Rued Awakening
I personally lean towards wines with a crisp acidity as they complement and don’t overpower food. While many people tend to associate red wines with Spain, which I do love, I have taken a real liking to Spanish whites from the Rueda region along the Duero River. The local grapes, especially Palomino, used to be made into heavy, sherry-style wines. But an emphasis on alternative grapes and new winemaking techniques and styles of wines have been pushed to the forefront through the pioneering efforts of certain progressive local producers such as Felix Lorenzo Cachazo. Due to the dedication and efforts of the folks at the Cachazo winery, there is a real awakening in Rueda of the potential for the Verdejo grape. They own prime vineyards planted mainly on sandy soils throughout Rueda, including some vines that are over 140 years old. With its similar style to Sauvignon Blanc, fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel and lees aging, we have a modern, food friendly wine. The end product ticks off the boxes today’s wine drinkers are looking for. Light yellow in the glass, this wine offers generous tropical fruit aromas. The mouth feel is gorgeous with textures of stone fruits and wet stone flavours lingering on the palate. The Wine Enthusiast issue of Nov. 1, 2023 gave it 93 points with an additional “Best Buy” accolade.
During the current spell of hot, sultry summer weather, enjoy a cool crisp glass on its own. But for the ultimate food match, get yourself a recipe on the internet for a Spanish-style seafood paella. Verdejo pairs magically with the assemblage of different textures and flavours of the key ingredients of rice, mussels, prawns, calamari and spices. And don’t dare leave out the saffron!