Rueda In a Nutshell
The DO of Rueda is located around the town of its namesake just along the Douro River. Here the hot summers are tempered but the Atlantic maritime climate with the winter and autumns being fairly wet. Spain's main white grapes are found here such as Verdejo, Viura, Sauvignon Blanc and the workhorse red grape that is Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Garnacha making a small appearance.
The grape that stands out in this wine is the Airén. Native to Spain, this is most widely planted grapes in Spain, yet it does not often appear on the label and it is often blended into obscurity. In fact there is a general move away from this grape in favour of the more commercial vines mentioned earlier.