Godello (go-DAY-o) is a white wine grape that grows in all the major wine regions of Galicia. Its rise to fame has been less meteoric than that of albariño, but more and more people are starting to see its potential to make complex wines that rival some of the best white wines on the market today.
What is godello?
Godello is a white wine grape from Galicia. It’s the most-planted grape in the Valdeorras, Monterrei, and Ribeira Sacra appellations, and it’s also grown in Ribeiro and Rías Baixas. Outside Galicia, godello is also found in the Bierzo region of Spain and in the Douro and Dão regions of Portugal, where it’s known as gouveio or verdelho.
Godello Tech Sheet
- Color: Golden-yellow
- Aromatic Intensity: High
- Aromas: pear, apple, peach, vegetal notes
- Acidity: Medium-high
- Alcohol: 11.5-13.5%
- Body: Medium+
- Produced In: Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, Monterrei, Rías Baixas, IXPs of Galicia
- Synonyms: Agudelo, (Portugal), Gouveio (Douro), Ojo de Gallo, Prieto Picudo Blanco (Tierra de León) Trincadente, Verdelho do Dão (Dão)
What does godello smell like?
Wines made from godello have aromas of pear or apple alongside citrus aromas, and in some cases tropical fruit like passion fruit, pineapple, or melon. They can also have vegetal and herbal notes such as fennel, chamomile and bay leaf, as well as aromas of white flowers. Godello also does a great job of transmitting the terroir of the zone in which it’s grown, with notes of flinty minerality in some of the best examples.
What does godello taste like?
Like other Galician wines, godello makes wines that stand out for their acidity and freshness. Wines made from stainless steel tend to preserve this acidity, with good structure in the mouth and fruit that stays on the palate. The variety also tends to have a slight bitterness on the finish. Wines that have contact with the lees or that age in oak have a fuller body, while still conserving their original varietal acidity.
Where does godello come from?
Most people place godello’s origins on the slopes of the river Sil. It was probably first cultivated in Galicia during the first Roman colonization. Genetic studies have shown similarities between godello and the grape traminer, found in the north of Italy, so another theory hypothesizes that one of the monastic orders that entered Galicia in the medieval period brought godello with them. Ampelographers have traced godello back through the ages to the eastern territory of ancient Gallaecia: Asturias, Bierzo, the Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras, Monterrei and Trás-os-Montes in Portugal.
Some technical details
Godello tends to have alcohol levels between 11 and 13% and acidity between 5.5 and 7 g / L.
Unlike other, more terpenic Galician varieties, the primary aromas in wines made from godello come from ethyl esters produced during alcoholic fermentation.
How is Godello wine made?
Winemakers tend to make Godello wines in two distinct styles. One is a young wine which ferments in stainless steel and has no wood or lees aging. These wines tend to conserve the fruity, mineral characteristics of the grape. When wood is involved, godello shows its huge capacity for evolution, gaining creaminess and body without losing any of its freshness. Contact with the lees for short periods (around three months) can also add complexity without diminishing the fruity characteristics of the grape.
How is godello grown?
Godello grows in all the wine regions of Galicia, so the way it’s grown varies depending on the location. In most parts of Galicia, older vines are trained in goblet style, but the majority of newer plantings are in double cordon style. Godello adapts best to warm, dry slopes, but it tolerates higher-altitude plantings as long as vineyards are sheltered, and also bears water stress well. This is key in regions like Valdeorras, which has a continental-Mediterranean climate.
Valdeorras is the region most known for making 100% godello wines, and it’s also one of the few regions of Galicia with large uninterrupted extensions of vines. Although the vines belong to many different people, in the traditional Galician style of dividing property in minifundios, the difference here is that the largest plantations of vines aren’t broken up by houses or other crops.
Godello's "Revival" in Valdeorras
In the decades after the phylloxera epidemic, godello was on the verge of going extinct in Galicia. In search of the highest profits, growers ripped out old vines and replaced them with more productive varieties like palomino and garnacha tintorera. For years, what little godello remained in Valdeorras was blended with other white grapes to be sold as bulk wine, produced by cooperative wineries.
In 1976, engineers working for the Agricultural Extension Service began a project known as ReViVal (Restructuring the Vineyards of Valdeorras). Their aim was to rediscover pre-phylloxera grape varieties that had been lost and help Valdeorras’ growers to create high-quality, modern wines. They began to painstakingly track down old vines, all the while interviewing growers and seeking out the best grapes to use in experimental vinifications. Eventually, they realized that godello was the perfect grape for their revival mission. Over the years, they perfected the techniques for growing godello and making it into wine. In 1981, the first single-variety wines were released to great success, and by the end of the twentieth century godello would become the star grape of Valdeorras.