Verdejo

Verdejo (Verr-day-ho)

A Spanish grape, but not really Spanish. Well that isn’t entirely true. Verdejo is the main grape of Rueda Spain…here’s a map->

 

During the 11^th Century, Mozrabs (Iberian Christians) from North Africa introduced Verdejo to Spain. Initially, Verdejo was made into sherry style wines that were low in quality and over oxidized. It wasn’t until the 1970’s, that more quality minded vintners starting making fresher, higher quality Verdejo. Verdejo is often compared to Sauvignon Blanc from warmer climates. It has similar fresh acidity appeal, tartness, citrus, and aromatics. A unique characteristic of Verdejo is how it is picked off the vine. It is always done on a cool night to keeps its acidity. Wine makers believe this keeps the freshness of the grape. At Swirl, we carry the Naia Verdejo from Rueda and others.