Focused on fine dining, the wines in this new category bring additional value to consumers while defending the region and passing the D.O.’s rigorous quality controls.
This year, one of the most important novelties for the Rueda Designation of Origin is the launch of ‘Gran Vino de Rueda’, a new category that relies on the highest-quality raw material. ‘The objective is for the area’s winemakers to experiment and achieve the maximum potential of the permitted varieties, and especially of our native grape, the Verdejo. We want to demonstrate its versatility and ageing capacity, making wines that position the Rueda brand among fine dining’, explains Carmen San Martín, president of the Designation of Origin.
The qualification tastings for these products began in April. The first wines have already passed the Regulatory Board’s strict quality controls and the sensory and physicochemical analysis carried out by the D.O.’s tasting committee, made up of oenologists, sommeliers and sector professionals. Once these controls have been passed, the products will be marketed with a special back label featuring a black and gold design, colours that convey elegance and exclusivity. In addition, this back label has an engraving specifically designed for D.O. Rueda to certify its quality and origin.
With this new category, the Designation of Origin highlights the importance of the old vineyard and the work carried out by winegrowers, preserving the area’s heritage. ‘Our “Gran Vino de Rueda’” brings additional value to consumers, whom we hope to amaze both nationally and internationally. With this initiative, we’ll continue to meet the requirements of an increasingly educated public that is putting faith in the rising quality of D.O. Rueda wines’, adds Carmen San Martín.
The wines included under this new quality label must meet several requirements: they must come from vineyards of more than 30 years old and have a maximum yield of 6,500kg/ha and a kilogram-to-litre conversion of 65%.