Located about an hour north of Madrid, the province of Castilla y Lyón contains five D.O. regions: Ribera del Duero, Toro, Bierzo, Cigales and Rueda. The Rueda D.O. region has been producing white wines that have been noticed as some of the best white wines available in the whole of Europe. The three owners of Bodegas Naia are: Javier Alen, who owns the Viña Mein winery in the Ribeiro D.O. region (Note: PJ Wine has this excellent full-bodied, flavorful, stylish white in stock). Victor Rodriguez, formerly a director of the highly acclaimed food and wine magazine Vino y Gastronomia, and Eulogio Calleja, a highly regarded winemaker in Rueda.

Bodegas Naia’s winery, named Viña Sila, is situated along the southern bank of the Duero River in Rueda. The winery covers 40 hectares (about 96 acres) in the village of La Seca, which is referred to as Rueda’s "Grand Cru" village by local growers. Most of the vineyards that produce fruit for Naia are twenty-six year old vines that cover about 94 acres, while a small percentage of fruit comes from vineyards (known locally as majuelos) that are choice parcels of 5 hectares in 8 small plots that contain ungrafted, pre-Phylloxera Verdejo vines in sandy soils. The average age of these vines is 90 years old with most over 100. These vines produce low yields of fruit with unparalleled depth and concentration.

Rueda has an "extreme continental" climate (very dry with a low average rainfall of 300-500 mm/year, long, cold winters with frequent frost and short, hot summers, in general a dramatic difference between day and night temperatures accentuated by the region’s elevation of 700 meters, and these large day/night temperature differences are vital factors to produce grapes with proper phenolic ripeness levels and the development of grape skins with aromatic depth and flavor complexity) and the vineyard soils are alluvial sediments of the ancient Duero riverbed. The soils have a top layer of gravel two meters deep that sits on top of clay. Winemaker Eulogio Calleja used 100% Verdejo grapes that are aged sur lie (on the lees) for four months to accentuate the varietal characteristics of the Verdejo grape (bright, aromatic, minerally fruit with steely acidity). The grapes are fermented in stainless steel tank.

The 2004 Naia Reuda Verdejo has bright, ripe peach, fresh apricot and honeysuckle aromas, with traces of lime and orange zest. On the palate, there’s zingy acidity that begins as tart, white peaches then develops into rounder, sweeter honeydew and cantaloupe melon flavors. The wine’s bright fruit and electric acidity are a real palate cleanser and the wine is very refreshing. It will pair well with briny shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels), fish "steaks" (tuna, swordfish, marlin, mahi mahi, Chilean sea bass) with lime or ginger marinades, and chicken with wild, fresh herbs. The secret of Naia is out—at least for Manhattan restaurants, many of which have it on their lists. This is yet another example of an excellent Spanish wine for under $10.

—Chris

"The 2004 Naia is a tank-fermented and aged Verdejo offering loads of honeysuckle, lemon zest, and orange rind characteristics in a crisp, medium-bodied, surprisingly textured yet elegant, fresh style. Enjoy it over the next 12-18 months. This modern-styled Spanish white should be sought out by consumers looking for light to medium-bodied, crisp, zesty whites with loads of character." —WA 88