Its strong and resistant character
It was at the end of the 19th century when a serious outbreak of Phylloxera hit, among other areas, the vineyards of Rueda and almost managed to extinguish this symbolic variety. The character of the Verdejo grape, strong and resistant to inclement weather and the passage of time, resisted this outbreak, so that in the area we can see vineyards with more than a hundred years old.
Your legacy
The winemaking tradition of the Rueda region could be traced back to the Roman occupation, but it was in the 11th and 12th centuries when the Mozarabs, in their repopulation of the Duero basin, introduced it to the area during the reign of Alfonso VI.
It acquired great splendor in the Court of the Catholic Monarchs, where there was a proliferation of cellars for aging white wines and the most famous wine ‘El Dorado’ was considered the benchmark wine in the court.
At present, the wines of the Rueda Denomination of Origin made from this variety have consolidated their position as the highest quality and best known white wine appellation in Spain. According to the latest Nielsen report, made to wine consumers, it has achieved a rating of 7.9 out of 10 in quality and 84% in absolute notoriety.
Night harvests
The magic of the grape harvest in Rueda is found at night, the grapes are generally harvested under the stars, so that they retain their maximum potential and are as fresh as possible, thus avoiding any oxidation or deterioration by the sun and high temperatures. These are some of the infinite curiosities that the Verdejo grape offers us, if you want to know more about this wine region and its wines, visiting Finca Montepedroso is the answer.
