Verdejo

The grapes are picked from the vine at night

The most remarkable thing about Verdejo happens in the dark: the grapes are often harvested at night in Rueda. There's a practical reason for this. Warm summer days ripen the fruit, while cool nights preserve the grape's fresh acidity, and harvesting during the coolest part of the day prevents the winemaker from letting the juice start fermenting prematurely due to oxygen. This preserves the freshness and fruitiness all the way to the cellar. At Faustino, this practice has even become the name of the bottle: Vendimia Nocturna means nighttime harvest. Verdejo itself is a white grape grown almost exclusively in Rueda, the region along the Duero River that received D.O. status in 1980.

Rueda has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters, and limestone, clay and sandy soils; the vineyards themselves are also strewn with stones. Verdejo is the region's most iconic grape variety, producing dry, expressive wines with good acidity. Most bottles are bottled young and ready to drink, but some Verdejo wines are aged in oak. These are fuller in flavor, with hints of honey and nuts; they become more complex and can be kept for longer. Unopened, a bottle is usually best enjoyed within two to four years of harvest, depending on the style.