Cava | The In-depth Guide

Cava, together with Prosecco and Champagne, is one of the best sparkling wines you can find. Its fine bubbles and vibrant citrus flavours make it a wine companion for every occasion.

So what is Cava?

Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine mainly produced in the Penedes region of Catalonia. For reference, Barcelona is Catlonia’s capital city. Most Cava production, about 95%, is centred around the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, where the first Cava was made by José Raventós in 1872. He was inspired by a trip to France and brought Champagne-style wine-making to Spain.

To be called Cava, the wine must come from the Cava Denominación de Origen (DO) area and must be carbonated with secondary fermentation in a bottle, using the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle or méthode champenoise), among other appellation rules. The Cava DO is not a continuous region. There are 4 Cava zones spread out throughout Spain.

You can find this Spanish wine in two versions: white or rosé (rosado). It is generally made using three main types of grapes: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello, the most important being Macabeo. The wine has a light to medium body and generally a dry profile. Among the dominant flavours are citrus and fruit aromas: lime, Meyer lemon, quince, yellow apple, or tart apple. However, given the minimum aging requirement (9 or more months) and how the wines are aged (on lees), you’ll likely find bready and nutty aromas: brioche, almond, toasted hazelnut or smoke.

How is Cava made?

Cava is made using the traditional method (método tradicional). The process is often referred to as méthode champenoise in France. As you guessed correctly, Champagne is made the same way. However, Cava producers cannot refer to the process they follow as méthode champenoise as the European Union has afforded special protection to the wines produced in the Champagne region of France.

1_Harvest

Grapes are harvested early to allow them to maintain high acidity levels, which is essential for a high-quality Cava.

2_Sort and Press

Grapes are then separated by varietal and gently pressed.

3_First Fermentation

The first fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels, producing the still wine, which will serve as the base for the Cava wines.

4_Assemblage (Blending)

The juices of the different varietals are blended in specific proportions.

5_Second Fermentation

The blended wine is then bottled with different levels of sugar added, along with the yeast. This starts the second fermentation in the bottle. At this stage, the bottle is sealed with a crown cap to facilitate the disgorgement process later on.

6_Resting

After the second fermentation has started, the bottles are placed in cellars, where the second fermentation takes place. As a result, CO2 is produced, which is trapped in the bottle and produces the famous bubbles. The bottles are left ‘’sur lie’’ (on the lees, i.e. with the spent yeast cells inside them), which allows the wine to develop more complex flavours (toasty notes appear). Depending on the quality of the wine, it can be left to settle from 9 months to several years.

7_Riddling

During this stage, the bottles are positioned in special racks, with the neck of the bottle pointing downwards at a 45-degree angle and rotated a quarter turn (riddled) so that the lees settle in the neck of the bottle. Riddling can last between 6 and 8 weeks. Some producers still do this by hand, paying homage to tradition. Still, many producers have adopted the use of a riddling machine (or gyropalette) that rotates the rack a quarter turn, and with it, all of the bottles are turned a quarter.

8_Disgorgement

During disgorgement, the dead yeast and sediment settled in the neck of the bottle are expelled from the bottle. There are two types of disgorgement:

• Mechanical disgorgement is the most common. Under this method, it is necessary to bring the temperature of the neck of the bottle to -27ºC. For this, the bottle is immersed in a special refrigerating solution, which allows the content in the neck of the bottle to be sufficiently cooled. Then, the bottle is opened, and the frozen dead yeasts are ejected under the trapped CO2 pressure, along with a small amount of wine. In the process a small amount of oxygen enters the bottle, which, together with dosage, will significantly impact the development of wine aromas.
• Hand disgorgement (aka à la volée) is typically only used for very small or large bottles, and very old vintages. Under this method, the bottle is placed upside down and opened using disgorgement pincers. The bottle must then be quickly tilted back upwards to ensure that only the amount of wine necessary for the sediment to be ejected is released. This requires quite a bit of skill to master.

9_Dosage

The bottles are topped up with still wine mixed with sugar. The amount of sugar defines the type of wine that will be achieved (we will discuss this further in the article).

10_Bottling

Lastly, the bottle is corked and labelled and left to rest for at least 9 months to allow for the wine to develop further. Only once the wine is deemed ready the wine is released and ready to be shipped and arrive at your table.

What are the differences between Cava and Champagne?

Although they are both sparkling wines, made in the exact same way, Cava and Champagne differ in many ways.

1. The biggest difference lies in the origin of the wines. While Champagne originates from France, Cava originates from Spain.
2. Another difference is the type of grapes used in each wine. Champagne primarily uses Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. While Cava can be made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, most Cava will be made from a blend of Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel-lo, which results in a wine that is slightly fruitier and earthier than Champagne.
3. In addition, the terroir in which each wine is made is different. Champagne is produced in the north of France, with continental weather, which logically has very different climatic and soil conditions than the Mediterranean region of Catalonia, where Cava is produced. Some Champagne houses source the grapes from other parts of France. For a wine to be designated as Champagne, at least 51% of the grapes must come from Champagne.
4. Finally, another difference is the method used to expel impurities after the second fermentation. In Cava, the mechanical method is generally used, while in Champagne, the manual method is more commonly used.

What are the quality levels of Cava?

There are 4 quality levels for Cava between Cava de Guarda and Cava de Guarda Superior.

Cava de Guarda includes only one category:

• Cava: It is the lowest quality level for Cava. Here, you can find young wines with a minimum of 9 months of aging in the bottle. Sparkling wines with this quality level are characterized by being very fresh and having an aroma and flavour with a great predominance of citrus, besides not having such intense bubbles.

Cava de Guarda Superior includes the following three categories:

• Cava Reserva: In Cava Reserva, you will find sparkling wines aged for at least 18 months in the bottle in low-light cellars. This allows Cava Reserva wines to develop more complex flavours and aromas than the previous level, in addition to having more abundant bubbles.
• Cava Gran Reserva: A sparkling Cava Gran Reserva has a much more elegant profile of flavours and aromas, thanks to the fact that they are aged for at least 30 months in bottle.
• Cava de Paraje Calificado: This is the highest level of quality for Cava wines to date. These wines are produced in very specific vineyards in Spain, which must be at least 10 years old. In addition, the grapes must be harvested by hand, the maximum harvest yield is 8,000 kg/48 Hl per hectare, and each bottle must be aged for at least 36 months.

What are the Cava types based on sweetness levels?

Depending on the amount of sugar added, different types of Cava wine are obtained:

• Brut Nature: It is the least sweet Cava wine. It has a maximum of 3 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine.
• Extra Brut: Extra Brut is the second level of sweetness for Cava wines. It can have up to 6 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine.
• Brut: Brut is the third level of sweetness for Cava wines. It can have between 6 and 12 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine.
• Extra Seco: Extra Dry is the fourth level of sweetness, and together with Seco, Semi Seco and Dulce are not allowed in Gran Reserva bottles. It can have between 12 and 17 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine.
• Seco: It is the fifth level of sweetness for Cava wines. This type of wine has between 17 and 32 grams of residual sugar per litre.
• Semi Seco: This type of wine is among those with the highest sugar content. They usually have between 32 and 50 grams of sugar per litre.
• Dulce: This type of wine is the sweetest Cava. They have more than 50 grams of residual sugar per litre.

Cava Producers

Do you want to enter the world of Cava wines? Here we will tell you about two sustainable Spanish Cava brands: Azimut and Suriol!

Azimut

Azimut is a wine producer in Panedés producing sustainable and ecological wines. All their wines are made with certified organic grapes from local farmers. The wines are easy to drink and ultra delicious. This added to their low ABV level, makes them a great introductory way to the wonderful world of Cava.

Azimut has two varieties of Cava wine:

• Cava Rosat Brut Nature: This wine has a particularly beautiful pale colour reminiscent of red fruits such as strawberries, with a slightly acidic touch reminiscent of red apples!

Another interesting aspect is that it has a nice texture on the palate, with zero sugar or dosage. This is achieved because this wine is exposed to a small amount of oxygen before its second fermentation. This makes it a much more interesting Cava.

Finally, this wine has another very remarkable aspect: its price! It isn’t easy to find a 100% organic wine, with such a careful production process (for example, the grapes are disgorged by hand) and natural bubbles that are also very affordable!

• Cava Blanc Brut: Here we are talking about a particularly fresh wine with a very bright colour, which in its taste, evokes delicious ripe white fruits, lemon peel, lemon curd and even a bit of toasted almonds on the finish.

This wine has persistent but not invasive bubbles, which makes it ideal for cleansing the palate when eating seafood, especially oysters (which pair very well with the acidity of this wine).

Suriol

Suriol is a wine producer in Panedés with a rich 400-year history in the hills of Alt Penedés. Assis Suriol, one of the best cava winemakers, is at the helm of the eponymous brand. He is the 17th generation to continue the family tradition of producing wine.

In their centuries-old cellars, wines are made following the tradition of natural winemaking: using indigenous yeasts that provide unique flavour notes and a production method for grapes focused on sustainability and yield limitation, reflecting the particular characteristics of every terroir.

Suriol has two varieties of Cava wine:

• Cava Blanc Reserva:

This wine perfectly reflects Suriol’s production style: the grapes used are native varieties (40% Macabeo from the La Plana vineyard, 30% Xarel-lo from the L’Hort vineyard and 30% Parellada from the Les Carbasses vineyard) from 3 different plots, and each plot is fermented individually, with native yeasts.

Fermentation is carried out in concrete tanks during the winter. Then the wine rests for more than two years on its lees. This and the grape varieties give the wine its characteristic notes of baker’s yeast, honey and citrus.

• Cava Rosat Reserva: This wine is another great example of the production method used by Suriol: the grapes are harvested by hand from only two plots and carefully pressed with 6 hours of skin contact.

The wine is then fermented using the same methodology as the Cava Blanco Reserva and aged for a year in wooden barrels, which gives this fantastic exponent subtle notes of chestnut. Finally, it is fermented in the bottle for two years with its lees before being racked entirely by hand.

This process results in an aromatic and sweet wine with raspberry, blueberry, white chocolate and subtle chestnut.

Final Words

Cava is a fantastic and, in many ways, under-appreciated sparkling wine. The wines are very similar to Champagne but generally cheaper. In addition, the combination of the climatic conditions in which the grapes for both wines develop, added to the type of grapes used in each wine, will give a different flavour profile. However, both will have a strong citrus presence in flavour and aroma.

Despite the differences, both wines are a great option to enjoy sparkling wines, with a great presence of bubbles, and combining them with a delicious meal. In the particular case of Cava wines, they pair very well with Iberian ham. You can even try them with delicious Spanish tapas, with which they make a particularly good pairing!

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