Since the late nineteenth century Spain has been producing traditional method sparkling wines, and like Champagne, French Crémants or Italy’s Alta Langa, Franciacorta or Trentodoc, Spanish Cava is produced with this method, remaining on its lees for a minimum of nine months with secondary fermentation in the bottle.

What’s unique, however, is that Cava is often produced with a blend of indigenous white grape varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Several international varieties, including the more common varieties for sparkling wines, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, can also be used.

Scroll down to see the top 15 Cava wines of DWWA 2026

Cava has established a global reputation for making some of the best value sparkling wines produced by the traditional method. But it’s important to note the quality to be found across Cava’s categories and styles, with top expressions on par with some of the world’s best.

Styles of Cava

There are three main categories of Cava which produce different styles of sparkling wine.

When labelled Cava, the wine must undergo a minimum of nine months of lees aging, providing subtle notes of autolysis (the bready aromas and flavours found in traditional method sparkling wines). These Cavas typically have light apple, citrus and herbal notes with moderate acidity.

Cava Reserva must spend a minimum of 15 months on the lees – three months less than Champagne requires. Here, biscuit autolytic notes are more evident.

Aged a minimum of 30 months on the lees, Cava Gran Reserva wines can show pronounced autolytic characters including smoky and toasty notes. These Cavas can be premium in price but can show outstanding quality for value, especially when compared to traditional method sparkling wine counterparts.

To strengthen Cava’s notoriety as a world-class sparkling wine, estate produced and bottled Cava can qualify for a relatively new category, Cava de Paraje Calificado. These wines must age a minimum of 36 months, showing even more development and integration of flavours.

Quality rising

Cava’s quality continues to be recognised by leading experts at the 2026 DWWA with Catalonia’s celebrated sparkling wines earning eight Golds including a Top Value Gold. The competition also recognised two magnum-format Cavas with Silver medals.

Along with the top accolades, Cava was awarded an additional 46 Silver and 72 Bronze medals.

To celebrate International Cava Day this 12th July, we highlight 15 award-winning wines to celebrate with.

International Cava Day: 15 award-winning wines to try

Asda, Exceptional Mas Miralda Brut 2023
Value Gold, 95 points
Hugely aromatic and soulful with boundless lemon peel, fresh herb and almond notes swaddled in glossy mousse and succulent acidity. A tasty joy to behold. Alcohol 12%

Bardinet Wines, Palau Gazo Brut NV
Gold, 95 points
Light and frothy, imbued with luscious lemon, fresh herb and wet stone character in a frame of curvaceous acidity. A linden blossom fragrance inures the length. Alc 11.5%

Cavas Hill, Panot Gaudí Brut, Reserva 2020
Value Gold, 95 points
A delightful perfume of chamomile, yellow fruit and butterscotch underscored by a twist of saline. Zesty lemon pith mousse and grapefruit acidity dapple the creamy texture. Alc 11.5%

Conde de Caralt, Brut Nature, Guarda 2024
Gold, 95 points
Well-defined green apple, pear and quince fused with lightly toasted brioche. Energetic and fresh with fine mousse and a zingy eucalyptus buzz at the end. Alc 11.5%

Dominio De La Vega, Cerro Tocón, Reserva 2018
Gold, 95 points
Restrained strawberry and rose petal perfume slinks into the smoke-infused effervescence and brushes against the fulfilling creamy texture. Gushing grapefruit. Alc 12%

Guilera, Centenari Brut Nature, Gran Reserva 2005
Gold, 95 points
Vast swathes of ripe peach, apricot, pineapple and mango simmer over the creamy brioche texture, complete with fine bubbles and red apple acidity. Fabulously moreish. Alc 12%

Jaume Serra, Reserva Brut Nature 2022
Value Gold, 95 points
Evocative dried petal, resin and nut aromas gently soothe the nose; bright. green apple fruit and lemon foam textures lavish the palate. Long, herbal finish. Alc 11.5%

Vallformosa, 150 Brut, Gran Reserva 2020
Gold, 95 points
Engaging floral perfume simmers alongside gooseberry fruit and french toast. Buttery and textured with a stylish smoky mousse and fine, savoury aftertaste which is just phenomenal. Alc 12%

Maria Rigol Ordi, Maria Brut Nature, Gran Reserva 2017
Silver, 94 points
Characterful aromas of fennel, dried herbs, brioche and intense toasty touches. Creamy and smooth, with a crisp acidity. Alc 11.5%

Rabetllat I Vidal, Brut Nature, Gran Reserva, Cava 2021
Silver, 94 points
Restrained character with earthy undertones and delicate aromas of brioche. Showing tension and energy, elegant and stylish palate. Long finish. Alc 12%

Art Laietà, Alto Alella 10 Pujol-Busquets Guillén Brut Nature, Gran Reserva 2014
Silver, 93 points
Savoury character with notes of butterscotch, bread, orange, golden pineapple and lemon balm. Toasty and creamy palate, well layered. Alc 12%

Família Ferrer, Can Sala Brut Nature, Paraje Calificado 2013
Silver, 93 points
Developing nuances of caramelised apple, quince, toasted almonds and butterscotch. Honeyed palate, rich and creamy, with a mineral finish. Alc 12.5%

Marevia, Chardonnay-Pinot Noir Brut, Reserva 2020
Silver, 93 points
Light nuances of delicate brioche and citrus fruit on the nose. Creamy on the palate, very tasty and elegant. Alc 11.5%

Pere Ventura, Clos La Secreta Paraje Calificado Can Bas, Gran Reserva 2017
Silver, 93 points
Delicate aromas of peaches, apricots, brioche and digestive biscuits. Well made and layered, with a crisp acidity and lovely mousse. Alc 12%

Sumarroca, Ecològica Brut Nature, Gran Reserva 2019
Silver, 93 points
Perfumed, with bittersweet lemon, peach skin, Mediterranean herbs and aniseed. Savoury, saline and precise, with a nougat-like richness and long finish. Alc 12%

Search all award-winning Cava wines from DWWA 2026

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Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 30 March in the UK this year, when the trees are beginning to blossom, buds are breaking and there are signs of new life.

Flowers, plants and bulbs make for wonderful presents on Mothering Sunday, but your gifting skills can be elevated by a bottle or two of sparkling wine.

The list of recommendations below includes varying styles of sparkling wine from classic Champagne and Crémant to English sparkling and Prosecco. Prices range from under £20 to over £100.

Scroll down to see our selection of sparkling wines for Mother’s Day

Quick guide to sparkling wine styles:

• Champagne – Mostly made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this must come from the French region of Champagne. It’s produced using the traditional method, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle.
• Traditional method – This refers to wines made using the same method as Champagne, where a second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The key examples are:
• Cava – Sparkling wine from Spain using both native grapes, such as Xarel·lo and Parellada, as well as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Reserva and Gran Reserva Cavas undergo extended ageing in bottle, bringing additional complexity.
• English sparkling wine – The cool climate and limestone soils in southern England are similar to those in Champagne, producing many fantastic sparkling wines.
• Franciacorta – From the northern Italian region of Lombardy, this serious traditional method wine can be both fresh and complex.
• Crémant – There are eight appellations in France where Crémant sparkling wines can be produced, and local grape varieties tend to be used. Examples include Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Limoux and Crémant de Loire.
• Other very good traditional method sparkling wines can be found in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil.
• Prosecco – Made in the Veneto region of northeast Italy from the Glera grape, using the tank – or charmat – method.
• Pétillant naturel – This is in fact the oldest method of making sparkling wine, also known as méthode ancestrale. Unlike Champagne, the wine is bottled before it finishes its first fermentation, so the bubbles develop in the bottle. They can be slightly cloudy due to sediment, fairly low in alcohol, with a gentle fizz and sometimes a touch of sweetness. For the more adventurous mothers out there, what’s not to like!

At a glance: top picks for Mother’s Day

Top Champagne pick under £50:

Ayala, Brut Nature, Champagne, France

Top supermarket Champagne pick:

Alexandre Bonnet, Waitrose Brut, Champagne, France NV – £24.99

Top splash-out Champagne pick:

Champagne Stroebel, Pour Toi! Brut Nature, Champagne, France – £119

Top traditional method pick:

Clotilde Davenne, Brut Extra, Crémant de Bourgogne, Burgundy, France – £20.95

Top Prosecco pick:

Bele Casel, Col Fondo Agricolo, Colli Trevigiani, Veneto, Italy 2021 – £22

Top off-the-beaten-track pick:

Domaine Giachino, Don Giachino, Vin Mousseux de France, Savoie 2019 – £36

Sparkling wines for Mother’s Day:

The wines below were tasted by Decanter’s editorial team and experts.

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The road to where Pepe Raventós is now is neither obvious nor straightforward. Born into one of Catalonia’s most storied wine families – linked to the very origin of the region’s sparkling wine tradition – he didn’t set out to become the heir of his family’s legacy.

But a combination of business challenges, a sense of duty and a late-found vocation brought him back to take the helm of Raventós i Blanc.

From a place of inevitability, defined by necessity, he built an idiosyncratic path, eventually becoming a brand himself – not least through much-touted collaborations with actor Cameron Diaz and chef and restaurateur José Andrés.

Today, ‘Pepe Raventós’ stands for stubborn advocacy of sustainability and down-to-earth sophistication. Behind the name, there’s a man who perhaps defied even the expectations he had for himself while embracing a lineage of innovative and entrepreneurial dissent.

Scroll down for five wines from Pepe Raventós

Groundbreaking ancestry

Having lived on the grounds of the Raventós estate of Can Codorníu, just outside Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (the epicentre of Spanish sparkling wine production), since at least 1497, the Raventós family is itself, arguably, part of the terroir of Penedès, so inextricably linked is it with the establishment and development of its viticultural identity.

The estate’s 90ha have been farmed for more than five centuries with the expected combination of Mediterranean crops – cereals, olive trees and of course grapes – amid woodland. However, a pivotal moment – for the family and the region – took place in 1872.

Following a trip to Champagne, Josep Raventós i Fatjó (1824-1885) decided to produce Spain’s first sparkling wine re-fermented in bottle, at Can Codorníu using the estate’s Xarel·lo grapes. This small step eventually led to the creation of the Cava powerhouse that took the name of the family’s homestead.

Josep’s grandson, Manuel Raventós i Fatjó (1893-1977), alongside his wife Montserrat Blanc, steered the company throughout the troubled first decades of the 20th century, laying the groundwork for their son’s momentous leadership.

With Josep Maria Raventós i Blanc (1922-1986; Pepe Raventós’ grandfather) at the helm, Codorníu expanded spectacularly during the 1960s and – largely thanks to his efforts, and with him as president of the Consell Regulador del Cava – the Cava DO was created in 1972.

Start of something new

However, disillusionment set in as the brand (and appellation) grew in volume and the connection with both terroir and the growers withered.

Raventós i Blanc eventually sold his share of Codorníu and, alongside son Manuel Raventós i Negra (b. 1947), founded Raventós i Blanc in 1986, hoping to give terroir and sustainable viticulture renewed prominence.

Josep died just a few days before his namesake winery opened, leaving the project solely in Manuel’s hands – until Pepe joined in 2001.

Father and son then became accomplices in a relentless quest to bring the sense of place of their sparkling wines to the fore, which culminated in the company’s desertion from the Cava DO and the creation of Conca del Riu Anoia – a proposed new DO of which Raventós i Blanc remains the sole producer – in 2012.

Unintended heir

Growing up, it wasn’t Pepe Raventós’ intention to join his father at the family estate. As the 21st generation of one of Catalonia’s foremost wine families, he wasn’t sure what made him tick. He went on to study business administration at Esade in Barcelona, ‘because that’s what those who don’t know what they want [to do] study’, Pepe says.

After completing a Masters in international management in the US, Raventós joined Catalonian residential care company Grupo SAR, overseeing marketing and sales. Although this allowed him to combine his academic training with a passion for social work, the family legacy came knocking.

Both his father and the business were going through a difficult period (which had already forced the sale in 1989 of Château La Fleur d’Aiguilhe – renamed Château d’Aiguilhe following the sale – a sister estate in the Côtes de Bordeaux), and Pepe was asked to step in – and up.

The rest, as they say, is history. Pepe sought the improvement of his wine knowledge, first with a two-year sommelier course at Barcelona’s hospitality school, then a Masters in viticulture and oenology at Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Internships with the likes of Loire maverick Didier Dagueneau, Hubert Lamy (St-Aubin, Burgundy) and Gaston Chiquet in Champagne followed.

These experiences lit the flame he’d been missing in his earlier years – and allowed him to develop a personal ‘philosophy’ through learning, untethered to inherited assumptions. ‘It’s a journey to produce ever-better wines that started back then and continues,’ he says. ‘It’s an ongoing process of learning and discovery.’

Back to basics

Carving his own place and persona upon his return to the Raventós estate – where he now oversees all aspects of the business – was informed both by his family’s indelible and complex legacy and his own unorthodox path.

‘Everything is evolution. The way of understanding our land and history and how to interpret the potential of our soils, varieties – all this has evolved since I joined,’ Pepe explains. ‘But the [Raventós i Blanc] project rested, from its inception, on two pillars: quality and activism.

When my grandfather left Codorníu and my father built the winery at our historical estate, the goal was always quality, based on the belief that we have a terroir [for sparkling winemaking] that is as good if not better than Champagne’s.’

At Raventós i Blanc, Pepe took his father’s focus on sustainability several steps further, championing biodynamic practices and regenerative agriculture. ‘What I’ve done is to overcome a period of “confusion” [in the Spanish wine industry] focused merely on productivity, and bring us back to the ancestral way of working and understanding our land.

‘To live and work in harmony with nature, seeking a balance between animals, plants and man. That’s ultimately what I’m trying to achieve. You might label it as biodynamic, regenerative… ultimately, it is ancestral knowledge,’ he concludes.

Horsepower

He evokes childhood memories as important reference points: ‘I remember my father had eight horses that ploughed all of the estate. We pioneered the [re]introduction of animal traction and are currently working 8ha solely with horses. My goal is to have five or six horses working the entire farm, supported only by an electric tractor.’

His convictions are reflected in the focus and unapologetic minerality that the sparkling wines of Raventós i Blanc – all vintage releases, produced with local varieties, certified organic and aged for a minimum of 18 months sur lie (on the lees) – have become known for, and in his unwavering belief that Conca del Riu Anoia deserves to be championed as a leading appellation for sparkling winemaking.

Some might consider Pepe’s demeanour to spring from hubris, others from a much-needed self-confidence and determination that many Spanish producers should use as inspiration.

Embracing challenges

Viticulture and winemaking aren’t the only areas Pepe has tended to – his leadership has also been about strengthening the brand and commercial viability of the business. ‘When I joined my father, the business was in ruins. I had to start making still wines to save it and stop losing money.’

Not one to leave challenges unmet or opportunities missed, Pepe came across and bought an abandoned property – Can Sumoi – that now serves as the production base for still wines.

The 400ha estate has also become a case study of sorts – a way for Pepe to apply his farming philosophy and sustainability practices holistically and at scale.

Further to Raventós i Blanc and Can Sumoi, Pepe also produces experimental releases under the Vins Pepe Raventós label.

‘These are wines I make in the garage, very low-intervention and very low volumes. It’s my lab of mistakes,’ he says. ‘All we learn from them then informs our work at Raventós i Blanc and Can Sumoi.’

Pepe quotes Che Guevara to justify his relentlessness: ‘Be realistic, dream the impossible.’ It is indeed at the crossroads of pragmatic efficiency and poetic rebelliousness that Pepe emerges as such an interesting figure. ‘The older I get, the more passionate I am about what we do.’

The demands imposed by climate change seem to further justify his efforts: ‘What these changes are telling us is that we need to rediscover and really focus on indigenous varieties. And to pay more attention to what happens in the vineyard as part of a complex [eco]system.’

Pepe Raventós’ quest is perhaps more the construction of an ethos – and a particularly interesting journey of self-discovery – than the development of a winemaking programme. The wines he produces might simply be a fortunate byproduct of an attempt to discover the meaning of ‘the good life’.

Contemporary and historic: Five from Pepe Raventós

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A busy summer at Decanter’s London headquarters saw us renovate our tasting suite, the beating heart of our operations.

The suite is where we hold all our panel tastings, receive and process samples and have, in the past, hosted tutorial-like sessions for subscribers – led by leading contributors – focused on tasting methodology, specific styles and regions.

The redesigned space now allows us to accommodate a different type of tasting for our readers, in masterclass format, during which selected producers will delve into the technical, historical and environmental factors that contribute to the character and development of their wines.

Freshness, focus and depth

For the inaugural masterclass at Decanter’s revamped Tasting Suite, we’ll be hosting Spanish sparkling wine producer Juvé & Camps for an in-depth look at principles, goals and effects of long lees ageing.

Since its foundation in 1921, the Catalonian producer has built its core range around a number of premium cuvées that spend significant time in the bottle prior to disgorgement.

Having been among the pioneers of long-aged cavas – Gran Reserva was first released in 1972, followed by Reserva de la Familia and La Capella – Juvé & Camps has allowed time to become one of the fundamental tools of its winemaking approach.

This focus on quality and character starts in the vineyard; Juvé & Camps works exclusively from estate-owned vineyards, all of which are certified organic. But are terroir and fruit quality highlighted, or in fact veiled, by more time on the lees?

Long-aged quality sparkling relies primarily on high quality grapes and well-defined base wines, with transparent flavour and good acid. But what does this entail and how are terroir and grape expressiveness leveraged? How are the crucial decisions – blending, ageing times, disgorgement schedule, dosage – made at each stage?

Technique, knowledge and instinct

José Hidalgo Camacho, technical director at Juvé & Camps, will talk us through these fascinating, almost alchemical processes and explain how they lie at the intersection of technique, knowledge and instinct. He will do so through the lens of Juvé & Camps’ particular style, defined by minimal dosage, long lees ageing and vintage specificity.

This exploration will happen while tasting eight cuvées from Juvé & Camps’ flagship range, including older vintages going back to 2010, further allowing for an appreciation of the wines’ development before and after disgorgement.

A special evening

Beyond the technical considerations and expert insight provided by Hidalgo, this tasting will be a special experience in itself. A hedonistic, comprehensive exploration of Juvé & Camps’ collection, with hard-to-find vintages brought in especially for the event.

The tasting line up will include the following cuvées:

• Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2010
• Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2014
• Juvé & Camps Reserva de Familia Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2019
• Juvé & Camps Milesimé Blanc de Noirs Gran Reserva 2014
• Juvé & Camps Milesimé Blanc de Noirs Gran Reserva 2019
• Gran Juvé & Camps 2018
• Juvé & Camps La Siberia 2015
• Juvé & Camps La Capella 2010

This is a unique opportunity to discover labels that have played a central role in the international positioning of quality, traditional method Spanish sparkling and in the consolidation of DO Cava. And a perfect way to anticipate the festive season ahead.

Buy tickets

Essential information for Decanter Presents

Juvé & Camps: mastering the art of long-aged premium sparkling wines

Date: Thursday 24 October 2024 from 6.30pm to 8:30pm

Location: Decanter Tasting Suite, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, London, W2 6JR 

Price: £49 per ticket

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A European Drought Observatory map shows the Spanish Mediterranean coast swathed in orange and red, marking severe drought brought on by – according to a study published in Nature Geoscience – the most severe dry spell the Iberian Peninsula has experienced in the last 1,200 years. The lack of rainfall is causing a never-before-seen crisis in the Penedès region, home to around 95% of DO Cava production. Last year, some growers lost nearly 70% of their harvests; this year more vines than ever risk dying of thirst.

State of emergency

In February, Catalonia declared a state of emergency affecting six million people in Barcelona and 201 surrounding towns. Everything from watering a garden to using beach showers has been severely restricted, with hefty fines for those who don’t comply. Even street cleaning in the Catalonian capital has been paired down to a minimum. The Catalonian government also announced plans to send desalinated water from Valencia to Barcelona as an interim solution.

The restrictions also mandate that water for crop irrigation be reduced by 80%, threatening winegrowers already struggling with the lack of rain. Speaking to Catalonian daily La Vanguardia, Jaume Domènech of the agricultural union Joves Agricultors i Ramaders de Catalunya (JARC) said that there is a danger that a third of the vines in Alt and Baix Penedès will not bud this year. In total, it’s estimated that the drought will reduce production by 60 million bottles.

Struggle to meet demand

One of Cava’s biggest brands is especially feeling the effects of the drought. Cava giant Freixenet says it has been forced to produce a declassified sparkling wine for markets in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, as there are not enough DO Cava grapes to meet demand. ‘Freixenet Premium Sparkling Wine – Cuvée de España’ will be produced using the Charmat instead of the Traditional Method of sparkling production and will debut in August 2024. Josep Palau, production director at Freixenet, told business daily El Economista that ‘the sharp decrease in [grapes harvested] will have a massive impact on all markets in the world since this serious situation is not expected to be reversed in the short term.’

The current crisis comes after a record year for DO Cava, with nearly 252 million bottles sold – 2.7 million more than in 2022 – and increases in Cava sales both in the domestic and key international markets. Spain accounts for 79% of Cava sales by value. The primary export markets by volume are Germany, the United States, Belgium and the United Kingdom, which rounded out Cava exports in fourth place with 16.8 million bottles in 2023.

With more frequent droughts expected in the years to come, DO Cava will face the challenge of managing stocks to meet steadily increasing demand. Cava’s regulatory council is currently studying extraordinary measures that would allow wineries to keep reserves of base wine over three years, from which they could make new Cava in so-called ‘bad years’. These exemptions would only apply to Cava de Guarda, the category with the shortest ageing and the highest volume. DO Cava’s president, Javier Pagés, assured that any measures taken would not affect the premium Cava de Guarda Superior categories (Reserva, Gran Reserva and Paraje Calificado).

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There are plenty of sparkling choices if you’re selecting bubbles for the festive season. From Champagne, Crémant and Prosecco to English sparkling wines. But there’s only one type of fizz that combines signature Spanish style with quality and value.

Cava, Spain’s flagship sparkler, offers something for everyone. World-class gran reservas and vintage wines will please fine wine lovers. Meanwhile great-value non-vintage bottles are ideal for bargain-hunters. Many UK retailers offer great value own-label options too.

What’s more, with its own trio of grape varieties, Cava has a gastronomic character that makes it an ideal choice for Christmas meals. Serve it as an aperitif or pair it with a variety of dishes (see below).

How is Cava made?

For a sparkling wine to be classified as Cava it must be made using the traditional method (also known as méthode Champenoise). In this process the second fermentation happens in the bottle.

Cavas must also be made within specific areas approved for Cava DO (Denominación de Origen) production. Unlike other DOs, however, the defined area for Cava production is not contiguous. While most Cava is produced in Catalunya – with the village of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia as its epicentre – it can also be made in other Spanish provinces. These include Aragón, Euskadi, Extremadura, La Rioja, Navarra and València.

Rather than origin, what truly differentiates Cava from other Spanish sparkling wines is production method and regulations.

This scattered geography has caused intense debate within the Cava DO itself in the past. Some producers opposed a system that, in their opinion, should focus more on terroir. As a result some famous names, such as Raventós i Blanc, chose to leave the DO and lobby for region-specific classification. Similarly the Corpinnat group from Penedés is now making wines under a new quality label.

Others chose to push for change from inside the DO, which resulted in a new classification introduced in 2017: Cava de Paraje Calificado. Cava’s top classification, this is for single-vineyard Cava from an exceptional vineyard. To qualify, vines must be at least 10 years old, with lower yields. All wines must be brut, extra brut or brut nature, and bottle-aged on the lees for at least 36 months.

There is also a requirement for full traceability, which means all Cava de Paraje Calificado vineyards must be owned by the winery or contracted on a long-term basis. If all of these criteria are met, the Cava is tasted blind by a panel of independent wine judges and experts. Finally winemakers have to explain to the judging panel what makes their vineyard a unique terroir.

Which grapes are used to make Cava?

Another key part of Cava’s identity is grape varieties. Most renowned traditional-method production areas focus on the Champagne trio: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. However Cava has its own flagship varieties, which impart distinctive aromatic and textural characters.

While Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are also permitted in the Cava DO, the traditional and most commonly used varieties are:

• Macabeu (also called Macabeo or Viura) – Widely grown across Spain as well as in the French Roussillon. Although relatively neutral in flavour, it plays an important role in blends by adding body and texture.
• Xarel·lo – The grape largely responsible for the trademark herbal perfume of the best Cavas. In addition to lime blossom and hay-like aromas it adds acidity and earthiness to blends, therefore being essential to the age-worthiness of top quality Cavas.
• Parellada – Grown almost exclusively in Catalunya, Parellada contributes with fruit aromas, especially green apple and citrus notes. There are single-varietal examples of Cava that use just one of the above, but blends are by far the most common, making the most of the characters imparted by each variety.

For Cava rosado (rosé), Garnacha, Pinot Noir, Mataró (Mourvèdre) and the local Trepat are the most commonly used red grapes. They are often blended with at least one of the flagship whites.

Malvasía, known locally as Subirat Parent, is increasingly used to make Cava dulce (sweet) and semi-dulce (semi-sweet).

Is Cava good value for money? 

It’s true that Cava delivers great value: you can pick up reliably good bottles for under £10. But it’s worth investing a bit more money to explore some of the higher quality Cavas. Reserva, gran reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado (single-vineyard wines) are well worth seeking out.

The fact that Cava is often dismissed in favour of its traditional method sparkling counterparts, especially Champagne, means that great wines are unfairly overlooked. Wine lovers are missing an opportunity to discover a different, specific expression of fizz, produced by very talented winemakers. It’s worth exploring the top Cava producers. All of them make wines with outstanding ageability.

On the flip side, Cava has been somewhat immune to the branding and pricing games which have inflated prices elsewhere. Wine lovers can benefit from a great value-for-money option, across tiers, quality levels and price points. So if you’re looking for a great fizz for the festive season consider Cava; but look at the top, not the lower shelf!

What can you pair Cava with?

Because it’s generally quite dry, with most wines falling in the brut category, Cava is particularly versatile when it comes to food pairing.

It makes a wonderful festive aperitif, no doubt. But try it with a selection of canapés, buttered lobster or a chocolate-based dessert and you won’t be disappointed.

Extra-brut and brut styles of the traditional white blends go well with meat- and fish-based recipes. Rosados will pair better with dairy and/or rich sauces. They’re a good alternative if you are having a vegetarian or vegan Christmas banquet.

If your festive table features more exotic flavours, try pairing Cava semi-dulce with Asian-inspired dishes. It’s also a surprisingly good match for your Christmas cheese selection.

Whichever style you try, here are a few suggestions to get you started…

Top Cavas for Christmas

Recommendations by Decanter’s editorial team.

Wines ordered by score, in descending order. 

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The DO Cava is in the process of implementing demanding new regulations, which require all wines in the Cava de Guarda Superior category to be 100% organic by 2025.

It unveiled a new classification system a couple of years ago, which splits wines into two distinct categories: Cava de Guarda, which is aged for a minimum of nine months, and Cava de Guarda Superior.

The Cava de Guarda Superior category covers the highest quality sparkling wines from Spain, divided into three tiers: Reserva, aged for a minimum of 18 months on the lees; Gran Reserva, aged for at least 30 months; and the top tier, Cava de Paraje Calificado, aged for at least 36 months and likened to Grand Cru Champagne.

All wines in the Superior level will be produced exclusively from grapes grown in organically-certified vineyards by 2025.

‘It improves the identity of Cava, and makes people realise that it’s not just a cheap option,’ says Catarina Soares, the international sales manager at leading Cava producer Juvé & Camps. ‘It allows us to express the terroir better.’

Juvé & Camps has been 100% organic for many years, so it has not needed to implement any changes, but Soares is pleased to see more producers following suit.

‘A commitment to sustainability is very important to us,’ she adds. ‘We focus on the terroir a lot. Our objective is to preserve the landscape and all the diversity of animals and plants. Half of the estate is not farmed, and it is integrated into the site. We also do regenerative viticulture.

‘Some of our vines are more than 80 years old, and we believe that you can produce very high-quality wines from old vines if you have respect for the plants.’

Jamie Goode, an author and wine expert who recently visited a variety of Cava producers across Spain, believes that the changes can shift perceptions among sparkling wine drinkers.

‘It’s fantastic that the Cavas de Guarda Superior category is going fully organic,’ he says. ‘It gives you a brilliant talking point. No other region I know has done this.

‘Consumers are really tired of greenwashing, and so many sustainability schemes basically are greenwashing. Big companies get together and form what looks like a scientifically derived sustainability scheme, but really, it’s just rubber-stamping what they were already doing, with a few little tweaks here and there. But this is different. You can’t cheat with organics.

‘It’s very clear what organic means. Some consumers don’t understand sustainability, but they know what organic means. They’re familiar with it, and the term organic has a resonance with consumers.

‘If you can go to then and say, if you see this Guarda Superior label, it means the farming has been all organic, that’s a powerful message, because it addresses two things: the green nature of the move, the fact that it’s making these vineyards sustainable; but it’s also changing the dialogue about Cava.

‘It’s fighting that old perception that Cava is a cheap fizz and a cheap substitute that you buy when you can’t afford the others.

‘This is a wine with its own characteristics, its own intrinsic value. This is a quality region for sparkling wine, and something people need to pay attention to.’

Cava sales increased by 4.6% to 249.1 million bottles in 2022, with exports accounting for 69% of those sales. Germany, the USA, Belgium, the UK and Sweden are the top five export markets.

However, producers still need to work hard to improve perceptions of their wines and secure a financially sustainable future.

‘Ultimately, if you want farmers to farm better, you’ve got to pay more for the grapes and sell the wines for more,’ says Goode. ‘Bringing the whole region up enables everybody at every stage to be financially sustainable as well as environmentally sustainable, and that has to be the goal of all these changes.

‘This is all really encouraging, and I also love the focus on regenerative practices. Organic takes you most of the way in terms of regenerative farming, and then you can start thinking about how to introduce biodiversity into the vineyard.

‘There’s a big concern now about climate chaos, and particularly the warming trends, the drier seasons. When I was there in May, it hadn’t rained for ages, and some of the vines were really struggling. Organic and regenerative farming increases the resilience of the vineyards.

‘If you have good cover crops growing over the winter, then you can mulch or roll them over the summer, which protects the soils from really high temperatures. If you increase the organic material in the soil, it improves the ability of the soil to retain water.

‘Having other things growing in the vineyard increases the ability of water to infiltrate the soil. Finding intelligent approaches for working the vineyards bodes really well for the sustainability of the vineyards and also for grape quality.’

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• Miguel A. Torres urges more wineries to join the fight against climate change

In the world of sparkling wine, Spain flies under the radar. Its image is less glamorous than France’s Champagne or Italy’s Franciacorta. Meanwhile Prosecco has cornered the market for fun, budget bubbles.

However, much like French crémant, Spain – and especially its DO Cava – has much to offer fans of sparkling wine. For a start, in terms of winemaking, Cava has more in common with classics like Champagne in that it is made in the traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle, as opposed to the tank fermentation used in Prosecco.

Secondly, Spanish sparkling wines and Cava are produced in a range of styles that will suit everyone. From crisp and fresh younger wines to rosés and creamy, complex vintage wines.

Scroll down for tasting notes and scores for 12 best Cavas and Spanish sparkling wines under £25

Cava: the facts

Catalonia in northwest Spain produces the majority of Cava seen on shelves. However it is the winemaking process that receives the Cava DO (Denomination of Origin), instead of a specific region.

So while 95% of all Cava production is focused in Catalonia, there are seven other provinces in Spain where it can be produced, including Aragón, Extremadura, Rioja, Navarra and Valencia.

A range of grapes can be used to produce Cava, including several international varieties such as Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. However three Catalan grapes provide the backbone of most Cava production: Macabeu, Parellada and Xarel·lo.

Together these grapes have come to define the signature Cava taste profile. Macabeu give the wines their fresh fruitiness; Parellada contributes aroma and acidity; while Xarel·lo lends structure.

While most Cavas are blends, there has been a definite trend towards producing single-varietal wines. Cavas made exclusively from Xarel·lo are with seeking out and can age for decades.

From value to luxury

Cava has earned a reputation for making some of the world’s best-value traditional method sparkling wines – as the bottles selected below prove. However, the DO’s best producers have also turned their attention to making top expressions that can compete with the best sparkling wines in the world.

To that end, the Consejo Regulador del Cava introduced a new category into Cava production back in 2016. Cava de Paraje Calificado (or Cava de Paratge in Catalan) are wines made exclusively with grapes from a ‘singular parcel’ according to strict production rules. These rules include a maximum yield of 48 hl/ha, a minimum of 36 months’ ageing (versus nine months for a standard Cava, 15 months for a reserva and 30 months for a gran reserva).

Look out for the name Cava de Paraje Calificado on bottle labels if you want to trade up to a more premium Cava.

Meanwhile, take advantage of the many fantastic Cavas and sparkling wines produced in Spain, starting with the bottles below.

Best Cava and Spanish sparkling wines under £25:

Wines shown in score order

Related content

Best Cava sparkling wines from top producers

Best sparkling wines under £25

Top Cava for Christmas

Nine sparkling wine producers in Spain’s Penedés region are to quit the Cava denomination and bottle under a new, quality-focused label called Corpinnat.

The move from Gramona, Recaredo, Torelló, Llopart, Nadal, Sabaté i Coca, Mas Candí, Huget-Can Feixes and Júlia Vernet follows months of negotiations between the producers and the Cava Regulatory Board.

The nine producers account for only 1% of Cava production, but 30% of Gran Reserva Cava production and six out of the 13 Parajes Calificados – Cava’s new premium classification.

Members of Corpinnat must adhere to a strict set of production rules, including 100% organic grapes, manual harvest, at least 18 months’ ageing (but with some wines aged for more than 30 and more than 60 months), the inclusion of the wine grower in the value chain and carrying out all vinification in their own winery.

The first sparkling wines labelled as Corpinnat – but not Cava – will be released this spring, along with the words ‘Vino Espumoso de Calidad, Método Tradicional’ (Quality Sparkling Wine, Traditional Method).

A spokesperson for Gramona told Decanter.com, ‘It is going to take about three months for us to finish our Cava stocks before we release the new bottles using Corpinnat labels.’

Corpinnat – roughly translated as ‘Born in the Heart of Penedés’ – was first discussed in 2015 by descendants of the founder members the ‘Agrupación de Elaboradores de Cava’ (Association of Cava Producers) in the 1970s, who were concerned about the future of quality Cava production.

The Asociación de Viticultores y Elaboradores Corpinnat was created in 2017, with the aim of promoting specific areas in the Cava DO, and highlighting quality moves made over the past 50 years by producers who aspire ‘to have Cava considered among the finest sparkling wines of the world’.

Gramona, currently co-president of Corpinnat with Recaredo, said the new venture had been greeted with ‘scepticism’ by the Cava Regulatory Board and, despite some ‘constructive’ discussions, the producers had been left with ‘no other choice’ but to leave the DO.

In 2012, producer Raventos i Blanc quit the Cava DO, adopting an uncertified appellation designation, Conca Del Riu Anoia .

A new top-tier classification for Cava in 2017 has led to a renewed focus on quality for Spain’s premier sparkling wine producers. Here are ten names to know, with 20 wines to seek out...

Ten Cava producers to know…

 Agustí Torelló Mata

Embodying much of Cava’s history, Agustí Torelló Mata is a nephew of the Torelló family of Cavas Torelló and the Mata family of Recaredo. He has previously managed some of the most traditional Cava wineries, and established the Cava Brotherhood. Also founder of the oenological lab in Penedès, Torelló Mata is something of an essential reference point for Cava. Despite having extensive knowledge of Champagne, he was one of the first Cava makers who chose not to imitate the French, but to produce wines with a distinctive Catalan profile. He’s both a fierce defender of native varieties and a proud apostle of the quality and diversity of Penedès terroirs. But perhaps his most remarkable contribution, back in 1979, was his pioneering effort to produce the first top-class Cava, Kripta, at a time when most other producers were making cheap and cheerful wines. ATM is a flagship for Catalan originality.

Scroll down for Ballesteros Torres MW’s top picks from 10 premium Cava producers

Cava Guilera

For many years, the méthode traditionnelle process was the cornerstone of Cava production, while vineyards were deemed a secondary aspect. Small growers, the payeses, could not make wine, since the required heavy investments in wineries and distribution, as well as the long time required to produce Cava, precluded them from vinifying their own grapes. Pere Guilera is the exception: a grower who uses someone else’s winemaking facilities to produce wines from his own vineyard. Here, winemaking serves to enhance vine growing. Guilera is aware that his Cavas will reveal the character of their terroir only after long bottle ageing. As a result, all of his wines are aged for a minimum of three years, and even his most basic wine is a gran reserva. This quest for identity is consistent not only with his wine philosophy, but also with his social commitment to the Penedès region, where the Guilera family is a leading player.

Codorníu

The house of Sr Raventós, the inventor of Cava, is one of the two behemoths of Cava expansion throughout the world. In tough competition with rival Freixenet, Codorníu created the image of Cava as easy-drinking, low-cost bubbles, thanks to a mix of winemaking efficiency and low grape prices in Penedès. But in the 21st century, Codorníu began to focus on fine wines, creating a micro-winery within its main winery, designed to deliver sparkling excellence. It succeeded. Experimentation with international and indigenous grapes, new understanding of terroirs and sustainable viticulture, extremely careful winemaking and the patience to age the best Cavas – essential conditions for top quality – result in amazingly delicate and particular wines. Volumes are minute now, but I’m confident that Codorníu can increase production at the same quality level. Let’s hope this search for excellence is endorsed by the winery’s proposed new majority shareholder, The Carlyle Group, once the deal announced in June is concluded.

Freixenet

A kind of brother-in-arms to its fiercest competitor, Codorníu. Both are old, multifamily companies that developed great viticultural and winemaking skills and exported their basic Cavas all over the world, then, seeing profits cut at the lower quality end, decided to focus on higher quality. What’s more, this year both companies have sought new international investment; in Freixenet’s case, Henkell & Co from Germany, which is now in 50% partnership with remaining family shareholders José Ferrer Sala and José Luis Bonet. Top-tier wines here are based around two pillars. First, the strict selection of the best grapes from traditional sites, with longer ageing on lees. Second, something both brand new and very old: the restoration of the winery’s foundational vineyard, La Freixeneda, and creation of a dedicated micro-winery – including an original 1900 Champagne press. Part of this artisan focus is Can Sala, a stellar Cava de Paraje Calificado (CPC) made under the supervision of Josep Buján, legendary chief winemaker at Freixenet for 41 years.

Gramona

Gramona defines itself as an artisan of time, though its decision to produce Cavas with lengthy bottle ageing began as a silver lining to the terrible clouds of the Spanish civil war. Following the war, sales were minute, with stocks left in the cellars for many years. On tasting these old bottles, the family realised that its sparkling wines were remarkably better after 10 years or more of ageing. Their vision only became a significant success in this century, when the market recognised the quality of these wines. Indeed, the previously mainstream idea that Cava is best enjoyed young is now obsolete. Great Cava needs long ageing. Gramona has also opted to use cork stoppers during bottle maturation for all its Cavas aged more than five years, meaning that all processes must be carried out by hand. The current generation has taken the ageing process to even further extremes, with the impressive Enoteca series that spends 15 years on lees. They have also focused on their Font de Jui estate, adopting a biodynamic approach and integrating the vines in an ecosystem with other plants and animals on the estate.

Juvé & Camps

The philosophy of Juvé & Camps is closer to that of a Bordeaux château than a Champagne house. Most of its production is sourced from the large 200ha Espiell estate, located in the heart of the Penedès region, where vines grow around the central winery. Two other estates, with different terroirs, provide additional grape varieties that are unsuited to Espiell. Juvé & Camps was the pioneer of what is now the norm for top-quality Cava: the brut nature style. It was also a forerunner in organic viticulture, achieving full certification in 2015. Juvé & Camps hit the market in the early 1980s, with its Reserva de la Familia, which was a resounding success in the US and became the most widely sold gran reserva brut nature Cava in the world. It produces only reserva and gran reserva Cavas, and is now aiming even higher with its extended ageing and CPC Cavas.

Pere Ventura

Most Cava producers start out by targeting the national market, but Pere Ventura is an exception to this rule. He launched his company in 1992 with the express intention of selling to international markets – and today exports to 51 countries accounting for more than 90% of production. Ventura was supposed to take over his family Cava business, Torreblanca, but preferred to start a winery of his own. He began by buying grapes and base wines to produce his traditional-method Cavas, but in 2011 he was able to acquire the historic Can Bas estate, including some plots of very old Xarel.lo vines. Ventura has endeavoured to reinstate the vineyards, so that now all of the grapes for his top wines come from the 60.5ha of vines at Can Bas.

Recaredo

Recaredo offers the purest expression of Cava from Alt Penedès, employing a number of self-imposed restrictions to create its unique wines. Production is focused entirely on vintage brut nature Cavas, with long ageing under cork, as the winery believes this type of closure lends character to long-aged wines. (Gramona also follows this practice.) At Recaredo, disgorgement is done by hand and without freezing the neck of the bottle: lees are expelled manually by highly skilled workers, a practice that’s considered key to the quality of the wines. All of this attention to detail in the winery would be merely interesting if it weren’t for Recaredo’s most important asset: its exceptional vineyards. A combination of poor limestone soils, old vines (mainly Xarel.lo), attentive biodynamic-certified viticulture and tiny yields result in a Burgundy-style grand cru surrounded by several premiers crus.

Sumarroca

The Sumarroca family is a relative newcomer to Penedès. After making their fortune in other businesses, in 1999 the Sumarrocas decided to invest in viticulture, acquiring a 400ha plot of land in the region. The newly christened Sumarroca vineyard, together with two smaller properties, now provides all of the grapes for the company’s Cavas and still wines – an impressive two million bottles in all. The estate is textbook Penedès, with limestone soils and a dry Mediterranean climate with some maritime influence. Vineyards are farmed organically. After initial success with its mid-range wines, Sumarroca has only recently jumped on the quality bandwagon, by selecting particular vineyard plots with older vines and lower yields for its top wine; while also raising standards for its gran reservas. Open-minded and innovative, Sumarroca brings a new energy to the Cava elite.

Vins El Cep

Vins El Cep is a very particular kind of cooperative. It was created in 1980, when four families owning neighbouring vineyards in Penedès decided to combine their efforts in a single enterprise to make Cava and still wines. The result is a company with 200ha of prime vineyards, some first planted in the 15th century. The families share a winemaking philosophy and mission. The environment was an early concern; so now vineyards are farmed organically, with the very best sites farmed biodynamically to make the co mpany’s top wine. Vins El Cep cultivates most of the varieties authorised for Cava, but favours the three traditional native grapes – Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo – for its flagship wine Claror, a CPC which is marketed as the first biodynamic Cava. In the winery, small-batch vinification is used to highlight individual terroirs and varietal expressions.

Scroll down for Ballesteros Torres MW’s top picks from 10 premium Cava producers

Pedro Ballasteros Torres MW is the DWWA Regional co-Chair for Spain and is on the governing board of the Spanish Tasters’ Union.

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Codorníu Raventós has said it is in exclusive talks to sell control of its business to a European division of the Carlyle Group, the US-based private equity firm that also bought Hardys owner Accolade Wines via its Asia subsidiary earlier this year.

Codorníu Raventós Group, one of Spain’s major Cava sparkling wine producers, said that it was discussing selling a majority stake in its business to ‘funds managed by the Carlyle Group’. It added that investment would come from Carlyle Europe Partners.

Based on recent talks, the deal would value Codorníu at 390 million euros. The precise size of the potential stake to be sold was not disclosed.

A sale was expected to complete by the end of 2018, subject to due diligence and regulatory approval, Codorníu said.

Mar Raventós, chairwoman of Codorníu, said that she was pleased with the preliminary agreement made with Carlyle Europe Partners.

‘This agreement will help boost the company overseas and consolidate and give continuity to our strategy centered on building valuable and prestigious brands.’

She added, ‘After analysing various options we have reached consensus, agreeing on a solution which has a lot of potential and takes a long-term view on leadership for the company.’

Codorníu Raventós Group said it expected to make operating profits, or EBITDA, of 26 million euros in its current financial year, which it described as a ‘significant improvement on the previous year’s results.’

Codorníu Raventós has 10 wineries in Spain, Argentina and California, and more than 3,000 hectares of vineyards.

If the deal goes ahead then it would be the second large wine acquisition associated with the Carlyle Group in 2018.

In April, Champ private equity and Constellation Brands announced the sale of Hardys owner Accolade Wines to the Carlyle Group in a deal worth one billion Australian dollars.

Funding for that deal came from Carlyle Asia Partners and the takeover completed on 1 June.

See also: First Cava ‘grand cru’ sites are chosen

In partnership with ARAEX Grands

Explore the world of Cava and how it is made...

In partnership with ARAEX Grands

Cava profile

While it may seem apt to compare Cava to Prosecco as they are often found at similar price points, it shares more in common with classic sparkling wine production such as Champagne or Franciacorta in that it is made in the ‘traditional method’ with secondary fermentation in the bottle as opposed to the tank fermentation used in Prosecco.

Young vs Old

While younger wines can be crisp and fresh, it’s in the aged wines where this method of production lends lovely creaminess and lingering, nutty autolytic notes with boundless complexity.

The rules

A key difference in Cava is that the Denomination of Origin is actually given to the process of making the wine instead of a specific place or region as is seen in other sparkling wine appellations.

While 95% of all Cava production is focused in Catalonia and of that, 90% specifically in the Penedès area, there are seven other provinces in Spain where it can be produced.

When digging in to the full range of Cava there are a great many styles to be found but it can be easily perceived as a “budget” sparkling wine.

Given this, there has been a great deal of activity by the DO and producers to promote their mid and upper range bottles.

For example, the top end Cava de Paratge that is designed to help to demarcate a range of Cavas and has existed for some time, but it hasn’t been immediately obvious to the wine drinker, that are single-vineyard wines with unique characteristics.

In 2017, the first twelve Cava wines were allocated the ‘Cava de Paraje Calificado’. They meet specific criteria, including vines being at least 10 years old, lower yields and 36 months bottle ageing on the lees.

The grapes

There are many grapes that can be used in Cava, including a number of international varieties such as Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.

Three Catalan grapes provide the backbone of most Cava production: Macabeu, Parellada, and Xarel·lo.

Like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier of Champagne or Glera of Prosecco, these grapes have come to define the classic Cava profile.

Macabeu is seen to give the wines fresh fruitiness, Parellada gives aroma and acidity, and Xarel·lo, the structure.

Ageing and ‘serious’ Cava

With time, there are more varietal Cavas being created with only the Xarel·lo grapes as it’s able to stand quite admirably on its own and make sparkling wines that can age for decades. Some producers have been quoted as saying that ‘The ultimate ageing potential of Xarel·lo is yet unknown’.

Cava sits poised to raise its profile greatly in the coming years. While it will always be a wine easy to pair with countless dishes due to its vibrant acidity, there are many cellars ready to show that, 900km south of Champagne, serious bubbly can be produced as well.

Promotion: A word from our sponsor ARAEX Grands

The following Cava wines have been recommended by ARAEX Grands…

Villa Conchi Cava: Loyal to his initial philosophy, Javier Galarreta has selected excellent vineyards and modern facilities to produce a “different” Cava. Since 2009, he has been travelling extensively in Catalunya to find partners capable of producing an elegant, fresh sparkling wine.

In the heart of the Penedès, he discovered the vineyards and qualities he was looking for to make such a style of wine. During his quest to find this Cava, Javier’s mother Conchi passed away in July 2010 and wasn’t able to taste and savour her son’s latest challenge. Villa Conchi is not only a modern, elegant Cava which shows what Spain can offer; it is also a tribute to a woman who was always a source of inspiration for elegance and distinction.

Villa Conchi Brut Selección: Made with 30% Xarel.lo, 30% Parellada, 30% Macabeo and 10% Chardonnay. Each variety is picked and fermented separately. For the second fermentation, the bottles are kept in underground cellars at a constant 15º-17ºC where they are in contact with their lees. This cava spends a minimum of 12 months in the bottle. 

Villa Conchi Brut Rosé: Made with 100% Trepat grapes. We obtain the free-run juice which we ferment at a temperature of 16ºC. The second fermentation takes place in underground cellars without exceeding 17ºC and in contact with the lees. This Cava spends a minimum of 12 months in the bottle.

Villa Conchi Brut Reserva

: Cava made with 30% Xarel.lo, 30% Parellada, 30% Macabeo and 10% Chardonnay following the traditional method. Harvested manually only selecting the best bunches of grapes. Disgorging and addition of expedition liquor with no sugar. This cava spends a minimum of 20 months in the bottle.

Villa Conchi Brut Imperial: Cava made with 40% Xarel.lo, 30% Macabeo, 20% Parellada and 10% Chardonnay following the traditional method. Harvested manually only selecting the best bunches of grapes. Disgorging and addition of expedition liquor with no sugar. This cava spends a minimum of 20 months in the bottle.

Rioja giant CVNE has made its first foray into Cava with the purchase of Roger Goulart.

Compañia Vinicola del Norte de España (CVNE), one of Rioja’s oldest family-controlled wineries, has announced that it has bought Cava DO producer Roger Goulart. Financial details were not disclosed.

‘We’ve been looking at wineries outside of Rioja for a while and are thrilled to announce that Roger Goulart will join our portfolio,’ said CVNE’s CEO, Victor Urrutia.

‘We plan to keep the historical and cultural legacy of the winery alive.’

• Jefford: Cava fights back

Roger Goulart’s history stretches back as far as 1882, when its founders, the Canal family, formed part of a new wave of Penedès winemakers producing traditional method sparkling wines, which became the signature style of Cava.

The Cava bodega will now join four Rioja producers — Cune, Imperial, Viña Real and Continuo — within CVNE’s collection of wineries.

Although it’s now a public company, CVNE is still run by descendants of its original founders, brothers Eusebio and Raimundo Real de Asúa, who established it in 1879.

• Top value Cava: Under £25

Rioja and Cava have since emerged as pioneers of Spanish wine quality, and both have driven export market growth.

New developments in their classification systems in the past 12 months include Cava gaining its first 12 ‘grand cru’ sites and Rioja introducing ‘Vinedos Singulares’, akin to a single vineyard category.

However, some producers worry that the new standards don’t go far enough to properly detail the quality and terroir of vineyard sites.

‘This should be the beginning of long process to turn round the image of Cava,’ said Sarah Jane Evans MW, Spanish wine expert and co-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards.

‘It’s a move in the right direction, and clearly it has been difficult to get a consensus on reforms, but we need to go further’, said Dominio de Pingus winemaker Peter Sisseck, referring to Rioja following agreement to recognise individual sites and zones.

Related content:

• Back from the brink: Good value white Rioja wines

• Jefford: What’s changing in Cava

• Anson: Rioja single vineyard ruling – Five key questions answered

It was like a funeral – in reverse. A curious crowd stood around the giant pit. Below us, picks were flying. First one remnant appeared in the earth, then another. A mechanical digger was drafted in, to excavate delicately around the remains before trowels and shovels did the fine work. After two hours, they were hoisted out, one by one, and laid out on a cart. The smartphones flashed; the throng gawped.

Relax: this is not a murder enquiry (though gentle handling and infinite reverence was still required). What had been excavated were three barriques, filled to the brim with Brouilly 2015 and Côte de Brouilly 2015, and they’d spent the last 18 months buried two metres deep ‘in contact with the rock which had given birth to them’, as a nearby panel proclaimed. Rock? It looked like ploughman’s soil to me; the moisture and the worms had eaten away at the barrel chimes, and heavy lumps of clay clung to the staves.

We were gathered high on the slopes of Mont Brouilly. The ostensible aim of the exercise was to see how wine evolved when it was buried underground, like pirate doubloons. Why do this? It’s a laborious exercise that’s fraught with uncertainties. Just a few more years in the deep earth would almost certainly have ensured the total destruction of a barrique, just as it does of an oak coffin.

The casks were opened; we tasted, against ‘control’ magnums buried alongside the casks at the same time. In two out of the three cases (the Côte de Brouilly, a four-grower blend from the Domaines of Michel Aubry, Franck Tavian, Patrice Monternier and Pascal Mutin at Père Benoît; and the Brouilly of Les Vignerons de Bel Air), the magnums seemed better to me. They were fresher, purer and more vibrant. The wines in the casks had acquired harmony, but were showing some reduction too, as if the earth had suffocated them. The third cask – a Brouilly from Château de Pierreux – seemed broadly similar in each format, though the wine from the buried cask had an additional savoury note (a hint of earthy snail minus the garlic – trust me).

The real reason for this elaborate exercise, perhaps, was to draw the world’s attention to the application made by Beaujolais for UNESCO ‘Geopark’ status. This is usually given to areas with ‘geological heritage of international value’ and Beaujolais is keen to be the first wine region to win this accolade. ‘This event,’ said Interprofession president Dominique Piron, ‘won’t do anything for international commerce. But it brings growers and merchants together around a project, it recreates links in the chain, people get together, they talk about wine, they talk about techniques, they exchange with each other… That’s what we’ve been missing as a region during the years of crisis.’

You can’t escape the symbolic value, too. No one claimed that burying a cask of wine in earth can ‘intensify its sense of terroir’ – but I could see the light shining in the eyes of the growers involved; I could feel the pride of the local mayors, wearing their red, white and blue ribbons; and I noted that none of the people there felt that it had been a preposterous thing to do. It was as if the wine was a child which had been placed back in the arms of its mother earth for a while, in some obscure propitiatory ritual.

When you look at a vine, fruit included, almost everything you see is made from thin air (carbon dioxide) and rain (water), using solar energy. The principal function of the soil is to stop the plant falling over, and to dose the plant with water through the root system. Why, then, should we not consider that the lineaments of aroma and flavour are made in the air rather than in the soil (which does little more than to provide a nutritional tweak to these processes)? The real terroir of Brouilly may lie in the shape of the hills, their position on earth, the way they face the sun, and the constitution of the skies, clouds, airs and winds overhead, rather than in the soil. One day, perhaps, we’ll know.

What I’ve been drinking this month

I write this as a mellow, mild Languedoc autumn is just drawing to its close – and a bottle of Dog Point’s Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2016 provided a perfect counterpoint to the balmy air. Green, juicy, quenching, unflamboyant (the passion fruit quickly dissipated), it was a graceful, classy and dry incarnation of the luminous, ocean-freshened valleys where 41.5727°S meets 173.4217°E. One glass followed another in a way it rarely does when all the showy stuff has been cranked up.

In association with Cava DO.

Find yourself a great value Cava to enjoy...

In association with Cava DO.

Top value Cava: Under £25

Rebecca Gibb MW tasted these top Cava wines, at a tasting organised by the Cava DO. These are the wines that don’t break the bank.

‘There were some genuinely good sparkling wines, with several at the sub-£20 level displaying skilful viticulture and vinification, as well as an evolution from lengthy ageing.,’ said Gibb.

‘While no wine achieved more than 93 points, those achieving 90 or more displayed harmony, complexity and textural interest, clearly the result of tender loving care in both the vineyard and winery, offering intensity and fruit concentration.’

• Cava grape varieties: Three headline grapes

• Cava de Paraje Calificado: Cava’s top tier

• Cava and food pairing

In association with Cava DO.

In association with Cava DO.

Premium Cava: Over £25

‘The real excitement in Cava starts at around £25,’ said Rebecca Gibb MW, who has picked these Cavas at a higher price point, at a tasting organised with Cava DO.

‘Within the gran reserva category there were some clear stand-outs, showing that the varieties that make up most Cava blends – Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel.lo– can produce wines with finesse and ageing potential.’

‘On release, they are ready to drink and there’s little to gain from further cellaring.’

Choose one of these wines for your next special occasion…

• Cava grape varieties: Three headline grapes

• Cava de Paraje Calificado: Cava’s top tier

• Cava and food pairing

In association with Cava DO.

With its distinct sense of terroir, Cava made from Catalonia’s indigenous grape varieties is something we should all be drinking now, says Andrew Jefford...

In association with Cava DO.

What’s changing in Cava

When I think of Cava, I think of two paradoxes. The first is that this is the principal wine expression of the Catalan hills, yet drinkers very seldom think about Catalonia and its grape varieties, or its terroir, as they drink Cava. The paradox is intensified with every step the drinker takes up the Cava wine hierarchy.

Few wines express their identity and origins so forcefully as fine Cava, especially when vinified chiefly from Macabeo and Xarel.lo: the scent is intimately that of these wild, sunlit, pine-strewn, sea-fronted terraces, punctuated incessantly by forest and Mediterranean scrub, with all of its legendary aromatic force. The wines’ flavours, too – that salty-stony breadth, that structured southern fruit, the haunting of its foam by the memory of wild flowers and fennel seeds, the way that the bubbles lift and relieve an almost chewy white wine, while the grain of its yeast trace seems to suggest a white earth and the clay it might form when the winter rains come, and its always gentle acidity has a tangy, exotic quality – this, for me, is the taste of Catalonia itself, a perfect expression of its physical identity as a land, the most evocative of sketches.

One sip, and I can always see the jagged outline of Montserrat in the distance. Agreed, I’ve been lucky enough to visit several times and most Cava drinkers will not have had the same chance – but that sensorial difference is always there, and if you are ready to spend £20 or £30 on a Cava, you will find it there most intensely. Yet this vital facet of its character is rarely recognised or celebrated.

The second paradox is even more striking. The sparkling wine world is, at present, a rather dull and homogenous place. Why? Because so much of it lies in Champagne’s shadow. Champagne’s striking quality, and the imaginative hold it has succeeded in exerting on the market, is almost a dictature – so that whenever winemakers outside Europe (and often inside, too) want to make a sparkling wine, they reach for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and they set off with Champagne’s fine-honed balance and nuance buried like a gimlet in their brains, no matter how inappropriate this might be in terms of respect for the climate and soils in which such sparkling wines are going to be created. Since technology is an intimate part of all sparkling wine creation, they can often create passably good Champagne-like sparkling wines – though they are sparkling wines that are doomed to be second best, since they are trying to be what they can never be.

A changing world

Cava made with Catalonia’s indigenous varieties is the great exception to this rule. It proves, at the highest levels with triumphant success, that there is another way to make sparkling wine, a southern way, a warm-climate way, a terroir-respecting alternative – and that sparkling wines made in this idiom and in this style can work resoundingly well as gastronomic objects.

Great Cava rearranges all the sparkling wine rules. It is a force for liberation in the sparkling wine world, and in truth a much more useful source of inspiration than Champagne for many of those struggling to make great sparkling wine in climates that are vastly warmer than those of Reims and Epernay. Though, of course, sparkling winemakers would need to fall in love with Cava first in order to want to do what their landscapes and their seasons are, in fact, whispering to them to do.

Things are now changing; the sparkling wine world is finally shaking off Champagne’s dictature and beginning to expand. Alternatives are now permissible; drinkers are prepared to allow that there might be ways in which sparkling wines can seduce, entice, satisfy, inspire and transport that do not involve Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and the kind of acid balance that comes when a full season in the vineyard delivers only 9.5% potential alcohol by summer’s close. Cava’s moment has come.

And Cava, too, is changing. There is a recognition in Catalonia that the big business model of huge volume and low margins is not the only way to build a future. The kind of Cava I have described above has long been familiar to the Catalans themselves – but to almost no one else. Partly that was because the world wasn’t ready for it, but it also comes from the fact that the Cava rules have been drafted with such latitude (in terms of fruit origin and approved grape varieties) that ‘the Catalan character’ is often opaque or residual in less expensive examples.

Cava de Paraje Calificado is a change of direction – a category that allows those who wish to maximise rather than minimise the Catalan character in their wines the chance to do so. I know from having visited many smaller Cava producers that fine sparkling wines of this sort are already produced in profusion in the region, and often with the highest terroir ideals. Merchants around the world need to make at least small ranges of such wines available to their customers in what (I hope) are expanding offers of indigenous sparkling wines.

And then it will be down to you – the drinker. Open your mind; open your palate. Much wine beauty is an acquired taste – but, once acquired, complexity and intrigue ensures that it is never lost. This is what you will find when you discover, and come to appreciate, the fine foaming white wine of the Catalan hills.

Andrew Jefford is a writer, broadcaster and Decanter contributing editor.

More Cava articles here

In association with Cava DO.

Cava is very versatile with food. Fiona Beckett picks some of her favourite pairings...

In association with Cava DO.

Cava and food pairing

Artichokes and asparagus

Notoriously tricky vegetables to pair with wine, but no problem for Cava (though I’d go for white rather than green asparagus).

‘In winter in Catalunya we grow a small seasonal artichoke, and Cal Xim, one of my favourite restaurants in Sant Pau d’Ordal near Vilafranca del Penedès, cooks them on charcoal and they are dressed with olive oil. This is a heavenly match with a fresh Cava, preferably one that is aged on its lees,’ says Christophe Brunet.

Cheese

Especially sheep milk cheeses. Older gran reserva Cavas are good with aged cheeses like Manchego, but also with crumbly cheeses, such as aged Parmesan or Asiago.

Creamy sauces

Cava is perfect as it cuts through the richness (it’s particularly delicious with a fish pie). Richer, aged Cavas are a good counterpoint to creamy foie gras, too.

Fried foods

Anything that is crisp and crunchy is great with bubbles – even a simple cheese straw.

Rice

Paella and risotto, obviously, but also think of Iranian dishes, in particular, jewelled rice.

Salads

Because of its relative dryness, Cava doesn’t jar with vinaigrette. It’s particularly good with salads that contain fruit, such as grapes, apples and oranges.

Seafood

From anchovies to zarzuela (seafood stew), taking in hake and turbot along the way. José Pizarro reckons the perfect match is gambas al ajillo – prawns with hot peppers and lashings of garlic, while Ferran Centelles recalls the ‘oysters with solid Cava’ dish at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona – an oyster topped with Cava to which xanthan gum was added during the winemaking process. ‘The Cava was semi-solid and sparkled, and was served over a delicate oyster. What a memory!’

Tapas

Nuts, cheese and olives being the most obvious ones. And, of course, with jamón. Sparkling wine also works particularly well with eggs, which makes it a good match for tortilla.

In association with Cava DO.

Lenka Sedlackova MW takes a look at the main grape varieties used in Cava production....

In association with Cava DO.

Cava grape varieties

White (% of plantings)

Macabeo (35.3%)

Xarel.lo (25.5%)

Parellada (20.3%)

Chardonnay (8.7%)

Subirat Parent (0.2%)

Red (% of plantings)

Garnacha (4.1%)

Trepat (3.3%)

Pinot Noir (2.5%)

Monastrell (0.1%)

Xarel.lo

For many leading quality Cava producers, Xarel.lo is the most important grape variety. At Recaredo it represents 60% of plantings and Ton Mata, third generation enologist, defines himself as a staunch Xarel-list, or as he explains, ‘someone who is looking to interpret and explore the properties and virtues of the Xarel.lo grape variety’.

Research conducted by the University of Barcelona and UC Davis has highlighted that among white grapes, Xarel.lo is the variety with the highest concentration of resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant that can be found in grape skins. This, along with Xarel.lo’s low pH and fresh acidity, is beneficial for long ageing.

Xavier Gramona from the familyowned estate Gramona describes Xarel.lo’s acidity as ‘Mediterranean’ and its high antioxidant capacity is therefore necessary to allow long ageing. He adds that ‘the high concentration of resveratrol allows Cava to age without the need for dosage’ – in fact, the leading producers of premium Cava largely concentrate on producing Brut Nature styles.

And while these Cavas are bone dry, they have plenty of fruit and lees complexity to carry it.

For most of the longest-aged Cavas, Xarel.lo represents the main component of the blend, if not the whole blend. It is a variety that is difficult to grow and performs best when it’s at lower altitudes (below 400m). Early budding and late ripening equal a long growing season and the development of thick skins. Both Mata and Gramona highlight Xarel.lo’s ability to withstand drought as hugely important and this benefit was demonstrated during the very dry 2016 season, when other varieties did not perform so well.

Xarel.lo’s flavour profile is best described as intense and reminiscent of dried camomile and fennel, adding a pleasant bitter tone to the finish. With long ageing on lees, these flavours can develop into honeyed acacia tones and notes of warm patisserie.

Macabeo

Macabeo is the most common variety found in the Cava blend and represents 35% of plantings within the DO Cava.

Known as Viura in Rioja, it is a relatively neutral variety that shows delicate orchard fruit flavours. Because of this neutrality it is very useful in traditional-method sparkling wine production as it is easily able to take on secondary flavours from lees ageing.

Mata believes that Macabeo gives long-aged Cavas their delicate floral aromas. Macabeo also displays elevated levels of resveratrol, although not in the same concentration as Xarel.lo, making it useful for long ageing.

Parellada

Parellada often plays a supporting role in the Cava blend, but there are some producers, including Llopart and Mascaró, who put emphasis on this oft-maligned grape. Elegance, delicacy and finesse are the strings to Parellada’s bow.

Higher-altitude plantings are crucial to get the best out of Parellada, according to Jesi Llopart of Cava Llopart, one of the longest established producers of traditional-method sparkling wines in Penedès: ‘Altitudes of 300m and above allow us to unlock its potential, a balance of acidity and adequate fruit ripening.

‘As Parellada ages on lees, it develops an orange zest aroma,’ she adds. Older vines and lower yields can further add to flavour concentration.

Not all producers are prepared to use Parellada. The importance of site is further emphasised by Gramona, who purposefully avoids its use: ‘We are reluctant to use it in our area, where it reaches low acidity and its large and thick grapes retain a lot of water.’ Gramona goes on to explain that these big berries and Parellada’s low alcohol of 9–10% result in oxidative characters, rendering it undesirable for long ageing.

In association with DO Cava

The region's dozen best single-vineyard Cavas are now officially recognised as Cava de Paraje Calificado. Pedro Ballesteros Torress MW explains more...

In association with DO Cava

Cava de Paraje Calificado: Cava’s top classification

Recently Cava producers have taken the final step up the quality ladder by legalising single-vineyard Cava, now recognised as Cava de Paraje Calificado (CPC). The selection process for CPC wines is understandably strict, with stringent eligibility conditions.

Vines must be at least 10 years old, with lower yields, and all wines must be brut, extra brut or brut nature, and bottle-aged on the lees for at least 36 months.

There is also a requisite for full traceability, meaning all CPC vineyards must be owned or contracted on a long-term basis by the wineries.

If all of these criteria are met, the wines are then tasted blind by a panel made up of a majority of ‘outsiders’ – wine judges and experts who aren’t Cava producers themselves. Winemakers also have to explain to the judging panel what makes their vineyard a unique terroir.

‘Cava must be aspirational’

The initial group of CPC wines (see below) form the vanguard of the category. It is hoped that these single-vineyard Cavas will become known for providing a genuine expression of terroir. For Pere Bonet, president of the DO Cava, the path is clear.

‘We need to concentrate our efforts in developing distinguished premium categories in Cava,’ he says. ‘Cava must be aspirational, and Cava de Paraje Calificado is one of the summits.’

Indeed, the new regulation recognises a small number of wines that already comply with the requirements and are already recognised by wine experts for their higher quality. Because of the ageing requirement, all of the initial CPC candidates were prestige wines nearing the end of their maturation period. Not all were selected, but the ones that became CPC are, unsurprisingly, among the top Spanish sparkling wines.

Thanks to different approaches to vineyard management and grape varieties, in a typically Spanish way, there isn’t one standard definition of the tasting profile of a CPC. This is partly because producers have different philosophies, but also because CPC wines showcase the diversity of the Catalonian landscape.

Cava de Paraje Calificado wines come from a varied range of soils: saulò (sandy granite), llicorella (slate), calcareous, clay or loam. Microclimates are also diverse, because of the mountainous topography and uneven influence of the Mediterranean sea.

When it comes to grape varieties, the native Xarel.lo is probably the most preferred, either used on its own or blended with Macabeo and/or Parellada. However, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used in two single-varietal CPC wines and present in a few blends.

Finally, in the winery, only a few producers stick to the 36-month minimum period of ageing; most age their wines for much longer.

The only factor uniting all of these wines is their excellent quality. They captivate, thanks to their balance and complexity. Some add power and length to the picture, while others show delicacy or intensity of expression, and others are simply one of a kind. So it seems that Cava de Paraje Calificado can best be defined by their uniqueness and personality.

Spain's government has approved 12 Cava grape growing sites to sit above all others in a new top-level classification designed to promote single-vineyard wines. 

First Cava ‘grand cru’ sites are chosen

The saying is that ‘good comes to those who wait’, and Cava producers and fans have had to be patient for official sign-off on the new premium classification, the Cava de Paraje Calificado.

Last week, Spain’s ministry of agriculture announced the first 12 sites to form part of the new classification at the top of the Spanish sparkling wine‘s hierarchy.

It’s part of a general shift in Spain towards greater recognition for specific vineyard sites, as seen recently in Rioja.

‘Cava has long needed this,’ said Sarah Jane Evans MW, Spanish wine expert and co-chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards.

Cava producers have faced stronger competition in foreign markets in recent years, notably from Prosecco. This has led to much internal debate about the future of Spain’s Cava DO.

Decanter.com columnist Andrew Jefford wrote of Cava last year, ‘The cheap fizz is world-famous. The fine sparkling wine, as yet, is not.’

Evans told Decanter.com that she was delighted to see the new classification approved. ‘This should be the beginning of long process to turn round the image of Cava.’ she said.

‘The wines in the list are really exceptional. The producers include family businesses such as the biodynamic producer Recaredo, with two Cavas listed, and Gramona. The largest names in the Cava business are also on the list. Freixenet, with its Casa Sala, and Codorníu with no less than three wines.’

The first 12 Cava sites, and their owners, are:

• Vinyes de Can Martí – Torelló
• Turó d’en Mota – Recaredo
• Serral del Vell – Recaredo
• Vallcirera – Alta Alella
• La Capella – Juvé i Camps
• Can Sala – Freixenet
• La Pleta – Codorníu
• El Tros Nou – Codorníu
• La Fideuera – Codorníu
• Can Prats – Vins el Cep
• Font de Jui – Gramona
• Terroja – Castellroig

Codorníu said that it only made around 300 bottles each of its three wines in the new classification, with a recommended retail price of 90 euros per bottle.

Pere Bonet, chairman of the Cava regulatory council, told Decanter in 2016 that ‘the wines that carry this seal will have been sourced from single estates in the very best terroirs of the Cava-producing region’.

Rules include a maximum yield of 8,000 kg/ha or 48 hl/ha, 36 months ageing in bottle, only vintage wines and only Brut styles. For more rules, see Jefford’s column on the new classification.

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Sparkling wine trends: English wine will be a ‘must-have for every list’

Sparkling wine is the star of summer picnics and garden gatherings, but what’s best to eat with favourites like Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and English sparkling? We asked people behind the stands at Decanter's Sparkling Exploration tasting in London for their ideal pairings...

Summer sparkling wine pairings

Sparkling wines have a reputation as aperitifs, but many of them are great at any point in a summer meal. 

Decanter asked those showing wines at the Sparkling Exploration tasting held at Church House in Westminster what their ideal summer wine pairings would be. See their answers below:

Prosecco

For many, Prosecco is the unassailable summer staple of al fresco drinking and dining. The founder of Sommelier’s Choice, Tim McLaughlin-Green, was representing Nino Franco from Prosecco Superiore. He shared his celebrity chef Prosecco pairing experience…

‘Three years ago, we went to Rick Stein’s restaurant and cooked with his son Jack. We paired the Primo Franco 2013 with his lobster curry — it was amazing. People usually associate Austrian wines with curries and Asian spices, but this was a great pairing for richer Prosecco styles.’

Cava

Pamela Anzano, representing Cava producer Gramona, unsurprisingly offered a traditional Spanish perspective on Cava wine pairing.

‘In Spain we often pair Cava with meat, because it can handle it. You can take something like cooked lamb and the Cava can handle it. Cheeses too, like aged Manchego. I’d choose Gramona’s III Lustros Brut Nature Cava 2009 and I’d pair with rich meats, such as Spanish jamón ibérico.’

English sparkling

English sparkling is a grower on the summer picnic scene, with its producers gaining increasing recognition. Sommelier Laura Rhys MS, representing award-winning Gusbourne Estate from Kent, said:

‘A really lovely dessert I had with Gusbourne Brut Rosé 2013 the other day was strawberry macaroons, fresh cream and strawberries. Or a strawberry and mint sorbet is a delicious pairing, too.’

• DWWA 2017: English wine award winners and where to buy them

Champagne

Thomas Laculle-Moutard’s heritage combines two Champagne houses — his father Patrick Laculle took over Laculle Champagne family business in 1980, and then married Anges Moutard of Famille Moutard Champagne. At the event he represented both sides of the family, but he chose Laculle for his French minimalist pairing…

‘Personally, I would take a glass of Laculle’s Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne NV. For Chardonnay Champagne, smoked salmon on toast is best, with crème fraîche. Or perhaps on a hot summer’s day enjoyed with fresh strawberries and raspberries.’

Crémant

Crémant’s popularity has been on the rise as a value Champagne alternative. It’s a sparkling wine made in the same ‘traditional method’ — where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Notable Crémants are produced in French regions such as Loire, Burgundy, Limoux and Alsace. Bestheim has been producing Crémant in Alsace since 1765, and we asked their export manager Emmanuel Vergely for his ideal pairing:

‘I would choose Bestheim’s Grand Prestige Brut Cremant d’Alsace 2010, paired with grilled salmon and rice pilaf. You want a simple, pure dish like this to allow for full expression of the wine.’

French Crémant – Beyond Champagne

Franciacorta

This lesser-known Italian sparkling style is not to be overlooked, and if your palate is tiring of Prosecco this is a refreshing alternative. The Sparkling Exploration welcomed five Franciacorta producers, including organic wines from Barone Pizzini. Managing partner Silvano Brescianini said:

‘With Barone Pizzini Animante Brut NV, I would have to have a classic dish — spaghetti vongole. The creamy white wine sauce and fresh fish with the taste of sea work perfectly with the rounded flavours, driven by the Chardonnay.’

Franciacorta sparkling wines to drink

Written by Laura Seal for Decanter.com

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Spain's Freixenet has broken ranks to launch a ‘premium’ Prosecco, setting out its aim to become the number one sparkling wine brand in the world. See our tasting note below.

News that Freixenet, one of the powerhouses of Spanish Cava, is branching out to Prosecco will likely raise a few eyebrows in Penedès.

‘We want to be the consumer’s first choice for sparkling wine, and in the UK that means you must have a Prosecco,’ said Damian Clarke, managing director of the family-owned company’s UK subsidiary, at a launch event this week.

UK consumers drank 2.5 times more Prosecco than the Italians did in 2016 – though they paid almost double – according to market research company IRI. In the same period, UK sales of Cava have seen a slight decline.

‘Prosecco has become fashionable here in a way that Cava has perhaps not,’ said Clarke, who attributed the demand partly to the Brits’ love for Italian culture, food and drink, and to a preference for a sparkling wine with a sweeter taste.

The Freixenet Prosecco DOC wine, which retails at £12 a bottle, is being marketed as a premium offering in the Prosecco market – a ‘special occasion Prosecco,’ according to UK marketing director Lisa Madrigal.

Freixenet conducted tasting research among a panel of 300 consumers to ‘optimise the flavour profile for the British palate’. A DOCG wine will be available through the on-trade and travel retail.

As well as a range of Cavas which includes the well-known Cordon Negro brand, Freixenet produces sparkling wine in Argentina, Australia, California and Champagne.

How the Freixenet Prosecco tastes

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What were the most bizarre...?

Andrew Jefford considers the role of indigenous grape varieties in Cava and other sparkling wines.

The taste of Cava is important. It matters, indeed, even to those who never drink sparkling wine. If this sounds bizarre, bear with me.

Champagne – no surprise here — is the dominant force in sparkling wine. More than that: it’s one of humanity’s happiest achievements, like the invention of the piano or the bicycle. Take a flock of low chalky hills in the dour, agri-industrial landscape of northern France, plant three members of the Pinot family, harvest them just before winter slams the door on summer, then manipulate the results with cunning craftsmanship. The result is the most famous wine in the world, and a symbol and metaphor for celebratory ease and sensual finesse.

Within the wine world, Champagne’s dominance of its category means that there is an almost-unquestioned assumption that all sparkling wine should be made in that way, and from those varieties. It’s wise to assume the former. The latter, I’d suggest, is often an error.

Chardonnay and the two Pinots make impeccable sparkling wine in the Champagne region, where they can snail towards ripeness over a cool, fretful summer. In sugar terms, they don’t fully ripen– but the Champagne method, and a little chaptalisation if necessary, compensates for that. Phenolically, by contrast, the long season gives these varieties a perfumed, vinous, nuanced and teased ripeness which makes Champagne sing. (Climate change gives the nearby UK a plausible stab at pulling off the same trick.)

Once you start to shift the varieties towards lower latitudes, by contrast, those varieties begin to lose their interest. No grape variety, remember, is universally great. They are only great in a certain place on earth, with all that that means in terms of soil, topography and climate. Champagne’s hegemony has been wonderful for Champagne, but it may have held other sparkling wine producers around the world in check.

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It’s true that in very cool places (Tasmania comes to mind), Chardonnay and the Pinots may indeed be the best choice pending the revelation of better options, for which experiment is needed. In warmer locations, though, Chardonnay and the Pinots are often a poor choice. In order to give a sparkling wine something resembling ‘a Champagne balance’, the varieties have to be picked inarticulately early, long before they have achieved any kind of phenolic maturity; and in such locations, when phenolic maturity eventually comes, it will be much less subtly constituted than in Champagne anyway. An alternative (and often a complement) is for producers to adjust acidity, thereby making an industrial product whose fine-wine interest drops swiftly away.

‘The best Cava is a fine sparkling wine of genuinely indigenous style’

Take a look at the varietal nuancing which unfolds during a sparkling journey south from Champagne towards Cava. We clip through the Loire valley, where the climate and soils are still close enough to those of Champagne for Chardonnay-Pinot sparklers to work well, even if Chenin Blanc creates more interesting and regionally characterful sparkling wines. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can make Crémant de Bourgogne a plausible Champagne substitute (remember Chablis’s close proximity to the Champagne’s Aube region), though Chardonnay begins to assert its still-wine varietal character once you are south of the Yonne, and especially so if the raw materials come from southern Burgundy or Beaujolais. (I plan to take a close look at Crémant de Bourgogne in 2017.)

By the time we reach Limoux in the cool upper Aude valley, the rules regarding grape varieties for sparkling wine are in sensible modulation, reflecting latitude. Yes, you can use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but there is little chance down here of phenolic ripeness outrunning sugar ripeness and delivering a full-season Chardonnay or Pinot grape with a potential alcohol of just 9.5% or 10%. Most Crémant de Limoux is in fact principally a blend of Chardonnay and Chenin, while the more interesting Blanquette de Limoux is based on the perfectly site-adapted local variety Mauzac. The result is a set of often refined sparkling wines which do not unsuccessfully ape Champagne, but reflect their surroundings.

Press on over the Pyrenees and down the Mediterranean coast to Catalunya, and for the first and only time in the wine world you will come across a major sparkling wine region using the ‘traditional method’ whose very greatest wines do not include Chardonnay or either of the red Pinots, but are crafted from the indigenous varieties Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. (Prosecco, too, is based on its own indigenous variety Glera — but most is made by the Charmat method, known in Italy as Metodo Martinotti.)

The result, in the case of the best Cava, is a fine sparkling wine of genuinely indigenous style. One which, in other words, not only has Mediterranean scents and flavours, but whose balance is necessarily and appropriately different to that of Champagne.

The taste of Cava matters, then, not only because the finest examples are beautiful in their own right (see the tasting notes below), but because it could and should serve as a model for sparkling wine produced in lower latitudes and warmer locations. Take away the bubbles, and it illustrates one of the fundamental truths of terroir: the necessity to be honest about exactly which varieties are well adapted to a site, and the duty to work with those if you want to make wine which can give fullest voice to the potential of a place.

Of course you can make a counter-argument based on the commercial desirability of sparkling wines based on the Champagne formula. Moreover because technique and craft plays a larger role in the creation of sparkling wine than of still wine, skilled practitioners can do “a decent job” with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir almost anywhere, not least in Catalunya itself. The result, though, will always be some sort of a compromise — and at the highest levels, that’s not enough.

Describing Cava

Fine Cava is customarily un-dosed (though one of the four Cavas below has 6 g/l) and is intrinsically well-balanced in that state. The acid profile is gentler than for Champagne, though the indigenous varieties are still picked relatively early; its factors of balance are texture and aroma rather than acidity alone. The spectrum of aromas and flavours is unique, Mediterranean in inspiration and allusion, and quite different from those of Champagne.

III Lustros, Brut Nature Gran Reserva, Gramona 2009

This blend of Xarel-lo and Macabeo, available in Spain for under 25€, shows that fine Cava need not be expensive. It’s pale gold in colour with light lemony fruit, sweetened a little with the scents of aniseed and dry brush. On the palate, it is concentrated, vinous and flowery, yet with ample biscuity fullness too: so roundedly dry as to be almost paradoxical, and given lift by the swarm of fine bubbles. 92

Celler Batlle, Gran Reserva, Gramona 2006

This blend of 75 per cent Xarel-lo with Macabeo contains a dosage of 6 g/l based on a Gramona liqueur solera of great antiquity and complexity. It’s gold in colour and prodigiously articulate on both nose and palate, with an old-wine luxury and fullness to it: mellow, supple, structured. All the classic Catalan notes of citrus peel, fennel, fenugreek and dried wild flowers are here in this elaborately crafted, mouthfilling wine. 94

Brut de Brut, Finca Serral del Vell, Brut Nature Gran Reserva, Recaredo 2007

This blend of roughly equal percentages of Xarel-lo and Macabeo is light gold in colour, with fine bubbles. Complex, articulate and harmoniously arranged aromas which reminded me of seashore sand, of plant roots (iris and gentian), of citrus peels and beeswax. The palate is full, rich, lingering, murmuring, faintly saline; there’s soft, almost juicy acidity; discreet quince and orange fruit mingles with the wild plant and seed notes. 93

Brut de Brut, Turó d’En Mota, Recaredo 2005

This pure Xarel-lo wine (made from vines planted in 1940) is gold in colour, and smells of the Catalan summer hills: fennel seeds and leaves, dried wild flowers and grasses, with a hint of citrus zest in the background. It’s deep, concentrated and commanding, its fine textural wealth created in part by the seething mousse, but which also seems to hint at the carbonate drench you find in Vichy Catalan mineral water, too: a remarkable facet of fine sparkling wine here. Rich, elemental, limpid and gratifying: a wine that you could sip slowly, letting the gas depart from the glass as you did so, and then enjoy it to no lesser an extent in still guise a few hours later.  96

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Andrew Jefford travels to Catalonia to discover how the new category of Cava de Paraje will work.

Here’s the problem. Cheap Cava is called – Cava. And Gramona’s 2000 Enoteca Brut Nature, which London merchant Berry Bros & Rudd lists at £160 a bottle at present, is called – Cava.

The cheap fizz is world-famous. The fine sparkling wine, as yet, is not.

Cava has no Grands Crus or Premiers Crus, no sub-regions, no recognised system of Cuvées de Prestige, no marketing expression for the creative tension between big houses and small grower-producers. There is just – Cava.

It doesn’t even have to be grown and made in its Catalonian heartland, using indigenous varieties and the distinctive limestone soils of the Penedès hills. The 2015 list of Cava producers (241 of them altogether) contains addresses all over Spain, from Extremadura to Spain’s Basque regions, and including Rioja; the ubiquitous Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (though not, curiously, Pinot Meunier) are included in the list of approved varieties. The DO is a young one, dating only from 1986; production dazzlingly efficient. The result is that Cava has become, since the DO was granted back in 1986, not so much a wine as a commodity. Few consumers understand just how fine Cava can be, nor how intimate a relation with terroir it is capable of expressing. They buy it, as often as not, when they want a cheap alternative to Champagne.

“In all wines,” points out Pedro Bonet Ferrer, President of the Consejo Regulador for Cava, “there is a premium category. It’s necessary for the image, and for the logic of quality, too. The quality pyramid must have a top.” The Cava pyramid does indeed have a top, but it is shrouded in mist.

The first step in rectifying this is to create a framework by which excellence can be articulated. In June this year, the Cava authorities finally presented a scheme intended to do that.

It’s called Cava de Paraje. Paraje is generally translated as ‘site’ or ‘place’, though it can also mean something a little larger; ‘landscape’, for example. “Some people are trying to say it is ‘single estate’,” says Pedro Bonet, “but it’s really a single vineyard, a specific small place, an original piece of land.” The other terms which were considered but rejected included heredad (estate), finca (farm), parcela (parcel) and pago (vineyard – the most logical alternative, but already trademarked by Marqués de Griñón).

Related content:

• Nine Cava wineries to visit – Decanter travel guide

The official rules mentioned at launch included a maximum yield of 8,000 kg/ha or 48 hl/ha; 36 months ageing in bottle; only vintage wines and only Brut styles (or dryer); a rather feeble vine-age requirement of 10 years; an approval process for the parcels themselves; and a tasting requirement for the base wines and finished wines. When I visited the region recently, though, some other intriguing requirements came to light.

The most important of these is that Cava del Paraje can only be claimed by companies vinifying most (85 per cent) of their own base wines. Those who buy substantially from others will be ineligible, and this may exclude many existing Cava companies from the scheme. Any vineyard proposed for Paraje must be wholly owned by the company, and have been separately fermented for at least three harvests. The wine cannot be acidified (as normal Cava can), and it must have a natural finished acidity level of 5.5 g/l (measured in tartaric), whereas the minimum acidity level for normal Cava has recently been reduced to 5 g/l.

Moreover Pedro Bonet fought hard in Madrid to ensure that Cava de Paraje has become Spain’s third ‘Calificado’ DO, after Rioja and Priorat – but significantly the ‘Calificado’ part must obligatorily be used with the Cava de Paraje formula (it qualifies the masculine noun ‘paraje’ and not – as in Rioja and Priorat’s cases — the feminine noun ‘denominación’, which is why it ends in ‘o’ and not ‘a’). That may seem a bureaucratic nuance to outside observers, but it is freighted with significance within the Spanish wine scene itself.

I asked Pedro Bonet why Cava del Paraje Calificado wasn’t restricted to indigenous varieties alone. “We talked a lot about that, and that was the principle, the spirit. But since the other varieties are already included in the DO, we decided that it wasn’t legally possible.” So why not go all the way and create a new DO with new rules? He smiled. “Yes … But that would mean that Cava itself would become ‘ordinary’, a second-class category, and that would not be right.”

I chatted to those with most to gain or lose from the new rules – in other words those struggling to produce the highest quality Cava. “It’s something welcome,” said Ton Mata of Recaredo. “Though it’s not exactly what I’d like, because I am very ambitious. My dream is an appellation for sparkling wines from our area alone, but it’s not an easy dream — Cava is also produced 1,000 km to the west of here. On all of the rest of the points I agree – but the Consejo must work hard at defining what they understand as a paraje.”

Jaume Gramona, too, is fully behind the scheme, and even backs the inclusion of the non-indigenous varieties. “I studied for five years in Burgundy and I am convinced that for sparkling wine these French varieties can be very good. The difference with the indigenous varieties is that you don’t always get a result. This year we hoped to declare a Chardonnay for Paraje but we’ve realised we can’t do it; the quality just isn’t good enough.” Codorníu, whose colossal vineyard holdings (the company owns 3,500 ha) gives it the chance to be a significant Cava de Paraje player, is also a big backer of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and campaigned unsuccessfully to have a minimum natural acid level of 7.5 g/l.

The site definitions will be key, and a curious system seems to be in place for their approval, requiring the producer to ‘defend’ the site before a panel which includes Spanish wine experts and journalists, like a kind of PhD viva. What seems evident at this stage is that even the key producers have different notions of what a paraje might be. Recaredo’s Turó d’En Mota, acknowledged by Pedro Bonet as an inspiration for the scheme, is less than a hectare in size, and the company has some other small single sites that it intends to submit for approval in due course. That’s the classic model – a Catalan equivalent, let’s say, to the Burgundian ‘climat’, or to Clos du Mesnil. Gramona, by contrast, intends to ask for a single paraje named ‘de Origen Gramona’ for all of the wines the family will submit for the scheme (from a total of 30 ha): a sort of Bordeaux ‘grand vin’ paradigm, albeit from a smaller set of vineyards.

It also has to be acknowledged that ‘Paraje’ isn’t the easiest Spanish word for non-native speakers to pronounce (the ‘j’ makes the same sound that Scots speakers produce when they say the word ‘loch’, and is not remotely pronounced like the standard English ‘j’). ‘Pago’ would have been much easier.

Well, one can always quibble. My view is that this is the best official news about Cava in my lifetime: a long overdue measure that finally brings producers the chance to communicate the extraordinary finesse, intricacy, refinement and, yes, pronounced ‘minerality’ which these wines are capable of expressing.

I’ll return to this subject a little later this year with a piece on the taste of Cava itself which will, I hope, explain why wines like Recaredo’s and Gramona’s amply merit their high prices, how ‘terroir transmission’ can reach unrivalled levels in fine Catalan sparkling wine — and why I still have misgivings about the use of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Cava de Paraje Calificado.

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Torres have announced their decision to differentiate their new sparkling wine, launching this year, by not putting the Cava name on it - therefore not signing it up to be part of the Cava DO, as originally planned.

The 2013 vintage of the sparkling wine will not be part of any denomination, even though it has been made in Catalonia and still using the traditional method.

‘This wine has been produced under the supervisions and parameters of the Cava D.O., but we have decided to separate ourselves from registering as Cava’, said Miguel Torres.

• Cava producers face ‘moment of transition’ 

The Torres premium sparkling wine is made from grapes from vineyards 500m above sea level, in Penedès. 36,000 bottles have been produced.

The wine will also not be part of the Penedès D.O..

• Look out for Sarah Jane Evans MW’s feature on Cava de Paraje calificado in the November issue. Subscribe to Decanter here.
  

• Premium cava classification – ask Decanter 

Torres previously told Decanter.com that ‘I believe that there should be space for niche producers and the ones with higher volumes within the appellation – the Cava DO in general plays an important role.’

However, he has now said that by not being part of the DO, they have more flexibility with winemaking in the future, and won’t be bound by limitations.

In particular, Torres sees the potential of making wine from grapes in the high altitude region of Tremp, which would not be allowed under Cava specifications.

• Wine travel: Visit one of these Cava wineries

‘Gradual changes in temperature, due to climate change mean single estates in high altitudes in Catalonia would complement this style of winemaking.’

Torres unveils plans for premium Cava

Major Spanish producer Torres will release a new range of wines – including a 'niche, premium Cava' – over the

Decanter travel guide: Cava country, Spain

A tour of Catalonia’s centres of sparkling wine production is an unbeatable way to immerse yourself in the region...

Expert’s Choice: Premium Cava

Don’t forget the high-end Cava wines that offer all the quality and style of Champagne, says Sarah Jane Evans MW....

Producers are working hard to improve their identity, says Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, who led a seminar at Decanter's Discover Premium Cava tasting event.

‘Cava is going through a moment of transition,’ said Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, to open the Discover Premium Cava seminar, at Decanter’s Cava tasting event on 16 May.

When Cava was invented, it was seen as the ‘Spanish Champagne’; it uses the same method of production and was believed to be trying to emulate it.

Ballestereos Torres said that there is a shift happening in Cava, and winemakers are developing a unique Cava identity.

‘Only now are people in Catalunya looking into their terroir. They are in the process of looking inside themselves, finding themselves.’

The wines

Of the wines tasted, the second wine – Castellroig, Brut Nature Reserva 2012 – was a ‘textbook example of reserve Cava’.

‘You would never say this wine is a kind of Champagne,’ said Ballesteros. ‘We want to be ourselves [in Cava] – it’s not hiding.’

Cava tends to have less sugar than its Champagne counterparts, because it does not have the same acidity, so there is less need for it; many producers add very little dosage.

Other highlights from the wines included the Perelada, Gran Claustro, Cuvée Especial Gran Reserva 2009 – the Gran Claustro was first invented for a visit from President Eisenhower in 1959.

• What’s the latest news on the new Cava top-tier classifcation?

The grapes

The common grapes used for Cava are Macabeu – ‘the workhorse’ – which gives the wine it’s structure; Xarello, found in Catalunya, and Parellada – ‘the Cinderella’ – which Ballesteros said gives more complex characters, minerality and freshness.

The problem for Cava is that the grapes are sold very cheaply, said Ballesteros, and not given the same value as in Champagne; the region needs to be given value.

‘People wonder how do they produce the wines so cheaply – well someone is paying for it,’ said Ballesteros.

• Decanter travel guide: Cava country

• Similar Decanter wine events

The wines tasted:

• Jané Ventura, Reserva de la Música, Brut Rosé 2013

• Casterllroig, Brut Nature Reserva 2012

• Llopart, Leopardi NV

• Parès Baltà, Blanca Cusiné 2010

• Sumarroca, Nuria Claverol Homenatge 2011

• Juvé & Camps, Gran Juvé NV

• Perelada, Gran Claustro, Cuvée Especial Gran Reserva 2009

• Torelló, Gran Torelló, Grans Anyades, Brut Nature 2008

• Freixenet, Casa Sala 2007

• Codorníu, Finca El Coster, Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2009

• Gramona, Celler Batlle 2005

Updated 20/05/2016: Spelling of the Parellada grape variety

What's the latest news on Cava's new top tier classification for single-estate wines? Pere Bonet, president of the Cava council, updates Decanter...

David Collishaw, London, asks: Last year I read on Decanter.com that Cava was to introduce a new top tier in its classifcation for single-estate wines, named Cava del Paraje Calificado. What’s the news on this?

Pere Bonet, for Decanter, replies: The designation of Cava del Paraje Calificado is being introduced soon. We wanted to make sure all the details were properly sewn up and legally binding before we launched to ensure the best possible quality for the consumer.

• Expert’s Choice: Premium Cava

The new Cava classification is the top rung in terms of quality and the wines that carry this seal will have been sourced from single estates in the very best terroirs of the Cava-producing region. This premium classification should start to appear on labels by the end of 2016. It will take a while to filter through, as very good Cava is always aged for a minimum of 36 months before being released.

Pere Bonet is the president of the Cava regional regulation council.

• Read more notes and queries every month in Decanter magazine. Subscribe to the latest issue here

• Got a question for Decanter’s experts? Email us: editor@decanter.com

A tour of Catalonia’s centres of sparkling wine production is an unbeatable way to immerse yourself in the effervescent lifestyle of the region. Sarah Jane Evans MW is our guide...

Cava travel guide

Planted area 33,325ha of vineyards

Main grapes Macabeo (11,718.38ha), then Xarel.lo and Parellada

Production 242,288,000 bottles

Producers 244 cava; 159 base wine cellars

Ageing Cava is minimum nine months old: Reserva minimum 15 months old; Gran Reserva minimum 30 months old

Residual sugar Brut Nature 0-3g/l Extra Brut 0-6g/l Brut 0-12 g/l

Every wine lover needs to pay homage at cava’s capital, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, in September. That’s when the town celebrates the 19th-century defeat of phylloxera, which has ravaged vineyards worldwide. People dress up as the infamous, goggle-eyed louse to parade through the streets. The festival tells the story of the rise and defeat of phylloxera, and in the process 4,000 firecrackers are set off and 150 corks popped.

• Spend a perfect 24 hours in Cava

• Cava: Restaurants, hotels and shops

Can’t make September? No worries. The Catalans know how to celebrate year round. In November, the Most (‘Must’ or unfermented grape juice) Festival features films about wine and cava. More traditional is the April festival of the vibrant Catalan folk dance, the sardana. Unlike many, this is still a popular dance, not just one that’s wheeled out for visitors.

Through the spring and summer, be sure to catch the astonishing castells. These are human towers, up to nine or 10 persons high, with people standing on each other’s shoulders, which have been recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The castells, like the sardanas, are popular expressions of firmly held Catalan nationality. Finally, on the first weekend of October, there’s Cavatast in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, a festival of cava, with wine and food tasting. There’s plenty more to enjoy, all on the www.enoturismepenedes.cat website.

Of course, there’s no such place as cava. It’s the only Spanish denomination not to have its own geographical home. Cava is produced in as many as 159 towns and villages across the country, including in Valencia, La Rioja and Extremadura, as well as Catalonia. However, the vast majority of cava is made in Catalonia. So when talking about holidaying in cava country, that does mean Catalonia, and specifically the region of Penedès.

It’s worth adding here that there are several fine producers who have chosen to opt out of the DO. You will find their wines branded as Clàssic Penedès – such as Albet i Noya, Colet, Loxarel, Mas Bertran – while Raventos i Blanc has created the DO of Conca del Riu Anoia. Don’t forget them when planning your visit.

Cava: All-round attraction

The first cava was made in 1872 by Josep Raventós at Codorníu. The ambition and glamour of those early days are captured in the bodegas of Codorníu and Freixenet. Wine tourism was on the agenda right from the beginning: both of these houses knew about selling and marketing, and they remain the best-selling brands today.

• Nine Cava wineries to visit

For visitors – even those not interested in the minutiae of wine – cava makes a great visit. The architecturally splendid Codorníu is recognised as a National Monument and offers plenty of tour options. There are wineries with trains (Freixenet – its boutique wineries Casa Sala and La Freixeneda are also interesting); wineries that can show hand disgorging (Recaredo, and other smaller ones); and wineries that set up feasts between January and March to indulge in calçots, the local cross between a leek and a spring onion (Vilarnau, a González Byass-owned winery that offers good trips, including one for children). If you are driving from France, don’t miss Alta Alella, the closest winery to Barcelona, with vineyards that drop down to the sea.

And then, if the seriousness of wine gets too much, www.hipicasantpau.com (website in Catalan) offers tastings and horseback trips through vineyards. Then there’s always the lure of the glinting Mediterranean: a visit to the Catalan cava houses is an enchanting balance between bottle and beach.

Not forgetting mountain. Dominating the cava towns is Montserrat, a craggy outcrop of pink conglomerate. It’s worth planning a visit to the Benedictine monastery, Santa Maria de Montserrat, to coincide with a performance by the famed Escolania boys’ choir, usually at 1pm in the basilica. Organic producer Llopart offers lovely mountain views.

What I find fascinating now is how cava is escaping from decades of torpor. Gone are the years when cava was the cheaper default from Champagne. Prosecco holds that prize now. Thankfully, many producers are now looking to compete on quality, since they cannot compete on price. For some, that means reducing yields in the vineyards, aiming to get the best out of the local varieties, and giving the wines longer than the minimum bottle age.

Gramona has long been a pioneer in research and has plenty to show the interested visitor – including its own ice wine. Codorníu has an experimental cellar that is producing a new top tier of wines, as well as providing insights into polishing up the mainstream brands.

Cava has decades of expertise in receiving visitors, yet it is easy to be overwhelmed by the slickness of the tourist packages. So it’s worth researching cavas before your trip, writing in advance to your favourite producers to request an appointment. The smaller houses may be more welcoming, as typified by organic grower Castellroig. Less polished than the big names perhaps, but more personal.

A final tip: most of the cava producers’ websites are multilingual. However, if you are visiting a small winery, let them know whether or not you can speak Catalan or Castillian.

How to get there

Fly to Barcelona airport, which is 45 minutes away by car. For planning your visit: www.enoturismepenedes.cat has plenty of ideas and links plus a particularly useful directory of wineries, and list of accommodation.

Sarah Jane Evans MW is a DWWA co-Chair for Spain and chair of the Institute of Masters of Wine.

Spend the perfect day exploring Cava country...

24 hours in cava country

• Decanter travel guide: Cava country, Spain

Morning

Walk along the seafront in Sitges, stopping at a café for coffee and pan amb tomaquet, the classic Catalan breakfast: bread or toast rubbed with tomato and garlic, topped with olive oil and salt. Next a quick drive to Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. The first visit is to Recaredo in the heart of the town, a biodynamic producer that has a real commitment to quality and offers a fascinating all-round introduction to cava. It’s much easier to understand the principles at a producer where every bottle is disgorged by hand.

• See more cava wineries to visit

Lunch & Afternoon

Before lunch, wander around town. First-timers could call in at the CIC Cava Interpretation Centre; or the Simón Coll Chocolate Experience. Leave plenty of time for lunch: on Thursdays many restaurants in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia serve paella. Lunch is typically around 14:30. If you are peckish earlier, drop into a bar for a tapa at midday. In the afternoon, visit a larger winery, such as Gramona, which has a long history in research. Learn what happens to the tastes of cava as it matures and develops.

• Cava: Restaurants, hotels and shops

Evening

Then it’s time to head back to the seaside. Since dinner doesn’t start until 21:30 at the earliest, drop into Perbacco to shop for wine. For dinner, drive to El Peixet (pictured top) in Cubelles, or stay in Sitges at La Salseta close by the waterfront. Then there’s just time for another glass of cava or the ultra-popular gin tónica at a beachside bar or nightclub.

Cava and Barcelona hotels

W Hotel, Barcelona

(Pictured above) Plenty to choose from in Barcelona at every price level. But the W, amid the smart restaurants and showy nightlife of the old port, is a luxury treat. www.w-barcelona.com

Hotel Casa Torner i Güell, Vilafranca del Penedès

Luxury bed & breakfast in the heart of cava country. www.casatorneriguell.com

• Decanter travel guide: Cava country, Spain

Hotel Platjador, Sitges

Very central three-star hotel, just across the road from the beach; small pool. A great tourist destination, Sitges is very busy in the summer – be prepared for crowds. www.en.hotelsitges.com

Loft Rural Les Orenetes

Rural ‘agriturismo’ retreat in a converted bodega. Sleeps 11. Walking, cycling, wine tasting, plus a farm with produce to enjoy. www.casaruralorenetes.cat

Mas Palou

Agriturismo offering two beautifully restored cottages, close to Sant’Sadurní d’Anoia. www.maspalou.com

• Spend 24 hours in Cava country

Cava and Barcelona restaurants

Casa Hidalgo, Sitges

Just by the waterside, in the old town. Ideal place to enjoy seafood and good local cooking. www.casahidalgo.es

El Peixet, Cubelles

Super-fresh fish and seafood, caught by the owner’s uncle. Unpretentious, served by the beach. Passeig Marítim 18, 08880 Cubelles

Monvinic, Barcelona

The ideal place to start or finish your trip. Extensive wine selection; owner Sergi Ferrer-Salat is a partner in the Priorat winery Ferrer-Bobet. Head sommelier Antonio Giuliodori and his team will guide you through its list of cavas. www.monvinic.com

L’Anima, Vilanova i la Geltru

A recent opening, with honest, modern cooking and a varied wine list. www.lanima.cat

La Cava d’en Sergi, Sant’ Sadurní d’Anoia

Creative cooking, with a selection of interesting tasting menus. www.lacavadensergi.com

La Salseta, Sitges

Catalan cooking in the old town, with many local organic ingredients, and always a selection of vegetarian dishes. www.lasalseta.com

Restaurante Cal Ton, Vilafranca del Penedès

Local ingredients, from the sea and the land, with an elegant edge. www.restaurantcalton.com

Sant Paul d’Ordal

This is a small town that’s committed to eating well. Expect to find good local, traditional recipes here. Try: Cal Pere del Maset; Cal Xim; Cal Saldoni; Cantallops

Cava and Barcelona Shops

Perbacco, Sitges

An excellent, small vinoteca located in the middle of Sitges, boasting a great wine list. C/Sant Gaudenci 5, Sitges. Tel: +34 938 11 22 09

Markets

An early morning visit to a town market is my mainstay on any trip to Spain. It’s a feast for the eyes, and there’s usually something tempting to buy. Vilafranca del Penedès is particularly good, with daily fresh produce markets, especially on Saturday. Come early and eat breakfast in the marketplace.

In a Decanter masterclass first, top Cava house Recaredo demonstrated the disgorgement process to fascinated guests, and presented a line-up of seven premium wines stretching back to 1996.

Ton and Jordi Mata, the third generation of the Mata family that owns Recaredo, are cousins and look after the winemaking and disgorgement respectively.

Against the backdrop of an enlarged black-and-white photo showing their fathers as young boys in the Recaredo cellar back in 1949, they explained that the Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature was first produced in 1962, to prove that it is possible to produce complex Cava capable of long ageing.

The wine is a blend of Xarello and Macabeo, and spends up to 10 years ageing on its lees before the disgorgement process, they told discovery theatre guests at the recent Decanter Spain & Portugal Fine Wine Encounter.

Whereas most sparkling wine producers freeze the sediment that has collected in the neck of the bottle before removing it, Jordi Mata prefers to carry out the process without freezing the sediment first – not only is this faster, but makes for a more sustainable winemaking process, since there is no need to use glycols (the chemical compound, mixed with water, that the bottle necks are dipped into).

Disgorging without freezing obviously requires the bottle to remain inverted until the last possible moment and requires a skilled practitioner to successfully remove the sediment without it being dispersed back into the wine.

Luckily Jordi has been disgorging for 25 years, and is a past master at the job, which involves inserting the bottle into a special machine, quickly opening it and pouring out the sediment. Speed and precision are of the essence.

Tasting aged Cava

Four bottles of each bottle were disgorged in front of guests, a loud crack emanating from the machine on each occasion. The wines are bottled with zero dosage, Ton explaining that this ensures, for Recaredo, the most honest expression of both terroir and vintage.

The family looks for freshness, even after long ageing, and minerality, and both qualities shone through in this selection of wines, with the 1999 a particular highlight – incredibly fresh and youthful still, with delicate, minerally fruit.

Another star was the 2001 – a great vintage for Cava – which was in a fuller and more evolved style, with complexity and a persistent finish. Guests left after an invitation from Ton Mata to visit the stand downstairs for a sneak preview of a new, 100% Xarello wine that they were keeping under the table.

The full list of wines tasted:

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 2004

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 2003

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 2002

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 2001

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 2000

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 1999

· Recaredo Enoteca Reserva Particular Brut Nature 1996

More articles from the Decanter Spain & Portugal Fine Wine Encounter:

• Douro Boys masterclass – five of the best wines
• Sarah Jane Evans MW’s top five Ribera del Duero wines
• Priorat and Montsant wines masterclass
• Video highlights of the Decanter Spain & Portugal Encounter

Listings updated in August 2023.

Alta Alella

This is the nearest winery to Barcelona of my suggestions. Enjoy tours of the cellars and vineyards, along with tastings of either three or six Cavas. For a really special experience, try one of their personalised tours.

Visit Alta Alella | Book here

Castellroig

Pay a visit to the old eighteenth century cellar at Castellroig, which has been converted into a wine museum. Then tour their vineyards and see how their wines are made, from the soil to the bottle.

Visit Castellroig | Book here

Castillo Perelda

Perelada are well geared up for wine tourism, with a range of tours options available, across the vineyards, cellars, the on site museum and tasting – as well as a wine spa to relax in at the end of your trip.

Visit Castillo Perelda | Book here

Codorníu

There’s something to suit everyone at Codorníu – where the first Cava was made in 1872 by Josep Raventos – such as a Cava tasting beginner course, a Gran Reserva matching and tasting, and the ‘Codorníu Quest’ – with skills and ingenuity tests.

Visit Codorniu | Book here

Freixenet

Freixenet offer a range of tours of their wineries – from traditional oenological to family friendly ones, as well as the option for private tours. Available every day and in a range of languages.

Visit Freixenet | Book here

Gramona

At Gramona, you can tour the vineyards, visit the cellars and witness traditional cava production processes, such as use of a cork stopper, ageing ‘sur lattes’, working the bottles in ‘pupitres’, and disgorging by hand.

Visit Gramona | Book here

Llopart

Book a tour at the Llopart vineyards, and learn about the history of Llopart, the production process and enjoy a tasting of three of their reserva Cavas. Advance booking required.

Visit Lopart | Book here

Recaredo

Plan a visit to Recaredo, where you’ll learn about their biodynamic winemaking, and witness their cava disgorgement by hand. Advance booking required.

Visit Recaredo | Book here

Vilarnau

Learn about the Cava production process with ‘The Essence of Vilarnau’ tour, or taste the variety available in the ‘Vilarnau Expert Tasting’ – where you can also match the Cava with a selection of canapés.

Visit Vilarnau | Book here

Related articles

• Decanter’s 50 best wine trips
• International Cava day: 15 award-winning wines to try
• Best Cava and Spanish sparkling wines under £25

In this week's column, Andrew Jefford looks back at the harvest at Raventos i Blanc, and meeting 'Cava rebel' Pepe Raventos.

My last harvesting experience was with Languedoc Cinsault: big, blobby bunches that had contrived to grow themselves tightly around both tendrils and training wires. Within minutes, you had sticky hands and jammy secateurs. Gathering Xarel-lo grapes from the ancient vines of Raventos i Blanc’s Clos del Serral a little earlier this year was much easier. The tightly packed, green-gold bunches, luminous in the early morning sunlight, hung sparely from contorted, staggering plants, some of them as tall as I was. One clean snip followed another. The bucket seemed to fill itself.

• Andrew Jefford tastes wines from Raventos i Blanc

We’d begun at 7, in the cool air of a late August morning. Everyone held hands, in a large circle, while Pepe Raventos addressed the moment, remembering a precious colleague lost since the last vintage. A couple of hours later, we ate breakfast rolls and drank the Raventos L’Hereu decanted into porrónes (spouted drinking jars), passed around the group: you lift the glass vessel into the air and pour directly into your mouth. It delivers a large, instant mouthful, frothing and nose-tickling: very bacchic.

The picking sortie gave me a chance to catch up with the Cava rebel, and gauge a little of his thinking. In November 2012, Pepe Raventos decided to pull Raventos i Blanc from the Cava DO; since then, the wines have been sold under the Conca del Riu Anoia (Anoia River Basin) descriptor, though technically they are no more than ‘quality sparkling wine’.

He did it, he says, out of frustration at the tarnished international image of Cava. Since then, he and his wife Susana and their four children have lived for most of each year in New York, though this will be the last winter they do that: the house they have been slowly building on the estate is now almost finished; the children’s English is fluent; the experience has enriched them all. ‘The more time I’ve spent abroad,’ he told me, ‘the more I see that if we work honestly, with hard efforts from vineyards to bottling, and with transparency to the consumer, then we can realise the dream of offering something unique here. Something different. Not better or worse, just different. Like all the wines which wine lovers want to drink. If you like dry, mineral sparkling wines, then what we can make here, near the Anoia river, is the highest saline expression I have tasted in sparkling wines.’

Cava, he feels, can no longer communicate that message. ‘It’s a beautiful name, but it’s ten times too late. The Cava world is three big players; it’s a business. The core of the region should be the smaller producers. But instead of doing things right, they criticize the big producers all the time. It’s a mess. Apart from a few companies, nobody does the homework. Nobody does top-quality winemaking. Nobody does indigenous grapes. Nobody does 18 months on lees. Nobody does vintages. Nobody does the minimum sulphur possible. Nobody spends a lot of money buying wines from all over the place to taste and to learn. You know how it is in the wine business. We say one thing; we do another. Until you put it all together, you won’t get the kind of wines which get people excited when they taste them. I think this is fair, no? The times of the winemaker with a tie and a Range Rover, this is over. There are too many great wines out there.’

So far, no other producer has joined Raventos i Blanc in using the Conca del Riu Anoia name, perhaps because the quality charter which goes with it looks over-onerous (it stipulates 80 per cent estate grown fruit, only organic or biodynamic cultivation and only indigenous varieties), but more probably out of respect for their forbears. Some top-quality Cava producers I have spoken to privately, though, feel as frustrated as Raventos does, and may not be far off making a similar decision.

As it happens, the new name may have to be relinquished: the Penedès DO is trying to create sub-regions, and ‘Conca del Riu Anoia’ would be one of those. Pepe Raventos is unfazed; there would, he says, be other options. The use of a different name as a label descriptor rather than a DO has, he claims, ‘worked beautifully’. The Raventos i Blanc packaging has more classical elegance than any Cava rival, yet at the same time communicates the terroir and estate story on back labels as effectively as any sparkling wine or Champagne I know. Over half the sales are outside Spain.

It would be a shame, I feel, if Pepe Raventos’ decision to quit the DO negated his local influence. He’s one of the few winemakers I’ve met who could genuinely be called visionary; he’s energetic and international in his outlook; and his people skills are remarkable, too (his first passion was social work, and he worked with the elderly before coming into the wine world). In addition to wine-making studies, he also trained as a sommelier, giving him horizontal as well as vertical wine culture.

And he’s still learning. ‘I don’t believe in the perfect wine any more. After tasting for many years, I think that the perfect wine doesn’t exist.’ He’s also abandoned the pure single-estate ideal. ‘I’m no longer a 100% man. Using only your own vineyards is respectful but a little bit egocentric. It makes you think that you are better than the rest, and this puts you in a bad frame of mind. I learn more from my farmers than I learn from my own team.’

He intends to reserve the Raventos i Blanc name for sparkling wines only, and create a new company for his still wines – and they will be increasingly ‘natural’, meaning low- or zero-sulphur. ‘Natural wines give me so much pleasure. For two reasons. One is that there is no makeup. It’s raw, it’s complex, it’s rich, it reminds us of wines that we tasted long ago. The other is that as a winemaker it’s a great challenge to produce wine without sulphur. You have to be very present and work very well to avoid oxidation. This is a challenge. If you can do that, you can do anything.’ Anything? We’ll see.

Consider a bottle of sparkling wine: it’s made according to the traditional method, a vintage wine carefully matured in underground cellars on its lees, finally bottled with zero dosage. Clearly, it’s Champagne. Actually, no, not at all. This is Cava, Spain’s much-maligned traditional method sparkling.

• Event: Discover Cava’s premium wines this May

There are some fascinating wines being produced in and around DO Cava. But Cava’s problem is Cava. That’s to say, it’s the wine’s reputation as a bargain-basement fizz. While low prices gave Cava popular appeal, the same low prices prevented some of the producers recommended here from exporting their pricier fine wines. But the recent success of Italy’s Prosecco as a budget sparkling has encouraged Spanish producers to focus on the high ground.

• Can a new Cava classifcation win over consumers?

What has changed? First, the economic crisis in Spain, meaning that producers have to export. We can now buy wines that were only sold on the domestic market. Second, recent years of careful viticultural work are showing through. Notable are the wines of producers such as Recaredo and Loxarel – established biodynamic growers, who are joined by others such as Gramona.

Third, exciting results are being realised from long-term work with local grape varieties. Cava’s classic varieties are Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo. None of them performs well at high yields, so it’s no wonder that producers moved to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. But that was then. Now try some of the new Xarel-los (also known as Pansa Blanca) – it’s a remarkable transformation.

The 18 wines above are all reservas (minimum 15 months ageing in bottle) and gran reservas (30 months). In terms of style, most of the premium Cavas here are zero dosage. It’s a style Spain particularly likes, accounting for a quarter of all Cavas consumed in Spain but only 2% of exports (in 2013).

These were the best of a selection of Cavas retailing at £15 and over, tasted non-blind at Decanter in February 2015.

Sarah Jane Evans MW’s top 18 premium Cavas

Cava producers are gearing up to launch a new classification rank for single estate wines, but will it be enough to change consumer attitudes to Spain's best known sparkling wine? Amy Wislocki reports from a recent tasting in London.

Image credit: Cava regulatory council

It takes a fair bit of confidence on the part of Cava producers to host a London tasting at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction, with wines accompanied by a five-course tasting menu. Would the food at the Michelin-starred restaurant, which specialises in cooking from the Basque region, upstage the wines?

The food was memorable, both weird and wonderful, but the gamble paid off.

Cava is preparing to introduce a new top tier in its classifcation for single estate wines, named Cava del Paraje Calificado. The head of the Cava regulatoy council, Pere Bonet, reminded guests that of a 250m bottle annual production, only 30m bottles fall into the premium Cava category.

Reserva and Gran Reserva Cava is ranked as ‘premium’ by the trade body and these wines represented 11% of Cava exports in 2014, according to council figures.

It’s a shame, but I suspect that most consumers will never taste a premium Cava. Most will never realise what the wines are capable of in terms of complexity and – well, it’s not a scientific term, but – deliciousness. Cava has become a dirty word. Yet, on the evidence of this tasting, it’s time to shake off those prejudices.

It’s true that Cava is dominated by two companies, Codorniu and Freixenet, which between them account for 70 to 80% of total production. But, they make smaller quantities of top wines, as do the other producers, that are a world away from the neutral bubblies that are ubiquitous on supermarket shelves.

A change in mindset is needed. We can accept that wine can be both a thin, vinegary, three-euro-a-bottle montrosity and a scented, rare Burgundy. Why can’t we see that one Cava can be both a characterless, acidic, enamel stripper but another can be a complex sparkling wine that equals Champagne in quality?

There were many stars on the evening, but if you’re looking to try just one, I’d recommend Recaredo’s Brut de Brut Gran Reserva Brut Nature. I tasted the 2006 vintage and it was well worth its £35-or-so price tag.

Written by Amy Wislocki

The wines of the historic region of Empordà are bubbling with life and Mediterranean character once again thanks to young winemakers in northern Catalonia, as Sue Style discovers. Read her Empordà travel guide here.

Empordà fact file

Region DO Empordà

Planted area 1,826ha

Grape varieties Carinyena, and Garnatxa, plus Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Picapoll, Macabeu, Moscatell, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer

Production 65,000 hectolitres (60% red, 17% rosé, 19% white, 4% sweet)

Main soil types sand, slate, decomposed granite

Quick links:

• My perfect day in Empordà
• Empordà: where to stay, eat, shop and relax

It hardly matters which way you approach the Empordà region of Catalonia: whether it’s via Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France and across the border through which countless Republican refugees streamed at the end of the Civil War, or from Barcelona, which lies a little over one hour’s drive to the south. The landscape, flanked by the shimmering Mediterranean and dominated by the Pyrenees, which rise to the north, is equally distinctive whichever route you choose.

• Read more Decanter travel guides to Spain

Vines have been laboriously cultivated here since the Greeks arrived on the coast at Empúries in the sixth century BC and established their settlement Palaia Polis. The Romans followed, expanding and building upon the Greek city (the site is a must on any Empordà itinerary, see p97) and exporting their wines throughout the empire. Later, in medieval times, it fell to the monasteries, including that of the wildly beautiful Sant Pere de Rodes perched high above the sea, to continue the wine-growing tradition.

Empordà’s golden age of viticulture began in the 1760s and continued for a century. Ample evidence of this viticultural richness can be found in the extensive network of terraces and dry stone walls that still indent the steep hillsides of the magnificent Cap de Creus National Park.

Then came phylloxera, which arrived from southern France in the 1870s and laid waste to these northern Catalan vineyards. It was a disaster from which (at least in terms of quantity) Empordà never recovered: of the 40,000 hectares of vines planted then, the figure is now less than 2,000ha.

Where it all began

Quantity certainly suffered, but quality is a different story. By the 1990s a few bodegas, led by the pioneering Castillo Perelada (www. castilloperelada.com), were beginning to grasp the potential for improvement, but it’s in the past decade that things have really taken off. Rafel Sabadí, sommelier at Restaurant El Roser 2 in L’Escala (see box, p97), describes Empordà today as ‘en plena efervescencia’ – bubbling with life.

A bunch of young, highly motivated winemakers, fresh from their oenology studies, are busy ­renewing those ancient terraces and dry stone walls, resurrecting old vines – principally Garnatxa and Carinyena – and planting new ones. Their wines have bags of character and a strong sense of place, marked by the Mediterranean and given a good dose of tough love by the tramuntana winds that blast across the mountains from the north, stressing and airing the vines in equal measure.

The map on the DO Empordà website (www. doemporda.cat) is a useful guide to help shape your travels. Most bodegas are in Alt (Upper) Empordà, north of Figueres with a handful more in Baix (Lower) Empordà, out towards the coast from Girona. Most require an appointment and charge a modest fee for the visit.

Vinyes dels Aspres in Cantallops (www. vinyesdelsaspres.cat) is the most northerly vineyard, where winemaker David Molas works with 30ha of vines planted on slate and granite. Top of the range here is S’Alou, an impressive Garnatxa-Carinyena- Cabernet Sauvigon-Syrah blend, while Blanc dels Aspres, an old-vine Garnatxa Blanca, is one of the region’s best-value whites.

Exciting bodegas

Just to the south in Capmany, Carme Casacuberta, at tiny Vinyes d’Olivardots (www.olivardots.com) is one of the new generation to have swelled the ranks of DO Empordà members from 26 to 50 in recent times, harvesting her first crop in 2006. Look out for Gresa, a four-grape blend including some from 100-year-old Carinyena vines, which snagged the top award at Arrels del Ví, the annual wine fair and Empordà showcase.

It’s worth visiting Joan Fabra at Martí Fabra in Sant Climent Sescebes (info@cellermartifabra.com) to taste the full range from this exciting bodega, but if time is short you can find their wines (favourites are Masia Carreras, both white and red) on the lists of the top restaurants in the region, including Pera Batlla in L’Armentera. And while you’re at it, note the modest mark-ups at the region’s restaurants, which adds to the delight of dining here.

Before heading out to the coast, make a date to visit Mariona Parals at Roig Parals in Mollet de Peralada (www.roigparals.cat). Top of their range is Camí de Cormes, a muscular wine from 120-year- old Carinyena vines (known here as Samsó), whose 15% alcohol is tempered by the grape’s natural acidity. More accessible is Tocat de l’Ala, a stylish, blend from old-vine Carinyena and Garnatxa made in a joint venture with Montsant producer Coca i Fitó.

Your last stop should be at the new kid on the block, Hugas de Batlle (www.cellerhugasdebatlle.com). Tastings are prefaced by a bone-shaking tour in a 4×4 of the four dramatically sited vineyards, carved into the hillside high above Colera with sweeping views out to sea. Later, as we sip a flowery Moscatel- Garnatxa and sniff the spicy, bramble notes of Coma de Vaixell (Merlot and Cabernet), Edu Hugas de Batlle reminds us of the four key elements producers here have to play with: vines, mountains, sea and tramuntana winds, all captured in the bottle.

‘It’s more than 2,000 years since the Greeks first brought vines to Empordà,’ says Dominic Abernethy, the brains behind the Arrels del Ví wine fair and champion of the region’s wines, ‘but it’s only thanks to the huge rise in quality in the past decade that they’re finally gaining recognition.’ Time for a visit.

How to get there

By plane to Barcelona or Girona, then by train to Figueres or drive from Barcelona via the AP-7 motorway. Otherwise, drive from France via the A9 Languedocienne/ Catalan motorway and cross the border at La Jonquera.

Written by Sue Style

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The wines of the historic region of Empordà are bubbling with life and Mediterranean character once again thanks to young winemakers in northern Catalonia, as Sue Style discovers. Read her Empordà travel guide here.

My perfect day in Empordà

Morning

Start the day at Terra Remota (www.terraremota.com), a huge, new, organic winery between Capmany and Sant Climent Sescebes created by French couple Marc and Emma Bournazeau. For another day, note their picnic lunch option (€38 for two), before continuing east on the country road to Llançà. Then head south along the winding coast road to just short of Port de la Selva and take a right up to La Selva de Mar. Press on through the village and up a cement track into a wild valley criss-crossed with hiking trails – Sant Pere de Rodes is just over the top. At the end of the track is the lovely Mas Estela (www.masestela.com) where Nuria and Diego Soto-Dalmau and son Didac, established here since 1989, will show you their range of organic and biodynamic wines.

Lunch

Return to the coast road and make your way across the rugged Cap de Creus peninsula to the whitewashed fishing village of Cadaqués, made famous by Salvador Dalí, who settled in nnext-door Port Lligat. Enjoy a creative tapas lunch at Compartir*.

Afternoon

Take a 15-minute stroll to Port Lligat to the Dalí House-Museum*. Return to Cadaqués and drive back inland to Castelló d’Empúries and across the Aïguamolls wetlands to L’Escala to check in at Hostal d’Empuriés*. Timefor an evening swim in the bay or spa.

Evening/overnight

Either dine in-house in Restaurant La Teresita or go round to El Roser 2* in L’Escala – a 15-minute walk or a five-minute drive. In summer you can take the Carrilet tourist train, which stops by the entrance to the Empúries Museum.

Tastings at Terra Remota and Mas Estela and visit to the Dalí Museum must be pre-booked. For details of places marked with an asterisk (*), see the next page

Next page Previous page

The wines of the historic region of Empordà are bubbling with life and Mediterranean character once again thanks to young winemakers in northern Catalonia, as Sue Style discovers. Read her Empordà travel guide here.

Empordà: Where to stay, eat, shop and relax

HOTELS

Can Xiquet

Five chic, modern rooms with vineyard views. The restaurant serves local food with a short wine list favouring the best local producers. www.canxiquet.com

Hotel Peralada Wine Spa and Golf

Four-star country club-style hotel under the same ownership as Castillo Perelada winery. Restaurants, wine bar, wine spa, indoor and outdoor pools and golf course. www.hotelperalada.com

Hostal de Empúries

A respectfully modernised 1920s-built hotel on the beach next to the Empúries archaeological site (see right). Enjoy dinner on the seafront terrace at Villa Teresita or an epic breakfast buffet both courtesy of consultant chef Rafa Peña, then book in to the decadent spa. www.hostalempuries.com

Hotel & Spa Mas de Torrent, Torrent Customary Relais & Châteaux elegance in this stone-built former masía (farmhouse) with pool, spa and two restaurants with Mediterranean-inspired food by chef Jorge Garrido and monthly tastings by sommelier Pere Palmada. A good base for exploring Baix Empordà. www.mastorrent.com

RESTAURANTS

El Roser 2

With a prime position and picture windows looking onto L’Escala’s famous bay. Top fish and seafood from chef Jordi Sabadí and expert advice on Empordà wines from his sommelier brother Rafel. Good-value weekday lunch menu. www.elroser2.com

Restaurant Pera Batlla, L’Armentera

Inspirational food by chef Antonia Quiñones in an old watermill with large terrace and cosy dining room. Local fish, shellfish and meat, vegetables from her kitchen garden and wines (70% from Empordà) selected in tune with the house preference for local, characterful products. www.perabatlla.com

K La Gina, Garriguella

Designer tapas and coques (Mediterranean flatbread) with many local wines by the glass, plus mojitos, ‘gin-tonics’, tasting events and live music at weekends. www.klagina.es

Can Batlle, Garriguella

Simple, family-run village restaurant with a rabbit warren of vaulted dining rooms and a large terrace, hugely popular with locals and visitors alike for classic Catalan cuisine. The lunch menu is a steal. Tel: +34 972 53 05 98

Compartir, Cadaqués

Stylish, top-quality, excellent-value sharing plates from an ex-El Bulli team. There’s a patio fringed by orange trees, cool dining rooms, attentive service and a wine list with input from former El Bulli sommelier Ferran Centelles. www.compartircadaques.com

ACTIVITIES

Arrels del Ví, Sant Martí d’Empúries

Meet the top wine growers of DO Empordà, taste their wines and buy at ex-cellar prices at this annual, open-air wine fair organised by local resident Dominic Abernethy in the beautiful medieval village of Sant Martí d’Empúries. 8-9 June. www.arrelsdelvi.com

Salvador Dalí House- Museum, Portlligat

A suitably quirky shrine to the surrealist artist, which was originally a fishing shack on the beach and his home from the 1930s until 1982. Booking via the internet is essential. www.salvador-dali.org/museus/portlligat/ en_index.html

Archaeological site, Empúries

Extensively excavated remains of Greek and Roman settlements on the coast between L’Escala and Sant Martí. Guided tours run daily in summer. www.mac.cat/eng/ branches/empuries

Museu del Suro, Palafrugell

See how the bark is peeled from the local cork oaks and is then boiled, pressed, cleaned, shaved and cut to shape in this former cork factory. www.museudelsuro.cat

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Major Spanish producer Torres will release a new range of wines – including a 'niche, premium Cava' – over the next five years, according to company CEO Miguel Torres Maczassek.

Torres Maczassek: new launches

Torres Maczassek told Decanter.com, ‘We want to produce a niche, premium Cava and don’t expect the initial output to be more than 5,000 cases a year.’

According to Torres, the wines will be targeted at the Chinese market. ‘We feel that the sparkling wine category will grow in China over the next decade and Moet-Hennessy‘s domestic project in Ningxia [the French conglomerate has a joint venture to produce red wine in Yunnan province] can only strengthen the market, which clearly benefits us.’

He said that Torres are working with growers in Penedes and their own vineyards in the region, and will produce the first Cava in 2015.

The blend will be composed of international and local varieties and the wines will be aged for a minimum of 20 months on the lees.

He added that the company had also invested in vineyards in the Tremp sub-zone of the Costers del Segre region in north-east Spain.

‘This cool, high altitude vineyard zone is perfect for early-ripening varieties, so we planted some Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot in addition to some pre-phylloxera Spanish varieties.

‘We plan to market a range of Costers del Segre single vineyard wines over the next five years, when the potential has been reached.’

Torres also released a new Albariño – Pazo das Bruxas – in April this year. Only 4,000 cases of the 2012 vintage have been produced, targeted exclusively at the Spanish market. It retails for approximately €9.

‘We hope to start exporting next year, with the UK being an obvious market for us,’ Torres said.

One region in which the company has no current plans for further expansion is China. The company already has a substantial presence there with Torres China, which is 10% owned by Baron Philippe de Rothschild, and through its Everwines retail chain sells some 300 different wines, from producers including Vega-Sicilia, Baron Philippe de Rothschild, Symington, Egon-Muller, Chapoutier and Henschke.

But, Torres said, there are no plans to produce wine there.

‘We have observed the various domestic production projects in China with interest, but this is not something that we are ready for. It is too soon to asses whether China has the potential for sustained premium wine production,’ Torres said.

Written by James Lawrence

Global Cava exports hit record levels in 2012, although the domestic market has contracted further since 2011.

Castillo Perelada: ‘Cava is a must-have listing’

According to the Cava Consejo Regulador, producers sold over 161m bottles to foreign markets in 2012 – a 6% increase over 2011.

In contrast, 81m bottles were sold in Spain in 2012, a 6% fall from the 87m figure recorded in 2011.

The high Spanish level of unemployment and economic crisis are cited as the main culprits.

However, the Consejo reported an overall Cava sales rise of 1.5% – 243m bottles in total were sold in 2012, as opposed to 239m in 2011.

Patrice Lesclaux, export manager for Castillo Perelada in Emporda said that Cava was increasingly seen as a ‘must have’ listing for distributors worldwide.

‘Today, almost all relevant wine importers around the world want to have at least one Cava in their portfolio, as the consumer appreciates Cava for its optimal value for money’, he said.

Germany is currently Cava’s most important foreign market: in 2012 over 39m bottles were sold to German importers.

Written by James Lawrence

Leading Penedes winemaker Raventos I Blanc – which has quit the Cava DO – has unveiled the framework for a new sparkling wine appellation.

Raventos I Blanc: Cava DO has ‘low vititcultural standards’

The proposed designation, named Conca Del Riu Anoia, will significantly deviate from the existent Cava DO.

‘After 150 years, Cava has become a solely volume-oriented DO with no geographical distinction in terms of climate and soils, with low viticultural standards. For this reason, we decided to start from the beginning and create a quality orientated designation for our wines,’ owner Pepe Raventos told Decanter.com.

Raventos is not alone in criticising the Cava DO: by November last year around nine producers had left.

Conca Del Riu Anoia is intended to form a very small geographical area surrounding the Anoia River valley between the Anoia and Foix Rivers in eastern Penedes.

A key aspect of the appellation is a severe tightening of the current rules of production, Raventos explained.

‘Under our rules, producers must pay growers a minimum of 1€/Kg – the current price averages €0.20/Kg – the vineyards must be organically certified, at least ten years old and yields will be set at a maximum of 10,000kg/ha,’ Raventos said.

‘We are also increasing the minimum period on the lees from 9 to 18 months and only indigenous varieties can be used,’ he added.

The Cava DO stipulates that companies can include domestic and international varieties, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with no rules as to the composition of the blend.

However, some wineries have criticised Raventos’ plans and remain committed to working inside the DO framework.

‘It seems quite cowardly to us, as it’s clearly easier to abandon the DO than to fight for change,’ Eva Plazas, senior winemaker at Vilarnua said.

Josep Albet, current president of the Penedes consejo regulador, has recommended making significant changes to the appellation rules in response to this move by Raventos and others.

In order to combat the growing crisis, Albet has advised making significant changes to the appellation rules, including increasing the minimal time the wine is in contact with the lees from 12 to 15 months.

‘We need to emphasise that Cava is a high quality, unique product,’ Albet said.

Written by James Lawrence

Leading Spanish Producer Miguel Torres will start producing Cava in the Penedes wine region.

Miguel Torres: ‘there should be space for niche producers’

Torres – which owns wine estates in Spain, Chile, California and distributes wine throughout China – has for many years insisted that the company had no desire to produce sparkling wine under the Cava DO.

However, CEO Miguel Torres Maczassek told Decanter.com Torres has decided to produce Cava after being encouraged by the success of its sparkling wines from Chile.

‘We have gained good experience over the past couple of years in Chile,’ he said

Torres makes a Chilean Fair Trade rosé sparkling called Santa Digna Estelado, produced from the Pais grape.

‘The Cava project fits into our strategy of covering almost all high quality wine regions of Spain and to keep surprising consumers with new products; it’s in the DNA of our company,’ he said.

The announcement by Torres comes at a time when several wineries, including Raventos I Blanc, have abandoned the Cava DO out of frustration with the poor brand image of Cava and low price points.

Miguel Torres Maczassek nonetheless confirmed his commitment to working inside the DO framework.

‘I believe that there should be space for niche producers and the ones with higher volumes within the appellation – the Cava DO in general plays an important role. Today’s world of wine – including sparkling wine – is a global marketplace and is important to show specific attributes and differences to consumers,’ he told Decanter.com.

Torres’ communication manager Christoph Kammuller confirmed that the company plans to release its first Cava vintage in 2015.

According to Kammuller, the specific vineyards, blend, price or brand name of the new wine have not been decided. They will be disclosed in 2014 ‘at the earliest’, he said.

Written by James Lawrence

Signs of a confidence crisis among Cava producers are growing after leading sparkling winemaker Raventos i Blanc announced it will leave the appellation.

Raventos’ manager, Pepe Raventos, this week announced plans to adopt a new and un-certified regional appellation designation, named ‘Conca Del Riu Anoia’, after the end of this month.

‘We want to recover the Conca del Riu Anoia, the name of a small geographical area, to help us to better understand and convey our viticultural traditions, the strength of our land and the characteristics of our soils, ‘ he said.

Albet I Noya, current president of the Regulatory Council of Penedes, told Decanter.com that the decision by Raventos indicated a growing crisis of confidence amongst Cava producers in the region.

‘Since last week, nine producers have asked to leave the Cava DO. I also understand that six more wineries – some of which are key producers – are planing to leave the appellation in the future, but unfortunately I am not authorised to give out their names at the moment.’

He said that many wineries across Penedes had decided to focus on building individual sparkling wine brands, as Cava’s global brand image was primarily associated with cheap, low-quality wine.

In order to combat the growing crisis, Albet has advised making significant changes to the appellation rules, including increasing the minimal time the wine is in contact with the lees from 12 to 15 months.

‘We need to emphasise that Cava is a high quality, unique product,’ Albet said.

Written by James Lawrence

Sparkling producers in the Penedes wine zone of Spain are abandoning the Cava appellation and branding their wines 'Spanish sparkling wine'.

Mas Comtal: Cava brand is ‘detrimental’

Josep Albet of Albet I Noya winery, current president of the Regulatory Council of Penedes, told Decanter.com many growers were frustrated with the poor brand image of Cava.

They had decided to market their wines outside the DO framework, he said.

‘The extremely low price that Cava commands is sealed in many markets. In addition it is very difficult for high-quality Cava producers to justify their prices against companies operating under the same generic Cava name, that sell bottles at under €2 to supermarkets,’ Albet said.

Pablo Chamorro, Spanish wine author and expert in organic viticulture, said that nine growers had already abandoned the Cava DO to his knowledge, and that five more would potentially desert the appellation over the next 12 months.

Marta Milà, proprietor of the Mas Comtal winery said that she had left the DO in 2011 because the Cava brand was ‘detrimental, not beneficial to my commercial needs.’

Over 95% of Cava is produced in Penedes, although growers in a total of eight wine regions have the right to bottle Cava in Spain.

According to Albet, one of his forthcoming proposals to the council will be to shrink the existing appellation size drastically.

‘Another problem is that the Cava appellation is too wide, covering major parts of Catalunya, Aragon etc. It is too much to control, understand and regulate. I always believe that small is beautiful.’

Albet said he is also preparing a recommendation to have the entire Penedes wine zone certified as organic, in order to further add value and differentiate the region’s wines.

Written by James Lawrence

Record Cava exports have brightened up the Spanish sparkling wine's bleak domestic market in 2011.

Cava producers sold a record breaking 152 million bottles to foreign markets in 2011 – a 2% increase over 2010 – but poor domestic sales were mainly to blame for a 2% fall in overall sales in 2011.

Taking into consideration current economic conditions, the Cava regulatory board chairman, Gustavo García Guillamet, said ‘it is very positive to claim that cava sales achieved a record figure in the foreign market’.

However, sales in Spain have been difficult within the domestic market, compounded by an unemployment rate of more than 22%. During the last quarter of 2011, Cava sales suffered an ‘unexpected’ fall of 8.7% compared to 2010.

Exports have grown steadily in the past decade, rising by almost 50%, according to the regulatory body’s figures.

Nick Mantella, managing director of Codorniu UK, told decanter.com ‘Sparkling wine as a whole is becoming an everyday product rather than a celebratory drink.

‘There has been a lot of promotional activity driving the sparkling category in the last 10 years. Sparkling wine is a minority category compared to still wines. It is not in everybody’s daily repertoire so we have to work extremely hard to drive people to it,’ he added.

Written by Rebecca Gibb

Acclaimed film director Martin Scorsese has produced a 10-minute television advert for Cava producer Freixenet.

The advert, which purports to use a lost Alfred Hitchock scene and uses many of the legendary director’s cinematic styles, is currently showing on television and in cinemas throughout Spain.

The short film, entitled The Key to Reserva, shows a man carrying a briefcase entering a box in New York’s Carnegie Hall. To the backdrop of the orchestral score of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, the man unscrews a lightbulb containing a key to the briefcase. A sinister violinist is sent to foil his attempts but falls to his death following a struggle.

The briefcase is opened to reveal a bottle of Freixenet Cava rosé.

The advert contains numerous references to the legendary director with camera angles and objects mimicking many famous Hitchcock films.

In several shots, the protagonist’s handkerchief displays the monogram ‘ROT’, a nod to Cary Grant’s character Roger O Thornhill in North by Northwest. The red wash following the flash of a camera is also a direct homage to Rear Window.

Scorsese, who directed such films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas, is no stranger to directing adverts, having previously worked with American Express.

Although heavily edited versions of the advert are currently being shown in Spain, Freixenet is planning to roll it out to the US in 2008.

Natalia Celemin of Freixenet UK told decanter.com the Spanish company was also planning to screen it in the UK but not before the new year.

The full film can be viewed online here.

Written by Oliver Styles