Xarel-lo grapes
Xarel-lo, also known as Xarello is a famous variety of white grape which marks its origin in Spain.
Xarel-lo along with Macabeu as well as Parellada is referred as one of the three most traditional varieties of grapes that are used in making the famous sparkling Spanish wine called Cava.
Xarel-lo is considered as one of the most widely planted variety of grapevine in the northeast region of Spain. Not only this, Xarel-lo is also considered as the sixth most important variety of grape in Spain.
It is the flagship grape of Penedes which is a small area inside the region of Catalonia and is a predominant area of the major production of white wines. A variety of different wine styles could be produced out of this white wine grape.
These wines so produced are very strong and flavorful as to their taste. Also they are more aromatic in nature, if compared to the two other Cava producing wine grapes.
The grapes of Xarel-lo get their best shape when they are grown in the soil present at an altitude of 400 meters. The soil grown in this region is clustered and not too complicated and hence it gives the best of attributes to the grapes of Xarel-lo.
This variety of wine grape is mostly prone to frost damage. At the same time, it is very productive and is generally entertained by medium to high levels of acidity. The most favorable conditions for a proper growth of this variety of grapes are mild and warm.
In its very own Catalan language, the name of this variety of wine grape is written using an interpunct dot. However, in other signs and languages, this dot is mostly replaced by a hyphen (Xarel-lo).
Most of the people prefer writing it as Xarello. The writing styles of this grapevine are many, and so are its names. Xarel-lo is referred using a number of synonyms such as Cartuxa, Carluja, Pansa Blanca, Pansa, Pansal, PrensaBranco, Vinate, Vinyater, Xarello, Xarell-Lo, Xarelo Blanco and many others.
Origin
As mentioned previously, Xarel-lo finds its origin in Spain and in the most notable region of Catalonia. The questions regarding the time of origin of this variety of grape hasn’t been settled down as of now.
According to some studies and records, this grape has its existence since the very ancient times. This grape has been said to be planted since the year 1548 where it covered an area of 26 hectares of Can N’Estruc which was situated on the steep and jagged mountainside of the Montserrat region of the town of Esparreguera.
During then, these vines were located at an altitude of 165 meters above the level of the sea. They were taken care, managed and owned by a person named Francisco Marti.
According to the recent studies, the Spanish vine plantings covered an area of 8,750 hectares of the Catalonian region in the year 2004.
Characteristics
A number of characteristics are entertained by the grape vines of Xarel-lo. The wines produced out of these grapes are usually strong in terms of their flavor.
They are also known to produce the wines which are highly aromatic – Cava is a great example if the aroma produced by this grape is taken into consideration.
The wines produced from Xarel-lo entertain the same flavor as that of apricot and any other citrus flavor. These flavors help in refreshing the acidity of the wines produced out of these grapes.
The wines produced out of Xarel-lo are lively, fresh as well as crispy. This variety is known for producing the best sparkling-wines. At the same time, Xarel-lo is one such variety of white wine grapes that can also be prepared into various dry table wines. The lime-cordial flavor and the aroma of the wines produced by this grape are worth a sip.
Xarel-lo is considered as a little sensitive to mildew as well as powdery mildew. However, if the conditions of its cultivation are favorable, the yielding of these grapevines will fetch you good results.
Michael Bredahl
Wine Writer
Michael is an online enthusiast, with a lot of knowledge about online marketing. Traveling around the world to hunt for the perfect wine. Latest on Sicily, where Etna has a huge impact on the taste, which is strong with a bitter aftertaste for the youngest wines, but older wines are fantastic. Drinking wine, and writing about them, are one the passions. Remember to drink responsibly 🙂
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