100% Verdejo wine. Certified organic natural viticulture treated in a special way, seeking lower yields to achieve higher ripening. "Give back to nature what man has stolen from it" THE VINEYARD Technical Sheet Winery: Own Vineyards, at Menade Winery, Rueda (Valladolid) D.O. Rueda Alcohol content: 12.5% Variety: 100% Verdejo Serving temperature: 8-10ºC Tasting notes: Predominance of yellow, bathed in golden reflections. On the nose: Immediate presence of minerals, smoked notes, and ripe fruits. Unforgettable herbal undertones – thyme, laurel, and fennel. On the palate: Complex, oily, enriching with a lot of volume and a long and fresh aftertaste. Elegance, personality, finesse, and typicality stroll in the finish of this wine. Production: The Mission of Menade, which is a wine made from grapes that come from 18 plots located in different locations in Castilla y León and that are cultivated in a respectful way with the environment. Harvesting is done manually, and the grapes, upon arrival at the winery, are pressed whole. The must undergoes fermentation with its native yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The resulting wine goes through aging for around 10 months in French oak barrels of 500 liters, in tanks of 5,000 and 10,000 liters, and in various capacity amphoras made in part with clays from the Menade estates, a return to the origins. After aging, the wine La Misión de Menade rests in the bottle for a minimum of two years before being released to the market. Pairing: at Made in Spain Gourmet we recommend it on its own, in appetizers, with grilled seafood, in lightly seasoned salads, with semi-cured sheep and vegan cheeses, with mushroom pâté, or with foie gras. The Vineyard The key is to combine tradition and technology to pamper the vines. It is about seeking an alliance with the environment to take advantage of the resources it offers, taking care of it through traditional cultural practices. At Menade, they replace chemical treatments with other natural techniques, such as plant infusions (nettles, cinnamon...) or whey, which are more respectful of the soil, the vine, and the yeasts. Far from being enemies, the insects that populate the Menade vineyard are faithful allies in pest prevention. First, they are attracted with aromatic extracts to act as predators and then rest in their 'hotels,' pollination gardens full of aromatic plants where insects and reptiles live in harmony. The ecosystem of the estates is completed with a series of mobile shrubs and trees to improve the biodiversity that populates the vineyard. A poly-specific garden with more than 40 species from Castilla y León that is alive all year round welcomes visitors to the winery. All these practices have an impact on the final result of the wines, because in addition to tasting good, they feel good. They produce wines free of allergens and histamines. Through all these mechanisms, Menade has gone beyond the organic label. They are no longer green, they are natural. WHERE 40 SPECIES LIVE Also known as the Pollination Garden of Bodegas Menade, it is a large poly-specific garden with native species from Castilla y León that is alive all year round, so perennial species and caudas have been used to develop a large floral circuit for all types of insects, seeking a great entomological variety. The great Insect Hotel contains 40 species representative of the different strata of the ecosystem. At ground level, aromatic species such as lavender, sage, or different types of rosemary have been planted. In the middle level, wild roses, red espliegos, blackthorns, elderberries, and wild brambles have been planted, among others. The plants and trees installed in Bodegas Menade come from outdoor crops with repotted roots, that is, a reinforced root system. A studied environmental restoration procedure in an area marked by progressive desertification, due to the climatic characteristics of the area and the cultural practices that are not very respectful of the environment. Although the largest Pollination Garden of Menade is located near the winery facilities in Rueda, there are also other small hotels in the different plots of the estate. The creation of these micro-ecosystems provides a habitat for insects and predatory birds of other harmful insects. In other words, floral species will become 'hiding places,' improving environmental richness and allowing a balance between flora and fauna. A studied environmental restoration procedure in an area marked by progressive desertification, due to climatic characteristics and cultural practices that are not very respectful of the environment.