Unconventional White Wine Varietals: A Spotlight on Macabeu

When it comes to white wines, many of us are familiar with popular varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. These grapes have long dominated the market and are well-loved by wine enthusiasts worldwide. However, hidden among the shadows of these mainstream options lies a treasure trove of unconventional white wine varietals, each with its own unique characteristics and flavors. One such hidden gem is the Macabeu grape, and it is well worth traveling to Roussillon for.

Most wine lists play it safe. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio — the usual suspects. But if you have ever wanted a white wine that is genuinely different, expressive, and worth talking about, macabeo wine deserves your attention. Known by three names depending on which side of the Pyrenees you are standing on, this grape is responsible for some of the most aromatic, food-friendly whites in southern Europe — and it is having a quiet renaissance in Roussillon, right here in the South of France.

This guide covers everything: where macabeo comes from, what it tastes like, its starring role in Cava, how it expresses itself in Roussillon, and why we built our award-winning white wine around it at Res Fortes.

Here is something that trips up even committed wine lovers: macabeo, macabeu, and viura are all the same grape. One variety, three names — depending on where it grows.

• Macabeo — the internationally recognised name and the one most common in wine literature
• Macabeu — the Catalan and Occitan spelling, used in the Roussillon and Catalonia regions
• Viura — the name used in Rioja, Spain, where it dominates white and rosado production

If you have searched for “viura wine” and landed here, you are in exactly the right place. Viura gets roughly 18 times more search traffic than macabeu — which tells you everything about how underrepresented this grape is under its French and Catalan names, despite being one of the most widely planted white varieties in the western Mediterranean.

For the rest of this article, we will use macabeo as the primary term, with macabeu when referring specifically to the South of France context.

Macabeo is a child of the Iberian Peninsula. Its likely origin is the Catalonia region of northeast Spain, where it has been cultivated for centuries alongside other native varieties such as Xarel·lo and Parellada. From Catalonia, the vine spread south into Aragon and La Rioja, and north across the Pyrenees into Roussillon — the French borderland that shares deep cultural and viticultural roots with its Spanish neighbour.

In Rioja, where it became known as viura, macabeo became the dominant white grape by the late twentieth century, used both in barrel-aged whites with considerable richness and in fresh, early-drinking styles. In Roussillon, it settled into a supporting role in blended whites, valued for its aromatic lift and natural acidity.

For most of its history, macabeo was treated as a workhorse grape — productive, reliable, useful in a blend. It was not especially fashionable. That is changing. As winemakers across Roussillon and northern Spain start making more intentional, lower-yield versions, the variety is beginning to reveal what it can really do.

Cava sparkling wine being poured into a champagne flute with fresh Macabeo grapes beside it

If you have ever opened a bottle of Cava, you have very likely tasted macabeo — whether you knew it or not.

Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne: a sparkling wine made using the traditional method (secondary fermentation in the bottle), produced primarily in the Penedès region of Catalonia. The three traditional cava grape varieties are:

• Macabeo — brings freshness, floral character, and early-ripening reliability
• Xarel·lo — adds body, structure, and earthy depth
• Parellada — contributes delicacy and citrus aromatics

Of the three, macabeo is typically the most dominant, often making up 50% or more of a blend. It provides the backbone of acidity that cava needs to age, and its neutral-to-floral aromatic character works beautifully with the yeasty, bready notes that develop during bottle ageing.

The cava wine grapes category is one of the most searched wine topics in Europe — and macabeo is right at the centre of it. Understanding macabeo is, in many ways, essential to understanding cava.

Beyond cava, macabeo also appears as a still white in Penedès and Costers del Segre, where single-varietal versions show just how expressive the grape can be when yields are controlled.

Let us answer the question directly: macabeo is a dry wine. It is not sweet, not off-dry, not remotely close to dessert wine territory. If you are looking for a crisp, food-friendly white with genuine aromatic character, this is it.

Macabeo wines are notably aromatic for a variety that is sometimes dismissed as neutral. Expect:

• Floral notes: jasmine, white blossom, and honeysuckle are common descriptors
• Stone fruit: white peach, nectarine, apricot
• Citrus: lemon zest, grapefruit, lime
• Green apple and pear in cooler climates or younger wines
• Almond and fennel as subtle background notes, particularly in wines with some age

The hallmark of macabeo is freshness. Acidity tends to be lively and clean — not sharp, but enough to give the wine real energy on the palate. In warmer growing regions like Roussillon, the fruit profile leans toward riper stone fruit, while the heat is balanced by good diurnal temperature variation (warm days, cooler nights) that preserves natural acidity.

Texture is typically light to medium-bodied. Macabeo does not have the weight of white Burgundy or the tropical exuberance of a New World Chardonnay. It sits in a very pleasant middle ground: substantial enough to pair with food, refreshing enough to enjoy on its own.

Definitively dry. Whether you are drinking a still macabeo from Rioja, a cava from Catalonia, or a Roussillon blanc, the base wine is dry. Any sweetness you might perceive is fruit-derived — the natural fruitiness of the grape, not residual sugar.

Roussillon sits at the southern tip of France, wedged between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. It shares a border — and centuries of cultural and agricultural history — with Catalonia. It is no coincidence that the grape varieties on both sides of the mountains overlap significantly: grenache, carignan, mourvèdre, and macabeu all grow here.

In Roussillon, macabeu (the local spelling) typically appears in blends rather than as a standalone variety. The AOP Côtes du Roussillon Blanc permits a range of white varieties, and macabeu is often combined with grenache blanc, grenache gris, roussanne, and vermentino to create wines with complexity and regional character.

What Roussillon adds to macabeu is sun and schist. The dominant soils in much of the appellation are dark, layered schist — ancient metamorphic rock that drains quickly, stresses the vine, and concentrates flavour. Combined with the region’s exceptional sunshine hours and the cooling influence of the Tramontane wind, the result is macabeu with more substance and aromatic intensity than you typically find further north.

This is a grape that genuinely benefits from the southern French terroir. The warmth adds roundness and fruit depth; the schist and the wind keep it honest, preserving that freshness that makes macabeo such a pleasure to drink.

At Res Fortes, we grow and make wine in the heart of Côtes du Roussillon. Our vines sit on schist soils under reliably intense southern sun — the kind of place where you need to be thoughtful about which varieties you grow and how you work with them.

When we set out to create our white wine, macabeu was not the obvious choice. Grenache blanc and roussanne get more attention in the region. But we kept coming back to macabeu for what it brings to the table: aromatic precision, natural freshness, and a certain textural lightness that makes white wine genuinely thirst-quenching rather than heavy.

Our white is a blend of Macabeu, Grenache Gris, and Grenache Blanc — three complementary varieties that we grow organically. The Macabeu provides the aromatic lift and citrus-floral core. Grenache Gris adds body and a faintly saline, coastal quality. Grenache Blanc rounds everything out with weight and stone-fruit richness.

The approach in the winery is intentional and clean. We are not trying to make a classic Roussillon blanc. We are making a modern, structured white that holds its own in any company — whether that is a wine list in London, a dinner table in New York, or a terrace in Perpignan.

The wine has been recognised by Drinks Business, Wine Enthusiast, the Sommelier Wine Awards, James Suckling, and the San Francisco International Wine Competition — recognition that tells us the macabeu-led approach is working.

If you are curious what Côtes du Roussillon blanc tastes like when it is made with intention, this is a good place to start.

Mediterranean food and wine pairing with white wine, prawns, oysters, goat’s cheese, olives and almonds

Macabeo’s combination of dry, fresh, and aromatic makes it one of the most versatile food wines in the southern European canon. Here is how to make the most of it.

This is the natural home. Macabeo’s acidity cuts through richness beautifully.

• Grilled prawns with lemon and garlic
• Ceviche or seafood tartare
• Steamed mussels with white wine and herbs
• Whole fish roasted with olive oil and herbs
• Oysters (particularly with a few drops of lemon)

• Ratatouille or grilled summer vegetables
• A good aioli with crudités — classic with local whites
• Fresh goat’s cheese or mild sheep’s cheese
• Frittata or egg-based dishes
• Lightly dressed salads with citrus vinaigrette

Macabeo’s fruit and acidity balance against the fat in white meats without overwhelming delicate flavours:

• Roast chicken with herbs
• Pork tenderloin with apple or stone fruit
• Charcuterie — jambon blanc, terrine, rillettes
• Light pasta dishes with olive oil, garlic, and herbs

Honest answer: macabeo might be at its best as an aperitif. Pour it cold, pair it with something salty — olives, almonds, charcuterie — and let it do its thing. It has enough character to be interesting and enough freshness to sharpen your appetite. That is exactly what you want before a meal.

Heavily spiced dishes, very rich cream sauces, and anything strongly smoked tend to overpower macabeo’s more delicate character. For those, you probably want something with more weight behind it.

If this guide has sparked any curiosity, the best next step is obvious: open a bottle and taste for yourself. Our Res Fortes White brings together Macabeu, Grenache Gris, and Grenache Blanc from organically farmed vines on the schist soils of Côtes du Roussillon. It is modern, precise, and made to be enjoyed — not collected and overthought.

Award-winning recognition across four continents suggests we are onto something. We think you will agree.