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Region & D.O.
D.O. RUEDA
The Denomination of Origin Rueda is located in the left bank of the River Duero, in Castilla y León, being the most emblematic area in Spain producing white wines. It was approved in 1980, after years of hard work inorder to earn acknowledgement and protection for its autochthonous grape variety, the Verdejo. Since 2001 it also produces red and rosé wines. It consists in 72 towns and villages settled along the provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Avila.
CLIMATE
This area where the D.O. is settled belongs to mediterranean climate by latitude, however and due to its altitude, it has a clearly continental climate. This climate, extremely hard with cold and long winters, short springs with late frosts, and dry and hot summers, is what gives the originality and particular character to its grape. Annual rainfalls goes from the minimum levels of 300 litres to the maximum levels of 500 litres. Sun exposures reaches 2.600 hours a year, which would be excessive were it not for the late maturation of the grape.
SOIL
The D.O.Rueda is located in the central area of the depression formed by the Duero river. It has blown by Atlantic winds. They are dark grey-brown soils, rich in calcium and magnesium, stony but easy to farm, well drained, and limestone outcrops on the hilltops. It varies from sandy-loamy to loamy. It has the typical “gravelly” soils present in the best vineyards in the D.O. Rueda.
WHITE VARIETIES
The Verdejo variety has its origins in the 11th century, being the autochthonous grape variety. In the 30’s the Jerez wine cellars started growing Palomino grapes in this D.O, in the 50’s became the incorporation of other variety, the viura, from Rioja region,and finally, in the 70s the Sauvignon Blanc which originated from France’s Loira region began to be grown being th DO Rueda the first in adopting this french variety in Spain.
RED VARIETIES
In the late 19th century, before the outbreak of phylloxera, the D.O. Rueda had a historical tradition of red grape vineyards, but maybe this plague might also have led to the virtual disappearance of red wines, leading to he absolute predominance of white varieties.
One of the reasons can be the location between two regions, Toro and Ribera de Duero, which produce mainly red wine. Since september 2001, the D.O. has also started to produce red and rosé wines, in theri different categories from Jovenes to Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. Tempranillo variety has the predominance, but other varieties have been authorized, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Garnacha.
THE VINEYARD
Maximum productions permitted per hectare:
Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc:
·Pie bajo or vaso (cordon and cane) vineyards: 8000 kg/ha
·Espaldera (vertical shoot positioning- VSP) vineyards: 10.000 kg/ha
Viura and Palomino:
·10.000 kg/ha
-Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha: 7.000 kg/ha
Type of pruning depends on the grape variety and the conduction system employed. The varieties Viura, Palomino, Tempranillo and Garnacha have a short pruning, and Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernete Sauvignon and Merlot grapes have a long pruning, employing the double guyot system.
Our harvest, in a 65% of the white grapes is done mechanically, in Sauvignon Blanc variety 100%. Mechanical harvesting is normally done at night, thus avoiding the oxidation of the musts, and optimising the use of cold in the cellars.
Main Office of the Regulatory Council
Address: C/ Real, 8. 47490 Rueda (Valladolid) Spain
+ 34 983 868248
+ 34 983 868135
crdorueda@dorueda.com
www.dorueda.com
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