This white grape variety finds its origin in the town of Godella in Valencia in Spain. However, Galician traders brought it back to the northern part of Spain right above the border with Portugal in the 1920’s. The grape of course has crossed over the border many times, which is why, even though Godello has many synonyms, the most well-known is the Portuguese name of Gouveio.
Godello produces beautiful white wines, always with a slightly creamy texture. It is an important variety for the region, especially in the sub-regions of Galicia like Valdeorras, Ribeiro and Monterrei (where it is called Berdello). In Portugal we see the main plantation of Gouveio concentrated in the northern part of the country.
Mainly in the regions of Tras-os-Montes, Porto, Douro and Tavora-Varosa.
In Porto the grape is used for the production of white port.
Going more southern, all the way to the region of Tejo right above the city of Lisbon, Gouveio changes its name to Verdelho. The grape gets spread all the way to the island of Madeira to produce the like-named fortified wine. Also, on the rest of the Azores islands we find plantations of this variety. Apart from this, lately new plantations can be found as far as Australia and New Zealand.
Godello: aromatic, acidic, peachy, potential of producing high levels of sugar, creamy and well-travelled!
Aromas
Tropical fruit aromas such as apricot, white peach, guava, honeydew, sugar melon, red apple and overripe pear are typical notes found in the Godello, especially when planted in warmer climates. The grape will also give us an elegance reflection of the terroir. Godello coming from the Spanish-Portuguese border area will reflect the granite and saline, while the Azores and Madeira will give us flint. The creaminess in the texture will leave some aromas as well, especially after aging on oak. Think of toasted almonds and dried nuts.
Wine type
Aromatic full bodied white wine
Colour
Medium gold
Food matching
This talking about the matching done with a single blend Godello, so not in the form of fortified wine. We can match this grape with a number of fish dishes such as cod, salmon or trout, due to the elegance acidic levels and the hints of saline. Because of the roundness of the structure, especially when been aging on oak, beautiful match with lighter meat and poultry can be made as well. Think of chicken, turkey, veal, or pork.
