Cava

The Sparkling Wine from Spain is called Cava.

Cava is a great, affordable alternative to champagne.

The majority of Cava production comes from Penedés in Catalonia, the northeast of Spain. On 32,000 hectares of vineyard land, 1.5 million liters of Cava are produced annually. The region has DO (Denominación de Origen) status, meaning that only in this defined area can Cava be made, with a maximum yield to ensure quality.

The climate is a temperate Mediterranean one, with no frost and temperatures reaching up to around 28°C. Due to the varied landscape in this small area, winemakers can plant and use different types of grapes.

How is Cava Made?

The most common grape varieties are Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, from which a base wine is made. (This is still wine without carbonation.) The bubbles come in the same way as champagne, through método tradicional. The base wine is bottled with a mixture of sugar and yeast, after which the bottle is sealed with a temporary crown cap. Since the wine goes through a second fermentation, extra alcohol and carbon dioxide are created. The carbon dioxide can’t escape the sealed bottle and dissolves into the wine. After 9 months of aging, the yeast residues are removed, and the bottle is sealed with the final cork. To prevent the cork from coming off prematurely, it is secured with a kind of muzzle.

There is white Cava and Cava rosé. For Cava rosé, the blue Garnacha grape is added. Most Cava is Brut, which has a drier taste.

After 15 months of aging instead of 9, the Cava is called ‘Reserva’, and after 30 months, it is called ‘Gran Reserva’. Unlike the other bottles, the harvest year is mentioned on the labels of the Gran Reserva bottles.