On Tuesday afternoon I attended a tasting featuring the wines from Rueda which is a Spanish Donominación de Origen (DO) North-West of Madrid. It’s white wine country with 98.5% of production white grapes with their best whites made with its indigenous grape variety: Verdejo which is also the #1 selling white wine in Spain.

The wines were being marketed as friendly on the wallet Summer wines that should be drunk young while they are still fresh with lively acidity. Most of the whites don’t see any oak though some producers are going that route.

The event was held at Salinas restaurant at 136 9th Avenue, a small neighborhood tapas place. It was a sit down tasting of seven wines and a slide show lecture in the back room of the restaurant which was jammed packed with tasters. We were served a plate of assorted tapas to nibble on.

2013 Avelino Vegas Montespina Sauvignon Blanc. The outlier wine made with Sauvignon Blanc, light yellow with a greenish tint with salty and grassy notes on the nose and was moderately herbaceous and crisp.

2013 Bodegas Copaboca Gorgorito Verdejo. Light yellow with initial nose of bubblegum that blew off to floral, moderate light with mineral notes and good acidity.

2013 Selección De Torres Verdeo Verdejo. Light yellow with dark floral and bubblegum on the nose and was moderate light with lemony, citrus notes on the finish.

2012 Castelo De Medina Verdejo Vendimia Seleccionada. Light yellow with a greenish tint with mushroom notes on the nose and earth and slate on the crisp finish.

2013 Javier Sanz Viticultor Collección “V” Malcorta. Light yellow with tangerine notes on the nose with grapefruit citrus on the fruit, I thought it fell a bit flat at the end.

2013 Bodega El Albar Lurton Campo Alegre Verdejo. Light yellow with an earthy and floral nose with moderate grapefruit on the fruit, balanced with a moderate to long finish. Drinking nicely.

2012 Bodega Emina Rueda Mattarromero Limited Edition 25th Annivesary. Fermented in barrels, medium yellow with peachy notes on the nose with moderate fruit with slate, ripe fruit and some toast on the finish.