<a href="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/groc-2007.jpg" title="Spanish wine Groc 2007 from the Rueda region"><img align="right" src="http://myplanetavino.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/groc-2007.jpg" alt="Spanish wine Groc 2007 from the Rueda region" /></a>One wine region I rave about but never write about is Rueda.  The region is a mainstay in my tastings because I think they are some of the most consistent and best value white wines in the world.  You can get a reliable bottle for between 5 and 8€ retail.  These are unoaked, fresh whites made either from Verdejo or Sauvignon Blanc.  Verdejo is the local variety that has a similar Sauvignon grassiness but with more tropical fruit and some refreshing bitterness in the finish.  Though still not common, oaked versions of Verdejo are coming on….Verdejo handles oak beautifully.   A few of my favorite wineries are José Pariente, Naia, Belondrade y Lurton, and Aura.  It is because of Rueda that cheap white wine is more reliable than cheap red wine in Spain.  It is available by the glass in bars throughout Spain and is usually much better than the corresponding house red….usually a thin Rioja.  When in doubt as to the wines on offer in Spain…order Rueda…you’ll almost always get some at least decent.  The wine today is Groc…what an unfortunate name; the label is very cute and somewhat unusual in the Spanish world of plain Jane wine labels.   The wine is the entry level wine of the winery Ossian, known for its top flight oaked Verdejo…one of the top whites in Spain.  It is made from low-yield old vines.  I really loved this wine, much more austere and focused than many Ruedas…many un-oaked Ruedas have intense grassy and pineapple aromas…sometimes a bit excessive.  It was quite a refreshing alternative, though perhaps it lacks the easy, soft attractiveness these wines typically offer.  Read on for details about the Groc 2007

Wine:  Groc 2007
Winery:  Ossian
Denominación de Origen (DO): Vine de la Tierra de Castilla León (Rueda)
Alc: 13%
Grape varieties: 100% old-vine Verdejo
Oak regime:  no oak
Price:  8€ retail in Madrid

Tasting notes
Visual:  Pale straw color
Nose:  Much less intense nose than a typical Rueda.  A bit grassy, citrus fruits, fennel. 
Mouth:  More intense in the mouth, though quite austere...super fresh acidity, lemon, fennel, some grassiness.  Not the longest finish but very attractive vertical mouth, finishing with a bit of typical bitterness

Conclusion: Not the easiest Rueda, a bit intense and austere...none of the sweet tropical fruit that dominates most Ruedas.    I love it!  Such a refreshing change...the one note tropical fruit version can be a bit tiring at times. 
 