Cava Checks All the Right Bubbly Boxes

My Latest in Paste Magazine: 

Cava Checks All the Right Bubbly Boxes for Your Next Celebration

by L.M. Archer

Recent studies show signs of consumer “Prosecco fatigue” but a steady increase in demand for sparkling wine. Spanish Cava emerges among the biggest winners in this insatiable thirst for bubbles, breaking sales records in 2023. 

Cava employs the same production methods used in Champagne but sells for a fraction of the cost. Equally importantly, Spain’s Cava makers are embracing innovation and sustainability in a bid to better their wines.

Crisp, refreshing, affordable and increasingly sustainable… Clearly, Cava checks all the right bubbly boxes for celebrations.

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What Is Cava? 

Like Champagne, Spanish Cava’s fizz forms from a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The name “Cava” is a nod to the Spanish name for the caves in which the wines age.

Spain’s oldest winery, Raventós-Codorníu (founded in 1551) created Spain’s first sparkling wines in 1872. Located in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, the “capital of Cava,” Raventós-Codorníu transitioned to its current identity as a bubbles-centric house in 1885.

Cava Zones and Grapes

As Cava’s popularity grew, so did the need for greater regulations. In 1991, Spanish regulatory authorities approved the D.O. Cava status. This status elevated Cava from a generic term to a controlled appellation, or growing region, with strict guidelines regarding yields, grapes, pressing, production and aging of the Cava.

Vineyards in the region span nearly 95,000 acres and fall within four production zones: Comtats de Barcelona, Ebro Valley, Viñedos de Almendralejo and Requena. Presently, Catalonia’s Comtats de Barcelona produces over 95% of Spain’s Cava.

The traditional Cava blend, or coupage, comprises three native white grapes: Macabeo (or Viura), Xarel-lo and Parellada, usually sourced from various vineyards. Other approved white grapes include aromatic Malvasia Subirat, also known as Subirat Parent, Granacha Blanca (White Grenache) and Chardonnay. READ MORE HERE.

I’m delighted to share my latest feature in Paste Magazine about cava with you here. 

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