Bodega Cuatro Rayas, Verdejo 2019
Laughter echoes in a leafy yard; the late afternoon sunshine plays with the breeze to project dancing shadows on a table overflowing with fresh seafood dishes, pastas with spicy sauces, and drained wine glasses. This is what it’s all about: the moments, the stories, the love. With the last drops of Cuatro Rayas’ organic Verdejo gone, it’s time to start cleaning up and call it a night, but the memories will last a lifetime.
When you think back on those special moments spent with loved ones, the fresh, tropical aroma of the white Verdejo you shared will permeate your senses, its cheerful citrus flavors and straw-yellow color will linger as you relive the memories. And that’s exactly what the nearly 800 families who make Cuatro Rayas’ wines want: for their flavors to be infused in the ordinary but absolutely memorable moments that you’ll turn to in your mind time and time again.
Bodega Cuatro Rayas is an award-winning Spanish cellar that was started by a group of wine-making families searching for a path to prosperity in the years before the Spanish Civil War, and which has since become one of Castilla y León’s most well-known wineries. To say that starting a business in the years before Franco’s dictatorship was a challenge is an understatement: with the economy in ruins and military revolts threatening stability and peace, the founders of Cuatro Rayas—then known as Bodega Cooperativa de La Seca—pulled their resources together in 1935 and in 1950 produced their first commercial wine named Fino 61, a special blend made in the co-op members’ homes and later combined in the collective cellars. This was the beginning of a venture that has continued to thrive, expand and improve over the past eight decades, cementing them as one of the most easily recognized producers of Verdejo in Spain.
One of the features that makes Cuatro Rayas so unique is that many of their vineyards and wines are certified organic, and since they’ve swapped animal proteins for minerals when clarifying their wines, they’re also certified vegan. From their inception in the 1930s, they’ve had a green philosophy that focuses not only on respecting the environment but people’s wellbeing, creating a sense of community, shared goals and principles, and togetherness for the families of La Seca, while creating its own micro-economy in the region. With over thirty vineyards across Valladolid and Segovia to their name, Cuatro Rayas is emphatic that their production—from the wines to the labels, bottles and caps—must be sustainable, accessible, and distinctive, an outlook that has seen their brand flourish in the competitive Spanish market while also succeeding abroad.
The town of La Seca, which literally translates to The Dry, originally got its name because timber was left to dry there, though these days it’s best known for its wine-making tradition and even has one weekend a year—the third weekend of April—especially dedicated to celebrating its famed Verdejo. The perfect destination for wine lovers, this rural town is located just 10 miles south-east of Tordesillas, a city known for its gastronomy and history, and 28 miles from the provincial capital city of Valladolid, offering visitors numerous opportunities to delve into the rich local culture.
So don’t wait for a special occasion—make any moment special with a bottle of organic Verdejo, a white wine made from a rare indigenous grape which is picked at night to preserve and maximize its aroma and special properties, then fermented in stainless steel tanks, and delivered directly to your doorstep, bringing the warmth of the Spanish summer to you, no matter the weather outside your window.
Laura Restrepo Ortega 