Viura

"Macaban" redirects here. For another Spanish wine grape known as Macaban, see Merseguera.

"Lardot" redirects here. For another wine grape known as Lardot, see Chasselas.

Viura
Grape (Vitis)
Color of berry skin	White
Species	Vitis vinifera
Also called	Macabeo, Macabeu and other synonyms
Origin	Spain
Notable regions	Rioja, Catalonia
Notable wines	Cava, white Rioja

Viura, also called Macabeo (Spanish: [makaˈβeo]) or Macabeu (Catalan: [məkəˈβew], French: [makabø]) is a white variety of wine grape.

It is widely grown in the Rioja region of northeastern Spain, the Cava producing areas south of Barcelona, and the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Spanish plantations stood at near 32,000 hectares (79,000 acres) in 2004,^[1] and French plantations at 2,800 hectares (6,900 acres) in 2007.^[2]

The grape is used to make mildly acidic and young white wines mostly suitable for early consumption or blending with other varieties, both red and white. It is often the main grape of white Rioja and is sometimes blended in small amounts with Tempranillo and red Garnacha, both in unoaked and oaked versions. It was introduced in Rioja after the phylloxera epidemic, where it largely replaced Malvasia and Garnacha Blanca, partially because of the ability of its wines to better withstand oxidation.^[1]

Macabeu is traditionally blended with Xarel·lo and Parellada to make a sparkling Cava, the best known sparkling wine of Spain. It is also used in the base spirit used to create Obsello Absinthe.

In Roussillon, late picked Viura is also used in fortified wine (vin doux naturel).^[1]

Synonyms

Viura is also known under the following synonyms:^[3] Alcañol, Alcañón, Blanca de Daroca, Charas Blanc, Forcalla, Gredelín, Lardot, Listan Andaludschii, Listan Andaluzskii, Lloza, Macaban, Macabeo, Macabeu, Maccabeo, Maccabeou, Maccabeu, Makkobeo, Malvoisie, Provensal, Queue de Renard, Rossan, Subirat, Tokay, Ugni Blanc, Viuna, Xarello. Some of these synonyms are also proper names of other grape varieties.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Jancis Robinson, ed (2006). "Macabeo". Oxford Companion to Wine (Third Edition ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 414. ISBN 0-19-860990-6. 
2. ^ Viniflhor stats 2008: Les cepages blanc dans le vignoble
3. ^ Vitis International Variety Catalogue: Viura, accessed on December 18, 2009