Rueda is a Spanish wine region that is located in Castile and León. The region is made up of 72 municipalities and is known for fine white wines that are produced from the verdejo grape. Centered around the town of Rueda, and in the province of Valladolid, it is situated on a high flat plain between 1968 and 2559 feet above sea level. The Duero River flows through the region from east to west.

Wine production in Rueda dates back to the 11th century. King Alfonso VI offered titles to settlers as the area was recently reconquered. Many people accepted and founded monasteries with vineyards. Back in the 18th century the region was devoted exclusively to the Verdego grape. Between 1890 and 1922, phylloxera destroyed almost half of the vines, but was replanted in the late 1920’s.

Rueda has a continental climate with long and hot summers, and cold winters. The region is also influenced by Atlantic maritime. Temperatures can vary and sometimes drop to 32° during the winter. It is not unusual to see the mercury rise to 86° during the summer. The average rainfall is 15.7” per year with 2,700 hours of sunlight.

Soils in Rueda are alluvial with high lime content near the Duero River. To the south, the topsoil is sandy and brown with clan and gravel subsoil.