Credit by raventos.com
"I only drink champagne on two occasions. When I am in love and when I am not." - Coco Chanel
Napoleon Bonaparte and Coco Chanel agreed that champagne should only be drunk twice: on occasions of tremendous happiness or the complete lack of it.
ORIGINS
With the discovery of champagne in 1693 in France, Dom Pierre Pérignon longed to end the pursuit of the perfect wine. That wasn't meant to be, as other sparkling wines arose. Prosecco by Antonio Carpenè, Italy in 1868, and Josep Raventós' Cava, in Catalonia in 1872, caused fury and debate - in equal parts - due to their origin and uniqueness.
The difference between them lies in the production method - which between champagne and cava ain't that much - the grapes' varieties and production times.
The history and production of cava rise in Catalonia and extend to other Spain regions from Sant Sadurny d'Anoia. Although used years before, the cava terminology was only officially recognized in 1972, ending the dispute with France over the origin of sparkling wine.
SPANISH ORIGIN
Cava comes from four areas of the Spanish territory and some in sub-areas, being made in 160 municipalities. This environment diversity guarantees constant annual production, although limited according to the variety of grapes and types of cava to be made.
The producing areas are the Levante area, the Almendralejo Vineyards area, the Ebro Valley area and Comtats de Barcelona. The latter concentrates more than 95% of cava production, and the municipality of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia is considered the "Capital of Cava".
Credit by cava.wine
AUTHENTICITY AND QUALITY
The Spanish sparkling wine, cava, has a regulatory council that ensures the quality and origin of traditional production, the D.O Cava. The most current regulations classify it in two different ways: typology, depending on the amount of added sugar (Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Seco, Seco, Semi-Seco and Dulce) and category (Cava de Guarda, Cava de Guarda Superior Reserva, Cava de Guarda Superior Gran Reserva and Cava de Guarda Superior de Paraje Calificado) based on the time it rested inside the bottle during the production process.
This same regulatory council determines that by 2025 all production must be organic, thus highlighting the importance of the sustainable production process for the environment and the people.
CULTURE
Being such an essential product for the local economy and culture, there is a wide variety of activities to make cava and local wine known to visitors, such as the Cava Academy, fairs and small local events, and a film festival with wine and cava as protagonists.
Credit by mostfestival.cat
CURIOSITY
One way to ensure that the cava or champagne has been made according to the traditional méthod champeonise is by the four-pointed star engraved on the end of the cork of the ampoule, in being any other geometric figure this will only be a sparkling wine.
If you’d like to find out more:
I hope you have the opportunity to enjoy some Spanish sparkling wine. You can visit various wineries when you travel to Spain and experience the entire cava production process first-hand.
I want to leave you with a fresh and fruity cocktail made with champagne; Agua de Valencia is made for the first time in 1959. Follow this recipe here and enjoy.
Patricia de Castro