Beverage
Macabeo
Macabeo (Viura in Rioja) is a widely planted Iberian white used for still table wine and as the soft, fruity component of Cava. Flavours run lemon, white flower, light peach, and a gentle, sometimes slightly bitter finish; body is light to medium and acid moderate. In Rioja, Viura can be fresh and young or traditionally oak-aged for oxidative complexity. In Catalonia it cushions Xarel·lo’s structure in sparkling blends. Quality depends heavily on yield—high crops stay neutral, low yields gain perfume. Fresh Macabeo works with tapas, light fish, and simple vegetable plates; oaked Rioja white suits roast poultry and creamy dishes. Deglaze mild seafood pans with young bottles. Avoid over-oaked cheap whites for cooking—they can taste woody and flat once reduced.
Also known as: Macabeo / Viura, Maccabeu
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Characteristics
Preparations
Traits
Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Macabeo / Viura spread across northern Spain as a flexible white for still wine.
Cava growers adopted Macabeo for floral softness in traditional-method sparkling blends.
Modern Rioja white programmes revived serious Viura beside barrel-aged classics.