This is what good wine from the Viura grape tastes like

Viura is a North Spanish white grape that produces fairly neutral wines. It can be floral, but most Viura is picked early, while it still has fresh, grapefruit-like acidity. In Rioja, winemakers call this grape Viura; in other regions it is called Macabeo.

In the past, a little of this grape was often added to red wine in Spain to soften the flavor - the same purpose the Italians like to use their Trebbiano for. But now that we want increasingly intense red wines, this is hardly done anymore.

Viura is one of the most important grapes in La Rioja. It is usually blended with the more flavorful Malvasia to give the wine fresh acidity. But because the juice in La Rioja is often raised in oak barrels, you need to have studied up quite a bit to still recognize the Viura in it.