🍇 Macabeo
A white grape of Spain, also called Viura: 46,000 ha, 4.7 % of the country's vineyards (2015); one of the main grapes of sparkling Cava.
Macabeo is a white wine grape from Spain that is called Viura in Rioja. Viura is in fact its main name in the VIVC catalogue. According to the OIV, in 2015 the variety covered 46,000 ha in Spain, or 4.7 % of the vineyards. It is one of the main grapes of the sparkling wine Cava.
Macabeo's parents were identified with DNA markers: Hebén and Brustiano Faux. VIVC lists 41 synonyms, among them Macabeu and Maccabeu (as it is called in France), Subirat and Alcañón. Several Andalusian varieties, bred by crossing it with Palomino Fino, descend from Viura.
The technical file of the Cava appellation names Macabeo (Viura), Xarel·lo and Parellada as the main grapes. Despite its Catalan fame, the Cava zone covers municipalities in ten provinces, from Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona and Lleida to La Rioja, Navarre, Álava, Zaragoza, Valencia and Badajoz. The base wine needs at least 8.5–9 % vol. of natural alcohol, and rosé Cava requires at least 25 % red grapes.
In France the variety's area fell from 7,621 ha in 1988 to 2,628 ha in 2009. In Spain VIVC records 34,401 ha (2008).
Why it matters to you. Viura on a bottle from Rioja and Macabeo or Macabeu on other labels are the same grape. A grape named on an EU wine means at least 85 % of that grape. White wines are served at 4–10 °C and stored lying down, in the dark, at 10–16 °C.
Facts
| Country | Spain |
|---|---|
| Region | Spain: 46,000 ha, 4.7 % (2015); Cava, Rioja |
| Main use | wine grape |
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Macabeo → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Traditions
- 🌍 Southern Europe
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ Spanish wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Aragon, 📍 Rioja, 📍 Penedès, 📍 Roussillon, 📍 Catalonia, 📍 Costers del Segre
- Wines made from it
- 🍷 Rivesaltes, 🍷 Cava
- Main grape in
- 📍 Penedès, 📍 Rioja, 📜 Conca de Barberà
- Related to
- 🍷 Cava, 🍷 Sparkling wine
- Parents
- 🍇 Hebén, 🍇 Brustiano Faux
- Similar and different
- 🍇 Xarel·lo
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Macabeo and Viura are different grapes?
No. They are one variety; its main name in VIVC is Viura.
How much Macabeo is there in Spain?
46,000 ha, 4.7 % of the vineyards (2015, OIV).
Which grapes is Cava made from?
The main ones are Macabeo (Viura), Xarel·lo and Parellada (Cava file).
Is it true that Cava is made only in Catalonia?
No. The Cava zone covers municipalities in ten Spanish provinces.
What are Macabeo's parents?
Hebén and Brustiano Faux, according to DNA markers (VIVC).
What to read next
- 🗺️ Spanish wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📍 Penedès — The heart of cava production, west of Barcelona.
- 📍 Aragon — North-eastern Spain: 35,051 ha of vineyards (2022) and six protected wine designations, from Cariñena to Somontano; Garnacha is in four zones.
- 🍷 Rivesaltes — Vin doux naturel from Roussillon: ambré, grenat, rosé or tuilé.
- 🌍 Southern Europe — The Mediterranean south of Europe — Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal: sheep's and goat's milk cheeses and most of the world's olive oil.
Similar
🍇 Parellada · 🍇 Xarel·lo · 🍇 Trepat · 🍇 Pedro Ximénez · 🍇 Cayetana Blanca · 🍇 Mencía
Sources
- eAmbrosia — technical file: PDO «Cava» (Ares(2014)3948182)
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Viura (Macabeo)
- VIVC: area statistics VIURA
- OIV Focus 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (grape varieties on labels)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019