Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc

Food pairings: Perfect as an aperitif and ideal with seafood and fresh or fried fish; it also pairs very well with green salads and citrus dressings.

Winemaking: After a very gentle three-hour cold maceration on the skins, the wine ferments for 15 days at 14°C in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, then rests on its lees for two months, adding texture and complexity. The 2024 was bottled from February 2025.

Vineyards and terroir: Celeste Verdejo comes only from estate vineyards on gentle slopes along the Duero River near Villafranca de Duero, in the westernmost part of D.O. Rueda. The deep, well-drained soils of riverbed gravel, stone and sand bring freshness and aromatic intensity. In 2024, April frosts were followed by a warm summer with cool nights and less rain than usual during the growing season.

Family and history: Pago del Cielo was founded by the Torres family in 2004 and spans Ribera del Duero and Rueda. Led by winemaker Juan Ramón García, it makes modern, elegant wines; Celeste Verdejo is made at the family's winery in Villafranca de Duero. Imported to the US by Wilson Daniels.

In the pictures: The Celeste Verdejo label, and Pago del Cielo's Verdejo vineyards in Rueda.