🍷 Cava

Cava is a Spanish quality sparkling wine with a protected designation of origin (PDO). It is made by the traditional method, as in Champagne: the base wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, and by the rules it must then stay in contact with its lees in that same bottle for at least nine months. Cava can be white or rosé.

The designation is not limited to one region. Its specification divides it into four zones: Comtats de Barcelona in Catalonia, Valle del Ebro with municipalities in La Rioja, Navarre and Aragon, Viñedos de Almendralejo in Extremadura, and Requena in the province of Valencia. The town of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in Penedès lies in the Catalan zone.

Nine grape varieties are allowed. White: Macabeo (Viura), Xarel·lo, Parellada, Malvasía (Subirat Parent) and Chardonnay; red: Garnacha, Monastrell, Pinot Noir and Trepat. The classic blend is Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada.

What the label says. Longer ageing earns special terms. From tirage to disgorgement, «Reserva» takes at least 18 months, «Gran Reserva» at least 30, and «Cava de Paraje Calificado», from a qualified single site with hand-picked grapes, at least 36. Sweetness runs from brut nature (under 3 g of sugar per litre, none added) through brut (under 12 g) to dulce (over 50 g). Cava without these terms may say Guarda, while Reserva and above say Guarda Superior; they need organic vineyards at least 10 years old and the vintage on the label.

History. According to the single document, in the second half of the 19th century winemaking families in the province of Barcelona began making sparkling wine with a second fermentation in the bottle, and in 1872 the first bottles of cava were made in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. The bottles matured in underground cellars — «cavas» — at 13–15 °C, and over time the word became the name of the wine. Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada make up 85% of the grapes used for cava.

Why it matters to you. According to the Cava Regulatory Council, 251.8 million bottles were sold in 2023, 68% of them abroad; Germany is the largest export market. Genuine cava shows on the cork, which carries the word CAVA and the bottler's number. Finished cava has 10.8–12.8% alcohol. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol is safe.