Rueda DO [roo-AY-dah]

from

An important DO northwest of Madrid near Portugal’s northeast corner, not far from the city of Valladolid. The winemaking history of this area goes back hundreds of years, at least to the eleventh century after the Moors were driven out. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Rueda was well known for its SHERRY-style FORTIFIED WINES. At the end of the nineteenth century, PHYLLOXERA devastated the winemaking industry, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that the area was revitalized; it achieved DO status for white wines in 1980. Today, this area is best known for its high-quality white wines made from VERDEJO, although other varieties like Viaura (MACABEO), PALOMINO, and SAUVIGNON BLANC are used. Rueda’s climate and altitude create an environment that enables the Verdejo grapes to develop favorably, producing AROMATIC, FRESH, yet full-bodied (see BODY) wines. Basic Rueda wines require a minimum of 25 percent Verdejo; Rueda Superior wines require a minimum of 60 percent (SAUVIGNON BLANC is also allowed in the Superiors). This DO also produces sherrylike wines—Pálido, which is like a fino (see SHERRY), and Dorado, which is like an amontillado (see SHERRY). Rueda Espumoso, a DO category for quality SPARKLING WINE, was recently added. Red wines were not allowed under DO rules until 2001. Until then, producers experimented with TEMPRANILLO as well as CABERNET SAUVIGNON and MERLOT, but the wines were categorized as VINOS DE MESA until the Rueda DO red wine category was approved.