Founded in 2008 by the Gil Family, Bodegas Shaya is located in the south-eastern part of the appellation of Rueda, in the province of Segovia. The estate is made up of 75 acres of old-vine Verdejo, much of it un-grafted and some parcels are up to 120 years old, in addition to 320 acres of younger, trellised vines. The vineyards are located at 2,300 ft above sea level and yields are low, 2.5 t/ha, making for concentrated and aromatic Verdejo.
The appellation of Rueda, which is located on the central Spanish plateau, experiences an extreme continental climate with very cold winters, late springs, and blistering summers, but the Verdejo thrives in these conditions, concentrating its flavors. 2,600 hours of sunshine, low rainfall, and winds keep the vineyards dry, forcing the roots to dig deep though the sandy, stony soil giving the wines a lovely hint of minerality. Huge temperature differences between day and night help maintain the balance between sugar and acidity.
Verdejo is Spain’s most popular white grape, and it is native to the region of Rueda (88% of the vineyards in Rueda are planted with Verdejo), a region where winemaking dates back as early as the 10th century.
All of our estate old-vine vineyards are dry-farmed, hand-harvested, and no pesticides or herbicides are used in any of the vineyards. The wines are vegan certified.