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Godello is a white grape variety grown in both Spain and Portugal and is thought to originate in Galicia in the northwestern corner of Spain. This grape variety is characterized by its small-sized berries produced in closely packed, small bunches. Godello is early ripening and and thrives in dry sites. It is sensitive to fungal diseases, including powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot.

The history of Godello is somewhat unclear. The first official written reference to it came in 1531 when it was cited under the names of Agudelho and Trincadente in the Douro. Recent DNA profiling has revealed Godello, Gouveio, Gouveio Roxo and Verdelho do Dão all share the same DNA profile. Verdelho do Dão, or simply Verdelho as it is known in the Dão region, should not to be mistaken for the Verdelho grape variety cultivated in Madeira and Australia, which has its own unique DNA profile. This confusion may have originally arisen from the familial relationship shared between Verdejo and Godello – new DNA research has pointed towards these two grape varieties being siblings.

Godello had a close brush with extinction in the 20th Century, with only a few hundred of its vines remaining by the 1970s. Thanks to a project to rescue this grape variety led by Horacio Fernández and Luis Hidalgos, there are now more than 1000 hectares (2471 acres) of Godello vines in its supposed native home of Galicia.

It was first produced as a varietal wine in Galicia in the 1980s. Valdeorras is a particularly revered producer of varietal Godello wines, but other Galician winemaking regions including the likes of Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra and Ribeiro are also noteworthy producers. The Bierzo region, in neighboring Castilla y Leon, makes both varietal and Godello-based white wine blends. Godello wines from Galicia tend to be intense, mineral-rich and long-lived, and typically respond well to barrel fermentation.

Godello's recent resurgence in popularity has also been reflected in Portugal, with approximately 1000ha (2471 acres) of land in the Douro and Dão regions now planted to Gouveio (or Godello). In the Douro, Godello has a reputation for being a complex and relatively full-bodied wine, with producers commonly blending the grape with other indigenous varieties including Viosinho, Rabigato and Síria. Godello is also used to produce White Port.

Synonyms include: Agodello, Agodenho, Agudanho, Agudelha or Agudelho, Agudello, Agudelo, Agudenho, Berdello, Godelho, Godella, Godenho, Gouveio, Ojo de Gallo, Prieto Picudo Blanco, Trincadente, Verdelho or Verdelho do Dão.