What is cava? - An introduction to Spanish sparkling wine

What is cava?

Cava is a sparkling, fruity wine with an alcohol content of between 10.8 and 12.8%. The name “Cava” in Catalan actually means “cave” or “cellar” and comes from the caves in which wine was traditionally stored.

The first bottles of cava were produced around 1872 and historically cava was created with inspiration drawn from Champagne. When European vineyards were hit by the grape plague in the late 1800s, resulting in a crippled wine production, a group of Spanish winegrowers decided to replant their fields with local and white grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada and began the production of cava with these very grapes. Today, cava is typically produced from these very grapes. You can read more about the cava grapes here

Where does cava come from?

Most Cava is made in Catalonia, 95% of which is made in the Penedès region (about 45 minutes from Barcelona). Cava has the status of "Denominación de Origen" DO in Spain (DO is equivalent to DOC in Italy or AOC in France), which means that it must be produced according to specific guidelines in order to carry the name "Cava" on the label. Cava is not tied to a specific region, unlike, for example, Champagne, which can only be produced in Champagne.

Fun fact: Cava was originally known as "Spanish champagne", but in 1970 winemakers used the term "Cava" to differentiate themselves from French champagne. There are over 38,000 hectares of vineyards in the Cava DO and approximately 250 million bottles of Cava are produced annually. A total of 270 houses make Cava, of which only 18 deliver more than 1 million fl/year.

How is cava made?

Cava is made in the same way as champagne, using the "Champagne Method" (also known as the "Méthode Champenoise" or "Méthode Classique"). The process is illustrated below:

The process:

1. Grapes are harvested, gently pressed with a yield of max. 66% and fermented in standing tanks for a few days at a temperature around, but not above 20C which creates the unblended base wines based on single grapes with an alcohol percentage of 10.5 - 11.5.

2. The base wines are mixed in a process called “ assemblage” to form a “cuvée” which is then bottled in a process called “coupage”.

3. Sugar, grape must and “ Tiraje” yeast are added to start the second fermentation which takes place in a bottle closed with a metal capsule or fitted with a cork. The process takes 2-3 months and ends when the sugar content is down to around 1.5g/l.

4. The wines are then aged on the “leak” consisting of dead yeast cells, wine, pigment from grape skins, etc. for a period (9+ months) to add complexity. The process where the yeast cell breaks down and becomes part of the wine is called “autolysis”.

5. The sediment is now collected and removed by placing the bottles neck down in metal cages or stands and continuously rotating them so that the sediment collects in the neck. The neck is then frozen in a process called disgorging and the sediment is forced out using the pressure in the bottle.

6. Finally, the bottles are topped up with a mixture of grape must, sugar and yeast called “expedition liqueur” and closed with a cork and a muselet to maintain the pressure in the bottle. The composition of the expedition liqueur is a large part of what defines the commercial end product.

How is cava classified?

Cava comes in the types “white” or “rosé” and is classified according to aging and sugar content. Both white and rosé cava are made using the traditional method. The main difference lies in the color, which in the case of rosé Cava is achieved by short-term contact between the red grape skins and the must, a process called “maceration”.

What does Cava taste like?

When you pour a glass of Cava, you can expect an aromatic scent of white flowers (e.g. acacia, chamomile, orange, elderberry and lily), citrus, pear, peach and exotic notes of mango and pineapple. You will also find the coveted bready nuances known from Champagne, which come from the maturation on the fine yeast residues. In the mouth, Cava is wonderfully creamy and fresh with a gentle mousse of fine bubbles thanks to the secondary fermentation in the bottle. The taste is dominated by yellow apples, citrus, peach and exotic fruit, which primarily come from the Macabeo grape. Cava will also typically be less acidic than Champagne, as the Mediterranean climate is generally warmer than in northern France.

How much does cava cost?

Good cava (and we're not talking supermarket cava here) can be had for around 100kr/fl and up. Typically, the price of a vintage cava is around 139kr.-250kr/fl, far below the price level for similar quality champagne.