The sparkling wine of Spain, widely known as Cava, is Spain's alternative to Champagne and Prosecco. This blog post will provide with all that you need to know about Spanish Sparkling wine and in particular Cava. I hope that you will come to appreciate, as we explore Cava in detail, the great similarities and relatively slight differences to Champagne. Prosecco on the other hand is significantly different from both Champagne and Cava. I will cover productions methods, grapes used, aroma and flavour profile, the rules and regions of production. I will also introduce some of the other sparkling wines or Vino Espumosos of Spain, that you may not currently be familiar with.
History:
Inspired by the sparkling wines of Champagne, Josep Raventós i Fatjó of Penedès in Cataluña, created the first sparkling wines in Spain in 1872. In 1888, his son Manuel Raventós Domènech improved on his fathers methods by established the dominant grape blending formula of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada, that is still dominant today.
The term Cava first started to appear in the 1950's in reference to the caves in which the wine was cellared to age.
Today, DO Cava has outgrown the traditional boundaries of Cataluña and can be produces in La Rioja, Valencia, Aragon, Navarra, Extremadura and Pais Vasco. However, 95% of all Cava is still produced in the Penedès area of Cataluña.
Production:
Cava, just like Champagne, is produced using the Traditional Method - "metodo tradicional". This means that two fermentations are undertaken, the primary fermentation in stainless steel, and the secondary in bottle. It is this second fermentation and extensive aging that is most important for Champagne and Cava alike. During the second fermentation, the carbon dioxide is trapped in the wine. With additional ageing on lees, those wonderfully delicious aroma and flavour characteristics of brioche and toast, nuts and cream develop in the wine. The wine develops greater depth and structure and becomes more complex over time.
The Traditional Method is identical to that used in Champagne, however, only Champagne is authorised to use the term méthode champenoise (Champagne method) to describe Champagne production.
It is worth noting that the significant difference between Champagne, Cava and Prosecco. Prosecco is more affordable, as it uses the Charmat method which adds fizz to the wine through carbonation. Bubbles are created under pressure using a single fermentation in large stainless steel tanks. The wine is then bottled by a special bottling line in a pressurised environment. Prosecco delivers a simple, light and delicate flavour without any of the complexity of .
Grapes:
Cava is typically made from a blend of indigenous Spanish grape varieties. By far the most dominant blending partners are the traditional white indigenous varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. However, additional white grapes varieties Malvasia (known locally as Subirat) and Chardonnay are permitted. Red grapes that are allowed include Garnacha Tinta, Monastrell, Pinot Noir and Trepat. Cava Rosado, in fact, requires at least 25% of these red grape varieties, although Cava Rosado remains a small percentage of overall production.
Cava again has great similarity to Champagne, in that whilst three main grape varieties dominate, four additional varieties are authorised for Champagne production. Champagne production is dominated by Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, however Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Petit Meslier and Arbane are also authorised.
Aroma and Flavour Profile:
It is hard to categorically define Cava, due to the wide production area, however, the Cava produced in Penedès, which is the overwhelming majority of production is easily definable. The aroma and flavour profile of Penedès Cava consists of green apples, citrus in the form of lemon and lime. Hints of pear and quince, lovely minerality, bread dough, brioche and toasted notes. Sometimes you will experience some lovely almond characteristics on the better quality offerings with greater age in bottle. A distinct hint of Mediterranean herbs and fennel is often present.
In terms of a comparison, Champagne can also vary from light and crisp to rich and complex. Cava is generally lighter, slightly fruitier, and will possess a little more earthiness and less autolytic (bread, dough, notes). Whilst the aromas and flavours will be very, very similar, Champagne often has more pronounced acidity and will be a little heavier on the palate.
Prosecco has softer carbonation and is often sweeter than most Cavas, but lacks any yeasty tones, depth or complexity. The bubbles (mousse) will often be much more coarse and less fine grained.
Terroir and Climate:
Spanish Cava can exhibit a range of styles due to different terroirs in Spain, resulting in varying flavours and characteristics.
The Champagne region's unique terroir and cool climate contribute to its distinctive flavour profile and higher acidity.
Sweetness Levels:
Sparkling wines are labelled according to the amount of sweetness added (dosage) to the wine at the time of bottling. Cava and Champagne are identical in terms of dosage and sweetness levels.
Sweetness levels of Cava, running from driest through to sweetest are:
- Brut Nature : less than 3 grams of sugar per litre
- Extra Brut : 0 - 6 grams of sugar per litre
- Brut : 0 - 12 grams of sugar per litre
- Extra Seco : 12 - 17 grams of sugar per litre
- Seco : 17 - 32 grams of sugar per litre
- Semi-Seco : 32 - 50 grams of sugar per litre
- Dulce : more than 50 grams of sugar per litre
The vast majority of Cava and Champagne is produced at the Brut or Extra Brut sweetness level, which are both lovely and dry.
Aging:
All Cava must be aged a minimum of nine months in bottle on lees (also known as 'sur lie'). Lees aging is the process of letting sparkling and white wines mature on top of spent yeast, which adds complexity and depth to the wine.
Additionally, Premium Cava, accounting for only 13% of production, must be aged for longer than standard Cava:15 months for Reserva, 30 months for Gran Reserva, and 36 months for the relatively new 'Paraje Calificado' designation (established in 2015). The Paraje Calificado must meet a number of very strict requirements in order to qualify for this designation including grapes coming from a single vineyard from vines greater than ten years old. All Gran Reserva Cava and Paraje Calificado are restricted to Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Brut sweetness levels.
Regions of Production:
Cava and Champagne are sparkling wines, that come from very different regions. Cava originates primarily from the Penedes region of Cataluna, whereas Champagne is a French sparkling wine that exclusively comes from the Champagne region of France. The production of both Champagne and Cava are highly regulated and can only be labelled through adherence to specific rules of the Champagne AOC and Cava DO respectively.
Price:
Cava is considered more affordable than Champagne due to small differences in production costs, regional factors, and Champagne's premium reputation. There are of course exceptional quality Cava that comes at a premium price as well. Certainly, entry level Cava represents a superb price to quality ratio that Champagne simply cannot match.
Prosecco is closer to Cava in terms of price, but the similarities end there. The Italian sparkling wine is simply not comparable in terms of quality.
Other Spanish Sparkling options
Cava is often considered the flagship Spanish sparkling wine from the DO of the same name, and whilst DO Cava is synonymous with Spain, there are two other very notable Sparkling Wines produced in Spain. These sparkling wines are Classic Penedes from DO Penedes and Espumosos de Calidad de Rioja from DOCa Rioja. Both are fairly new, but are worth noting because of their superb quality and outstanding value for money.
Summary
Both Cava and Champagne are delightful sparkling wines, each with its own unique characteristics and flavour profiles. The choice between the two often comes down to personal preference, occasion, and budget.