When
we speak about bubbles, Champagne and Prosecco are without a doubt the most
famous. While expensive Champagne is mainly served by itself, its cheaper
Italian cousin, Prosecco, is used as a mixer. However, there is a third type of
“sparkling” wine, a good in-between, not too sweet, not too expensive
alternative - it’s Cava. So what is it exactly?
Cava
is THE sparkling wine from Spain. The roots of the cava industry took place in
the 1860s when Josep Raventós was travelling around Europe promoting the still
wines from the Codorníu winery.
He once visited Champagne and noticed with interest the potential of using the
same method for Spanish wines. He made his first “cava” in 1872. Since then
Codorníu kept expanding, modernizing their methods and innovating to become one
of the major cava producers, competing with Freixenet.
Codorníu
recently appointed a new US Ambassador, Adriana Soley Fuster, based out of New
York City and I had the chance to learn everything about Cava with her. Adriana
is from Barcelona and an award-winning bartender. After being nominated best
bartender in Spain, she moved to New York City a year ago.
She
first explained to me that Cava is regulated by a protected appellation - DO (“Denominación de Origen”). Most Cava
are produced in Catalonia and only wines produced in the Champagne traditional
method may be labeled as Cava. According to the appellation, Cava could be from
eight regions: Aragon, Basque County, Castile & Leon, Catalonia,
Extremadura, Navarra, Rioja and the Valencian community. However, about 95% of
all Cava is produced in Catalonia.
Just
a few grapes are authorized by the appellation. Macabeu is the main grape used
in Cava production but despite its importance, “it tastes simple” says Soley. “It
has light floral aromatics and a bitter lemon flavor that makes it taste like
green almonds.” The second grape is Xarello, and is “much more aromatic with
rich floral aromas and pear notes.” The
last one, Paralleda, “is blended for its splendid high acidity and citrus
flavors.” She adds that “those three grapes make a perfectly balanced sparkling
wine that is less sweet than Proseco but not as nutty as some Champagne.” She
also explained to me that Prosecco producers use the Charmat
method, in which the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless
steel tanks, making the wine less expensive to produce.
Regarding
rosé, the appellation authorizes the use of Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mourvedre
grapes. As it is forbidden to blend red and white wines to make rosé outside of
Champagne region, the Cava producers have to tint the wine with the grape
skins. This is a very sensitive process to get the perfect color.
Is
cava sweet? Like Champagne, you can find various levels of sweetness, ranging
from the driest (brut nature) through demi-sec to dulce, the sweetest.
Talking about cocktails, Soley says “you’ll be surprised to know that Cava is far closer to Champagne in terms of taste than Prosecco. If you’re looking for value bubbly, Cava might be your choice. As it is also very versatile, you can make a lot of cocktails with it.”
She shares her favorite creation with me
below:
A kiss of Anna
- 2.0 oz Pavan Liqueur
- 1 dash Lime juice
- Top Cava Anna de Codorníu Brut Rose
- 3 Raspberries
Muddle 3 raspberries in a shaker, pour in Pavan Liqueur and lime, shake and make a double strain into a champagne glass. Top with Cava rosé. Garnish with a floating raspberry.
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