The Tarragona Denomination of Origin is determined to reinforce the quality of Macabeo, its most representative variety. It has 1,313 hectares planted, 45% of its total vineyards. In fact, 82% of its varieties are white, and 70% of them are Macabeo. “It is our most emblematic variety not because it is original but because 80% of the 27 wineries in the DO Tarragona have it planted,” says the president of the DO regulatory council, Maria Rosa Blanch. It is a variety that, according to the Tarragona DO, “is characterized by the aroma of almond blossom and its marine salinity”, as well as by notes reminiscent of fresh white fruit (such as apple or pear).
According to a study by the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine (Incavi) of the Generalitat, “Macabeo is very well adapted to the entire territory of the DO, since it shows us balanced and quality wines”. Plots planted at a lower altitude reach the optimal ripening point earlier than those at a higher altitude. This three-year study is a collaborative effort between Incavi, the technical services of the DO Tarragona and the wineries Vins Suñer de Ginestar, Estol Verd de Rodonyà, Mas Baiget de l’Albiol, Vives Ambròs de Montferri, Vinyes del Tiet Pere de Vilavella and Mas dels Frares de Constantí (Faculty of Oenology at Rovira i Virgili University). According to the president of the DO regulatory council, this study has already aroused the interest of other Spanish wine-growing areas.
The main work focuses on the control of the pruning load and production per hectare of the Macabeo variety to demonstrate how it directly affects the quality of the wines produced. Macabeo is a variety with a high productive potential that, if excessive, can directly affect the quality of the must obtained and, consequently, the wine produced. The conclusion has been reached that “favoring the balance between vegetative development and correct production, varying the pruning load, can influence the development of the plant and modify the quality of the wine.”
The final objective is to provide winegrowers and producers with technical tools that help them improve the quality of the final product, adapting the crop to the new conditions caused by climate change, thus achieving better profitability, both for the grapes and the wine. obtained. The project is also in line with the idea of ??sustainable agricultural production. On the other hand, the ability to define vegetative development appropriate to quality production makes it possible to adjust cultivation strategies, reduce the CO2 footprint and help the winegrower obtain better economic returns.