white grape · regional staple
Verdejo
Rueda, Castilla y León, Spain
Say it
ver·day·hoh
Final 'j' is an aspirated H, not English J; common mispronunciation is 'ver-DAY-joe'
On the palate
Body
medium full
Acidity
high
Aromatics
pronounced
limegrapefruitwhite peachfennelalmondflint
How you spot it blind: persistent bitter almond finish that sets it apart from the Sauvignon Blanc it resembles
The story
First written down · 11th century, Rueda, Spain
DNA profiling (INRAE/Montpellier) identified Savagnin × Castellana Blanca as parents, making Godello a full sibling and contradicting the traditional Mozarab-from-North-Africa origin story.
Family tree: CASTELLANA BLANCA × SAVAGNIN
Where it lives
Rueda DO (Castilla y León, Spain)
Shows up as
still whitesparklingRueda DO