Close up of vines in a vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Rueda

DO Rueda

Key Points

Grape varieties: Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc, Viura, Palomino Fino, Viognier, Chardonnay, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
Hectares planted: 19,900 Hectares
Grape growers: 1,580
Wineries: 74

Map of spanish wine region Rueda

About Rueda

Like many of Spain’s Denominaciones de Origen (DOs), Rueda is a historic wine region with winemaking traditions that stretch back to the Middle Ages. The DO was created in the early 1980s, and these days Rueda is famed for its white wines made from the Verdejo grape. But until the 1970s it was another white variety, Palomino, used in the production of sherry down south in Jerez, which was the most widely planted and used to make a local fortified wine known as Vino de Medina.

Rueda’s Consejo Regulador, or Regulatory Council, has done a lot of work in recent years to promote the Rueda "brand" nationally and outside Spain, and Rueda wines have become synonymous with a fresh, unoaked style of dry white wines which are very approachable and easy to drink and combine well with a wide range of different cuisine. That said, you’ll also find more innovative producers blending Verdejo with other permitted varieties like Viura or Sauvignon Blanc, or experimenting with oak ageing to make fuller-bodied, more gastronomic wines.

The terrain of Rueda

DO Rueda is centred around the town of Rueda in Castilla y León, about 170km north-west of Madrid and just to the south-west of the city of Valladolid. Geographically, Rueda spans the three provinces of Valladolid, Segovia and Avila and sits in the depression formed by the Duero river valley in the middle of the meseta central, Spain’s high central plateau characterised by flat fields of cereal crops stretching as far as the eye can see and interspersed with vineyards. With 20,000 hectares of vineyard, Rueda is one of Spain’s larger DOs - though still a way off Rioja which has just over 50,000 Ha - and with around 75 registered wineries you can see that Rueda producers tend to be slightly larger scale (particularly compared to a wine region like Galicia, for example, where plots are much smaller).

The climate of Rueda

In the middle of Spain, 400km from the Atlantic and 500km from the Mediterranean and at an altitude of between 600 and 780 metres above sea level, Rueda’s vineyards thrive in this continental climate where winters are cold and long, late frosts are frequent and summers are hot and dry, forcing the vines to push down into the subsoil in search of water. The variation between day and night-time temperatures during the growing season is a really positive factor, as the heat helps the sugars develop in the grapes while cooler temperatures at night help to lock in acidity.

The grapes of Rueda

The delicately aromatic Verdejo is native to Castilla y León and the flagship variety in DO Rueda. With aromas of softer fruit like melon, a core of zesty lime, and often grassy aromas, you’ll often see it recommended as an alternative to Sauvignon Blanc, which it is sometimes blended with, or Picpoul. Other permitted varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Viura, Viognier and Chardonnay.

In summary

If you are a white wine drinker and you haven’t yet tried Verdejo, it’s a great introduction to the white wines of central Spain. Labelling is Rueda is usually pretty good and clear, so you’ll get a good idea of whether you’re buying a 100% Verdejo or if it’s been blended with another variety. It’s also very versatile, and you’ll find producers looking for younger styles that play up Verdejo’s tropically-scented, aromatic qualities, while still others are experimenting with wood in the search for a richer, heavier style.

A vineyard in the autumn in the Spanish wine region of Alicante

DO Alicante

DO Alicante has had official status since the early part of the 20^th century. But, as elsewhere in Spain, in the last ten years the region has undergone something of a renaissance.

An old white cottage on the brow of a hill at sunset in the Spanish wine region of Bierzo

DO Bierzo

Sitting in the northwest corner of Castilla y León and bordering Galicia and Asturias to the north, Bierzo is something of a transition zone between the Atlantic and the Spanish interior.

VT Cadiz

VT Cádiz is currently Spain’s fourth largest IGP (Indicación Geográfica Protegida) and 80% of the production is centred on white wines made predominantly with the Palomino Fino grape.

A vineyard at Spanish Cava producers Bodegas Grimau

DO Cava

Cava is Spain’s most well-known sparkling wine. What many don't know is that it's also a DO in its own right. But unlike wines from other DOs, Cava is not made in just one geographical area.

A landscape shot of the Serra Llarga in the Spanish wine region Costers del Segre

DO Costers del Segre

Costers del Segre is one of ten DOs in Catalunya. The name literally translates as "banks of the Segre" which is one of the many tributaries which feed into the Ebro river.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Jumilla

DO Jumilla

Sitting in a hot and dry corner of Castilla La Mancha, Jumilla is a great place to explore fuller-bodied reds made from the Monastrell grape. But it also offers plenty of fresher wines from higher altitude plots that are well worth investigating.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Manchuela

DO Manchuela

Sandwiched between the coastal regions to the East and central Spain to the West, Manchuela has a long history of winemaking. It's famed for the Bobal grape, once a stalwart of bulk wine but now increasingly used to make some exceptional single varietal wines.

Barells in a wine cellar in the Spanish wine region of Sanlucar de Barrameda

DO Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda

In 1935, Spain’s first Denominación de Origen, D.O. Jerez-Xéres-Sherry y Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda was created and then in 1964, in recognition of Manzanilla’s distinct profile, the separate DO Manzanilla – Sanlúcar de Barrameda was formed.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Montsant with mountains in the background

DO Montsant

Montsant is defined by mountains hills, ridges and slopes. The region can be divided into sub-zones from warmer, lower stretches in the south-west as the land falls away towards the Ebro river and higher, wilder areas to the north.

A vineyard at Bodegas Grimau in the Spanish wine region of Penedes

DO Penedès

Penedès is best known for Cava which was essentially invented by the Codorniu family in the 1870s in the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. But it's also worth trying some of the region's wonderful aromatic white wines.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Priorat

DOQ Priorat

Priorat is one of the 10 DOs in Catalunya and, along with DOCa Rioja, it’s one of the two wine-growing regions in Spain with "DO+" which means that, like Rioja, the rules are that little bit stricter for wines made here.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Rías Baixas

DO Rías Baixas

Rias Baixas is home to the excellent Albariño wines, but has a growing number of other interesting grapes to discover. With thousands of small growers and producers, making wonderful artisanal wines, it's definitely worth exploring.

Steeply sloping vineyards on the banks of a river in the Spanish wine region of Ribeira Sacra in Galicia

DO Ribeira Sacra

Ribeira Sacra is the only DO in Galicia specialising in red wines. This is the land of "heroic viticulture" where vineyards hang from the vertiginous banks of the Sil and Miño rivers calling for winemakers with a good head for heights!

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Ribeiro

DO Ribeiro

Ribeiro is the oldest of the five DOs in Galicia. With vineyards grouped along the three valleys formed by the Miño, Avia and Arnoia rivers, Ribeiro is well-known as for its wonderful, blended white wines made from native local grapes.

An aerial view of the River Duero in Spain

DO Ribera del Duero

After Rioja, Ribera del Duero is one of Spain’s best known wine regions. But despite a long winegrowing history, the region was only awarded DO status in 1982.

A landscape view of a vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Rioja

DOCa Rioja

One of the world’s best known and best loved wine regions, Rioja was one of the first regions in Spain to become an official DO almost a hundred years ago. Today, it’s on a par with other great wine-producing regions of the world.

DO Sierras de Málaga

Spread across the province of Málaga, DO Sierras de Málaga has a winemaking histoiry that dates back to the time of the Phoenicians in around 800 BC.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Somontano

DO Somontano

Somontano’s broad identity makes it a comfortable entry-point for international wine lovers looking to familiarise themselves with Spanish wine. But it’s also a region with a deep winemaking history and lots of local colour and diversity.

DO Terra Alta

Terra Alta is a county defined by its Mediterranean agriculture. Covering some twelve towns with a combined population of around 12,000 people, the plains, plateaus and valleys are planted with olive and almond trees, but above all vines.

A vineyard in the Spanish wine region of Toro

DO Toro

Toro is "the other DO on the Duero", sandwiched between the more famous Ribera del Duero to the east and the Douro region just across the border in Portugal.

An aerial shot of vineyards in the Spanish wine region of Vinos de Madrid

DO Vinos de Madrid

Despite its best efforts, the Vinos de Madrid region is still relatively unknown even for wine drinkers in Madrid. Which is a real shame because the DO has got a lot to shout about.