Xarel-lo

Definition - What does Xarel-lo mean?

Xarel-lo is a light skinned white wine grape varietal from the region of Catalonia in northern Spain. Though it can be used to make different wine varieties, it is mostly used in the production of a sparkling wine known as Cava.

Xarel-lo grapes have thick skins, high quantities of polyphenols, and its juice contains an amazing balance of acids and sugars. Consequently, Xarel-lo adds an acid structure to wine and it is among the top reasons why it is considered as one of Spain’s finest wine varietals. There are different ways of spelling Xarel-lo in different languages, in Catalan Xarel.lo is spelled with a dot, but in other languages, the dot is replaced with a hyphen or removed.

WineFrog explains Xarel-lo

A study conducted in University of California Davis and the University of Barcelona shows that Xarel-lo wine can have strong a flavor and aroma.

Xarel-lo is one of Spain’s finest white wine varietals, and it is used to make Cava, by blending Macabeo and Parellada, two other widely known Spanish grape varieties. Cava is a popular and fine Spanish sparkling wine, which benefits from aging during the winemaking process. This is because Xarel-lo, one of the main components of Cava, has a high concentration of an antioxidant known as resveratrol.

The vines of Xarel-lo are similar to other grape vines and are not particularly unique. Xarel-lo berries are of average size and the grape's bud and ripen at a standard time, neither early nor late in the harvest season. However, despite its average harvest characteristics, its ability to adapt make it a popular viticulture choice. Furthermore, Xarel-lo is among the rare variety of grapes that are suitable for consumption as a fruit and for viticulture.