The Rueda Appellation of Origin is 25 years old. The first recognised AO in Castilla y León is the kingdom of the verdejo grape, a strain unique and exclusive to the area, used today in two ways with equal brilliance: for the solid style of the classics and the ground-breaking style of the more modern.

Located in the centre of the sub-plateau north of Spain, Rueda makes the most of unique meteorological conditions: a Mediterranean latitude, a continental altitude and Atlantic influences responsible for its light rainfall.

Here, the winter is cold and long, spring short and summer warm, with considerable differences in temperature between day and night which explain the excellent balance between the grape’s sugar and acidity.

The grounds are flat and poor in organic matter while rich in calcium and magnesium. They are rocky and permeable and thus offer good aeration and drainage.

Clayey terrain that retains the humidity in summer and the heat in winter helps avoid freezing: it is the best ground for Rueda wine. Without this the cultivation and development of the verdejo could not be explained. It is exclusively native to the region, a bitter, herbaceous grape with a fruity hint, sweet with a high alcoholic content balanced by its excellent acidity.

Although the variety has been present in the area since the15th Century, the birth of the Rueda we know today came from the arrival into the area of the Marqués de Riscal. He appeared in 1972 and brought with him the basis of Castillan White Wines.