Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine.
Castilla y Léon, in the northern half of the central Iberian Plateau, is the largest of Spain's 17 administrative regions, covering about one-fifth of the country's total surface area. It stretches roughly 350 kilometers (220 miles) from the center of Spain almost all the way to the north coast. Equally wide, it connects the Rioja wine region with the border of Portugal. Red wines rule in Castilla y Léon, and the Tempranillo grape variety is unquestionably the king. It is known here by various synonyms including Tinta del Pais, Tinto de Toro and Tinto Fino. It is the grape behind all of the region's finest wines except Bierzo, which makes good use of Mencia. The supporting cast includes the French varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah. Castilla y Léon's white wines are far fewer in number than the reds, but only marginally less prestigious. They are made mostly from the white grapes Verdejo and Viura. Although the region's economy has traditionally focused on cereal crops, viticulture has been a significant economic activity in Castilla y Léon for more than 2000 years. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the acreage devoted to vineyards fell significantly, and the focus was shifted from quantity to quality. Today, Castilla y Léon is home to some of Spain's most respected Denominaciones de Origen (DOs). Most notable are Ribera del Duero, Toro, Rueda and Bierzo. The Castilla y Léon Vino de la Tierra title covers the entire wine region. It has much less restrictive regulations, and a wine range of grape varieties are permitted. It covers lesser-known, newer or less intensively planted locations. It also gives winemakers a chance to work on less-traditional wine styles.
Rueda is a Spanish wine region located on the Duero river around 150 kilometers (c. 90 miles) northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid, on roughly the same latuitude as Ribera del Duero region. It is known for its dry, aromatic white wines made predominantly from the Verdejo grape variety. These fresh, aromatic whites are an ideal complement to the heavy Tempranillo-based reds of neighboring Toro.
White wine is a wine whose color can be pale-yellow, yellow-green, and yellow-gold colored. The wine is produced from a variety of grape varieties. The flavor and color comes from the juice of the grape and sometimes the skin of the grape as well. Interestingly, not all white wine comes from white grapes. Some select red grapes are used as in Champagne.
