ALL ABOUT VERDEJO
GEOGRAPHICAL AND CLIMATIC CONTEXT
The majority of the appellations of origin in Castile-Leon drink from the great Duero River that runs across the region and all the way to Oporto, in Portugal, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Understanding wine begins by understanding the land it comes from.
The region stretches across the northwestern Meseta of the Iberian Peninsula, a high plateau where vineyards reach for the sky at elevations of up to a thousand meters. The harsh continental climate (very cold winters and hot summers) shapes the various wine regions where spring frost is a formidable threat.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Cultivated in Castile-Leon, the Canary Islands, and Portugal, Verdejo is the variety par excellence of the DO Rueda appellation of origin. Here it has been used in winemaking since the 11th century, during the reign of Alfonso VI, when the population of the Duero basin exploded with the arrival of Cantabrians, Vascones, and Mozarabs. The latter are most likely the ones responsible for introducing the variety to the Iberian Peninsula.
THE VINE AND THE WINE
The Verdejo vine buds early to reveal spherical leaves and small clusters made up of small berries that are greenish yellow in color and enveloped in thick skin.
In terms of attributes, Verdejo wines are usually intensely aromatic with good body and acidity, luscious, with plenty of glycerol. They display a distinctive herbaceous nuance responsible for the touch of bitterness that characterizes Verdejo wines and expands their expressive range.
CELESTE VERDEJO
The Pago del Cielo vineyard and winery are located in the municipality of Villafranca del Duero, on the left bank of the river, which is wide and abundant here, flowing between the first foothills of the valley amid a beautiful, vibrant landscape of rolling hills and beautiful meanders.
Celeste Verdejo is a modern, easy-to-drink wine that originates from the winery's own vineyards on hillsides close to the Duero River. The location of the parcels, the row orientation, and the gravelly soils accentuate the expressivity of the Verdejo grapes, thus adding complexity to the wine. Celeste Verdejo is a 100% Verdejo varietal from DO Rueda.
Celeste Verdejo (DO Rueda)
With Celeste Verdejo, the northern influence of the river brings us a brilliant, golden wine with excellent acidity. Its beguiling varietal nose offers hints of fennel and green almond, notes of citrus, and the pure essence of white flowers. Luscious and sensuous on the palate, it is persistent and displays wonderful length. In addition, the wine is V-Label (vegan) certified, which means that no animal-derived ingredients were used in its production.
Celeste Verdejo speaks of its severe continental climate; the influence of the Duero and echoes of the Atlantic; the high-altitude vineyards; the beauty of the landscape; the region's strong, cheerful people; a sense of history, culture, and an experiential winegrowing legacy that spans millennia, keeping one foot firmly in the past to reach for the future.