Macabeo, also called Viura or Macabeu (, ), is a white variety of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

. It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern

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, the Cava producing areas south of

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, and the

Languedoc-Roussillon Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania. It comprised five departments, and b ...

region of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Spanish plantations stood at nearly in 2015, making it the second most grown white grape variety in Spain. In France, plantations accounted for in 2007.Viniflhor stats 2008: ''Les cepages blanc dans le vignoble''
Since 2009, some Macabeo is grown in Israel.

Styles and winemaking

The grape is mostly used to make mildly acidic and young white wines mostly suitable for early consumption or blending with other

varieties Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, both red and white. Some of the most pleasurable examples of the variety are planted along the Pyrenees, where it is used to produce highly saline and textural white wine. It is probably the best white wine grape for natural wine making in warmer climates. It is also often the main grape of white Rioja and is sometimes blended in small amounts with

Tempranillo Tempranillo (also known as Ull de Llebre, Cencibel, Tinto Fino and Tinta del Pais in Spain, Aragonez or Tinta Roriz in Portugal, and several other synonyms elsewhere) is a black grape variety widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its ...

and red Garnacha, both in unoaked and oaked versions. It was introduced in Rioja after the

phylloxera epidemic The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid waste to the wine industry. It was caused by an aphid that originated in North America and was carried across the Atl ...

, where it largely replaced

Malvasia Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

and

Garnacha blanca Grenache blanc (also known as garnatxa blanca in Catalonia) is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol a ...

, partially because of the ability of its wines to better withstand oxidation. Some producers of white Rioja make superior wines (Reserva and Gran Reserva) subjected to extended ageing that can span decades, resulting in a highly distinctive and aromatic wine. Macabeo (or Macabeu, as it is known in Catalan) is traditionally blended with

Xarel·lo Xarel·lo () is a white grape variety of Spanish origin specially grown in Catalonia. It is a cross between Brustiano faux and 'Gibi', a synonym for the Spanish Hebén grape. With Macabeo and Parellada, Xarel·lo is one of the three traditiona ...

and

Parellada Parellada () is a Spanish white grape variety of Catalan origin specially grown in Catalonia, Spain. With Macabeu and Xarel·lo, it is one of the three traditional varieties used to make the sparkling wine Cava, which is primarily produced in ...

to make cava, the best-known sparkling wine of Spain, and it is also used on its own in varietal wines. It is also used in the base spirit used to create

Obsello Absinthe Obsello Absinthe Verte, or simply Obsello was a brand of absinthe. Obsello was an award-winning "Verte" or green absinthe that was manufactured by distillation from eight herbs including grand wormwood. Obsello was distilled in California. Pro ...

. In Roussillon, late-picked Macabeo is also used in fortified wine (''

vin doux naturel Fortified wine is a wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added. In the course of some centuries, winemakers have developed many different styles of fortified wine, including port, sherry, madeira, Marsala, Commandar ...

''). As well as on its own as exceptional young white wine

Synonyms

Macabeo is also known by the following synonyms: Alcañol, Alcañón, Blanca de Daroca, Charas blanc, Forcalla, Gredelín, Lardot, Listan Andaludschii, Listan Andaluzskii, Lloza, Macaban, Macabeu, Maccabeo, Maccabeou, Maccabeu, Makkobeo, Malvoisie, Provensal, Queue de Renard, Rossan, Subirat, Tokay, Viura. Some of these synonyms are also proper names of other grape varieties.

References

{{wines Spanish wine Grape varieties of Spain White wine grape varieties