Cava

Cava

Spain is famous not only for its oak-aged reds and light and summery whites, but also for its sparkling Cava from Penedes in Catalonia. Spanish Cava is made using the same technology as Champagne or Italian Franciacorta, but instead of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, using indigenous, autochthonous grape varieties such as Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo. The Spanish sparkling wine is characterised by its fresh acidity, citrus aftertaste and floral aromas.  

In terms of ageing, cava wines divided into several categories:

Cava: This wine is aged for at least 9 months. It is a lighter, fresh and fruity sparkling wine.
Cava Reserva: This wine is aged for at least 18 months and therefore has more complex and mature aromas.
Cava Gran Reserva: This wine is aged for at least 30 months. It is richer, with more pronounced aromas of maturity and yeast.
Cava Paraje Calificado: This is a top quality cava from specific vineyards, aged for at least 36 months, with a special elegance and distinctiveness.

It is worth noting that in 2017 a new Spanish sparkling wine, Corpinnat, was launched. This prestigious appellation was created by a group of coffee producers from Catalonia. They dropped the cava name and started calling their sparkling wine 'Corpinnat' to emphasise and distinguish its high quality and origin (Penedes region only). In order to use the name 'Corpinnat', the grapes must be organically grown, hand-picked and produced in a specific geographical area of the Penedès region of Catalonia