rueda

ALL ROADS lead to rueda

Patricia Langton examines why investment has flooded into Rueda in recent years and looks at the reasons for considering this region for Spanish white wine

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Feature findings

 Pre-crisis Rueda’s wine industry was thriving and major wine groups were investing in new vineyards.  Following the crash, scarcity turned to glut and Rueda has some serious challenges ahead. BEFORE LA crisis arrived life was rosy compromises on quality and the threat of  Rueda’s greatest asset is , if you were a grape grower in Rueda, the region’s reputation being dented by which accounts for 80% of white especially if you had Verdejo grapes to cheapies flooding the market. varieties planted and produces some sell. Demand for the region’s wines in of Spain’s finest whites. Both Spain was strong and overseas RUEDA’S GREATEST ASSET Martínez Blanco and Ramón Bilbao producers could also capitalise on The region now faces some tough have chosen Rueda over for consumers’ thirst for contemporary challenges, but despite this Rueda has a new white wine projects. styles of easy-drinking white wines. In number of strengths. Its greatest asset is  Outside investment from the likes of many ways the region had never had it the Verdejo grape. Such is its popularity Lurton and Chivite will contribute so good and nearly every major Spanish that the variety can be found beyond its to overall quality in the long term. wine group wanted a piece of the action. traditional homeland, but Rueda is  Local winemakers believe that As well as high grape prices there was where the grape excels thanks to a Rueda needs to uproot vines or also the incentive of EU subsidies to combination of climate, soils and know- reduce yields to rebalance supply “improve” vineyard management how. Verdejo has dominated new and demand. (now largely a thing of the past). plantings in recent years and now  Rueda is still relatively unknown in Extensive new vineyards sprang up accounts for around 80% of white the UK and more work needs to be featuring modern trellising systems varieties planted. done in the on- and off-trade. favouring higher yields and geared to The grape is remarkably versatile and machine harvesting. capable of producing some of Spain’s finest whites – good examples offer great middle tier, usually made exclusively aromatic quality and rich from Verdejo wines but sometimes with tropical fruit with great a splash of with a few structure. Many nod to months on the lees, is also gaining Burgundy in style, such as momentum. Good examples of the latter Belontrade y Lurton’s Verdejo Belontrade y Lurton’s Rueda are Oro de Castilla Verdejo from Bodega and K-Naia from Bodegas Hermanos del Villar, José Pariente, shows the variety’s extraordinary Naia. Belontrade y Lurton’s Codorníu’s Legaris and two newcomers ageing potential in the right wine, a Verdejo with a from Rioja-based producers: Finca longer track record having Montepedroso from Familia Martínez winemaking hands made its debut in the 1990s, Bujanda and Monte Blanco from Ramón also shows the variety’s Bilbao. Martínez Bujanda and Ramón extraordinary ageing Bilbao have both chosen Rueda over potential in the right Rioja for new white wine projects and winemaking hands. follow a precedent set by fellow Rioja These and many other fine producer Marqués de Riscal back in Ruedas come from the prime the 1970s. higher altitude areas of La Seca, Rueda By the time the world economy crashed and Serrada, known as The Golden these new vineyards were coming on Triangle, bordering Segovia which stream at eyebrow raising speed (see box, feature gravely soil. Verdejo thrives in page 22). Meanwhile sales in the all- these much sought-after vineyards. important on-trade in Spain fell More traditional unoaked blends of dramatically as consumers tightened their Verdejo with Sauvignon and Viura fulfil belts. In a short period of time scarcity the role of affordable, easy-drinking turned to glut for Rueda bringing with it styles which can be well suited for by-  the related headaches of price wars, the-glass listings in the on-trade. A

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Valladolid, Cupula del Milenio (Millennium Dome)

Ramón Bilbao’s Antonio Salinas – can bring a welcome boost through explains the bodega’s current thinking: their marketing muscle both on the “For the time being we have stopped domestic market and, importantly, Foreign consumers are producing white wines in Rioja. Both abroad. Investment in bodegas and demanding fresh, fruity Spanish and foreign consumers are vineyards suggests that they are in demanding fresh, fruity wines and Rueda for the long haul and are wines and Verdejo- Verdejo-based Rueda wines are therefore likely to contribute to the based Rueda wines are unbeatable in that respect and they offer region’s overall reputation through great value for money. Rioja whites offer quality-orientated viticulture and unbeatable in that great complexity when fermented in the modern winery facilities. respect and they offer barrel or aged in oak but again, the market for whites is very fruit driven.” great value for money Investors from outside the region – others include Chivite with Baluarte Verdejo, the innovative Jacques Lurton  and United Wineries with Vega de Reina

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Rueda: hectares under vine & yield Source: Consejo Regulador de Rueda

Year 2000 2005 2008 2010 2011 Hectares 5,668 7,765 9,946 11,739 12,410 Yield (kg) 29.8m 33.6m 53.6m 74.2m pending*

Both the area under vine and the yearly crop more than doubled between 2000 and 2010 * The harvest for 2011 is forecast to be similar or greater than last year’s in view of new plantings coming on stream

Ramón Bilbao has teamed up with a much in their youth. Compare this with local co-op and can tap into local know- Rioja where authorities set the how and the growers’ rich resource of maximum yield at 5,850kg/ha for red Verdejo vines, a large part of which is grapes in the 2010 harvest. Noel Young, of Noel Young Wines, is, located in the previously mentioned for now, one of the few independents to prime areas. Salinas also explains that LACKING DEFINITION back Rueda Verdejo wholeheartedly “Rioja practices” such as lower yields per Richard Sanz, of Sitios de Bodega, is a with a range of wines from £6-£20+ hectare have been brought to the project. leading local winemaker and the name including K-Naia. He believes that the This approach will be music to the ears behind wines such as Con Class and region’s Verdejo wines generally have of some of the local quality-orientated Verdejo Old Vines V3. He believes that more definition and better flavour than producers who voice concerns over the region needs to either reduce yields in the past. Young also welcomes “more what they feel are excessively high or uproot vines to allow Rueda to sensible pricing”; however, he says that yields and bland wines which are doing rebalance supply and demand and Rueda’s profile is still relatively low the region no favours. refocus on quality. Too many wines are among customers. “formulaic” and lack There is also work to be done in the on- definition, he says. trade. The quality of wines poured in Pablo Villar, at Bodega many pubs and restaurants can Hermanos del Villar, is also disappoint especially compared to The wines of the DO should concerned by the current state Albariño wines. On-trade operators could of affairs. He says: “It will be missing a trick given that there are not try to compete with La probably take a couple of years Rueda wines which are well suited for by- Mancha or Penedés on price… for the region to resolve its the-glass sales without food as well as problems through better those with greater depth and structure to Rueda’s wines are different management and by adopting enjoy with food and prices can be keen. the position that the wines of Doesn’t that tick most boxes? db the DO should not try to compete with La Mancha or Penedés on price… Rueda’s wines are different.” The current yield limitations stipulated Over in the UK Rueda’s fortunes could by the region’s Consejo Regulador are best be described as mixed although 8,000kg/ha for Verdejo and Sauvignon Verdejo in various guises – from DO Blanc and 10,000kg/ha for Viura and Rueda and – is making Palomino from traditional bush vines. headway. More numerous listings of Yields can go up to 10,000kg/ha for better Rueda wines in the off-trade and most white varieties (including Verdejo) perhaps the independent trade will be trained on trellises and this group takes where this happens rather than the more in many vineyards that are still very competitive supermarket aisle.

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Verdejo in Spain

Rueda: Verdejo’s traditional home is Rueda. Established in blends containing Verdejo are increasingly appearing under as 1980, the DO covers 72 towns and villages around Vino de la Tierra wines. Verdejo is now also one of the grapes , Avila and Segovia in Castilla & León in north- permitted by DO La Mancha. west Spain. Production of Verdejo grapes has risen Rioja: Authorities in Rioja gave cautious approval to Verdejo dramatically from around three million kilograms in 1994 to in 2007, but plantings were put on hold soon afterwards in over 60m kg in 2010. The trend has been the reverse for view of the adverse economic situation. There are around 76 Viura and Palomino, while Sauvignon Blanc accounted for hectares of Verdejo currently planted in Rioja, a small fraction 6.67% of the white varieties harvested in 2010. of the region’s total plantings, which are over 60,000 hectares. Other areas of Castilla & León: Verdejo plantings have The variety can only be used as a part of blends with Viura increased throughout Castilla & León and varietal wines or making up at least 50%

Medieval outer wall that protects and surrounds the city of Avila

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