Juvé & Camps – Interview With Meritxell Juvé

One of the biggest regions in the world of sparkling wine, Cava stands as its own style of bubbly, from the historic country of Spain, with so many brilliant producers utilising tradition and innovating for the future, there’s a lot to explore, Glass of Bubbly is on a mission to highlight this wonderful region and some of the incredible minds producing Cava today.

In this exclusive feature on Glass of Bubbly, we speak with Meritxell Juvé, the CEO of Juvé & Camps, let’s discover a little about her life, her journey into the industry and one of her most memorable Cava memories.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Meritxell, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & How Your Incredible Journey Into The Wine Industry Began?

“Juvé & Camps’ history is a centenary story that began four generations ago, in fact, I am the fourth generation, so you could say that I was born and grew up among vineyards, in a family with strong roots in the land and in the vineyard. From my father, I learned to love nature and a job well done, and that love has become my daily life.

I studied Business Administration and Management; Oenology, Viticulture and Wine Marketing; Advertising, and specialised in business policy and strategy in the Asian market, in Singapore. But, although I worked and travelled around the world, I soon realised that my true passion was in the family winery, and now I dedicate my body and soul to cultivating my connection with the land and making quality wine, which is what makes me happy.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Label It Was?

“I remember my first experience with sparkling wine perfectly. Of course, it was at home, with the Juvé & Camps Reserva de la Familia, the wine that we started making for our family and closest friends’ consumption, and which we ended up launching on the market in 1976 because those who tasted it wanted to buy it. It is a gran reserva brut nature that has become the flagship of the house, in addition to a very special wine for me and my family, because of its history and what it represents, both our family tradition and our commitment to quality and excellence. This, because of its significance, had to be my first glass of sparkling wine, a memory that I cherish because, moreover, my father gave it to me to taste.”

As The 4th Generation, How Rewarding And Challenging Is Managing Your Own Cava House?

“It gives me great pride and it is also a great challenge to manage a winery with such a long history, which has come into my hands after no less than one hundred years. I have the invaluable support of my father, who has dedicated his entire life to this House and who has taught me so much about wine; it is a luxury to be able to rely on his experience. It is true that it is also a huge responsibility, and that I had to prepare myself to a great extent to take on this role, but my passion overcomes all barriers to continue the family legacy, and, in addition, I have a great professional and human team which, for me, is essential.”

As The 4th Generation, How Rewarding And Challenging Is Managing Your Own Cava House?

“I am a great lover of gastronomy, although a terrible cook ;-), but fortunately our sparkling wines, with their long ageing, offer us an enormous versatility and allow us to enjoy them with practically all cuisines. Even so, and even though I really enjoy having a drink while chatting with my family or friends, with no other pairing than good company, if I must choose a particular dish, I suppose I would go for a good Iberian ham.”

Can You Share With Us Some Of The Countries And Locations Around The World That You Can Enjoy A Glass Of Juvé & Camps?

“Thanks to the work we have done over the last few years and the great team at Juvé & Camps, today our products can be enjoyed in more than 60 countries, including the United States, Canada, most of Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, Peru and the Dominican Republic. Of course, this would not have been possible without the extraordinary effort made by the second and third generations who, with suitcases under their arms, travelled all the roads of the country to open to the Spanish market until they reached the best restaurants and wine shops. Today we are following in their footsteps and broadening our horizons in our commitment to internationalising the brand, so we will soon be able to taste it in even more countries.”

Can You Share With Us The Importance Of The Long Ageing Process Of Your Cava At Juvé & Camps?

“For us, as pioneers in the production of long ageing wines, between 38 and 108 months, and brut nature style, it is clear that they are an essential characteristic of our sparkling wines, in addition to a demonstration of our quality work in the pursuit of excellence. We are committed to allowing a wine to age in the cellar so that it adds nuances and complexity, evolving into a more gastronomic wine and refining its bubbles; this is how we want our sparkling wines to be, and that is why there are no consecutive vintages of all our wines.”

Do You Have A Vinothèque/Oenothèque Range Where Yourselves And Your Most Passionate Customers Can Taste The History Of Your House?

“The pursuit of excellence has always been part of our philosophy, and achieving this requires patience, dedication and attention to the smallest detail: it takes time, and time is what we devote to every one of our products. Long ageing has been our speciality for over a hundred years, and in 2005 we decided to take it to the next level in order to study it by creating a very special corner in the oldest part of the winery, a place where the family’s private collection rests, made up of bottles from old vintages of all our Gran Reserva wines. These bottles are not for sale but are intended for professional tastings and very special events.”

What Future Plans Can Enthusiasts Of Juvé & Camps Look Forward To In The Coming Years?

“After celebrating our first centenary, Juvé & Camps focuses on continuing to work in diverse and collaborative projects in pursuit of the three pillars of sustainability (ecological, economic and social), strengthening our commitment to the sector by promoting training and education; and seeking to move forward in our internationalisation in order for our sparkling wine to reach further. We are focussed on consolidating our current projects, giving them the strength and energy they need to grow.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass Of Bubbly?

“For me, wine is the hedonistic and social drink par excellence, so the perfect wine depends on the moment, the place, the gastronomy and the people you are going to share it with. If I have to choose one, and although it largely depends on the context, I must admit that I have always been particularly fond of the Gran Juvé & Camps, an exceptional Gran Reserva Brut Nature that has already celebrated its 50th birthday and which I would love to see at least another 50 years.”

Thank you Meritxell, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Juvé & Camps. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.