Sparkling wine Cava: what is it, history and types

In Spain, wines with bubbles are called "Cava". The original name was invented not only because the title "champagne" belongs to the French, but also to emphasize the special character of the Spanish drink.

Coffee is not just a sparkling wine, but a whole philosophy of production with its own technology and traditions.

History and peculiarities of production

The first Cava in Spain was created in 1872 at the Codorníu family winery, which is one of the oldest wine producers in Catalonia and has been operating in the industry since the 16th century.

After the release of a trial batch of drinks made according to the classic French champagne technology based on local raw materials, the company continued to experiment and invented an original recipe for sparkling products. It is successfully used to this day.

What is the secret of coffee?? First of all - in carefully selected fruits of certain varieties. The main ones are Macabeo, Charello and Parellada.

Each type of grape has its own character and gives the drink certain features:

1. Macabeo - gives a fruity aroma and flavor

2. Charello - optimal acidity and density

3. Parellada - tenderness and sophistication

Sometimes the traditional combination is complemented by lemon notes of Chardonnay or sweet Malvasia.

Garnacha, Monastrell, Pinot Noir and Trepat are used in the production of coffee from red varieties.

The process of making the drink looks like this:

1. Highly ripe fruits are harvested by hand in late summer/early fall and sent to wineries.

2. The raw materials are carefully pressed and the juice of the first pressing is separated, which, after filtration, undergoes primary fermentation.

3. The resulting wine material from different varieties selected for blending is bottled.

   According to the recipe, a certain amount of wine yeast, concentrated juice and sucrose is added to the must.

4. The bottles are placed in cellars, where secondary fermentation of the wine takes place for a specified period (at least 9 months).

5. In the process, the beverage undergoes remoisturization (turning and shaking the bottle to separate the remaining yeast) and degorgement (removal of sediment by freezing).

6. To restore the original volume, wine of the desired degree of sweetness is added to the vessels.

   Then the bottles are sealed with a natural cork, labeled and packaged.

The result is classic coffee with specified characteristics: a certain color, degree of sweetness and aging.

Types of coffee

Depending on the sugar content Spanish sparkling wine is classified into one of 6 categories:

1. Brut Nature (no sugar added)

2. Extra Brut - up to 6 g/l

3. Brut - up to 12 g/l

4. Extra Seco/Extra Dry - 12-17 g/l

5. Seco/Dry - 17-32 g/l

6. Semi seco/Semi dry - 32-50 g/l

7. Dulce/Sweet - from 50 g/l

By color Coffee can be white and pink. Shades can vary from light golden and pale salad to salmon and raspberry.

White drinks are more common and considered classic.

By the degree of aging there are three types of sparkling products:

1. Cava is a traditional example (aging time - from 9 months).

2. Cava Reserva (from 15 months).

3. Cava Gran Reserva (from 30 months).

On bottles of Spanish sparkling wine you can also find the label "Ecológico".

This is a tribute to modern trends: the label means that the wine was made using environmentally friendly raw materials collected from special vineyards where chemical fertilizers and pest control agents are not used.

The best coffee producers and how to drink

The main volumes of Spanish "champagne" come from Catalonia and Valencia.

The largest suppliers are:

1. Codorniu

2. Freizenet

3. Pago de Tharsys

4. Gramona

5. Augusti Torello

Cava flavors are diverse

And differ depending on the predominant variety and producer.

The most characteristic tones: peach, citrus, melon, red berries (raspberries, strawberries, currants), cream, apple, baked goods and white flowers.

Reserva products have a flavor of honey, nuts, toasted bread and dried fruit.

Spanish sparkling wine is less sweet and less aged than French wine, but it is also much cheaper.

It is recommended to serve the drink chilled to 7-8°C.

In terms of gastronomic combinations, the drink is not as demanding as Champagne products and is equally good in the company of meat, fish, cheese, garlic bread, pizza, desserts and spicy snacks.

Update: 09.11.2018

Category: Wine and Vermouth