Rueda
The Rueda wine region is situated north-west of Madrid, in the province of Segovia and Valladolid and covers an area of 8,000 hectares. The region consists of 52 vineyards (Bodegas) which produce 36 million litres of wine annually. Rueda is one of Spain’s best white wine growing areas. The most popular grape in the region is Verdejo, which produces a classic Spanish white wine of unique character, although Sauvignon Blanc is also planted and Viura is proving popular too. The Verdejo grape was planted in Rueda around the 11th century and is said to have been brought in to Spain from Africa. Interestingly, the Verdejo grape is not grown extensively elsewhere in Spain, other than in Rueda.