Godello

Godello is a high quality, very aromatic grape variety native to the region of Galicia in north west Spain, where it grows alongside Albariño, Torrontés and Treixadur.

Godello was virtually abandoned after the phylloxera crisis of the 1880s. By the early 1980s the variety was nearly extinct, but the Galicians, who are ethnically Celtic and whose language is closer to Portuguese than it is to Spanish, are intensely nationalistic, and a few dedicated growers in Valdeorras, Monterrei and Bierzo began to rehabilitate some neglected Godello vines, and plant new vineyards.

As Godello wines have become fashionable in Spain, increased demand has encouraged new planting, especially in Valdeorras DO. It is considered a main variety in Valdeorras and Bierzo Dos and is also gaining some ground in neighbouring Castilla y Leon.