I Love Diversity, that’s why I Love Cava

The diversity within the DO Cava is both a blessing and a curse and many people working with Cava would agree on this. I choose to see the positive side. So what is actually so great about it?

Well let me explain…

The biggest reason for the great diversity among Cava is the fact that there are nine grape varieties that can be used. Xarel.lo, macabeu and parellada are the most common varieties and make up the backbone in traditional blends. Many people would say that this trio is the soul of Cava and what makes it so special. But you also have Chardonnay and malvasia among the white grapes allowed. When it comes to the red varieties there are trepat, garnacha, monastrell and of course the very popular Pinot Noir. Since it is also now allowed to make blanc de noire in the DO Cava, with trepat as the only exception, the possibilities are many. In my opinion, all these red grapes make a great spread of rosé Cavas, from the elegant salmon pink to the fruity bright raspberry coloured that can be enjoyed and used in combination with endless types of food.

There are also three ageing classes, from the minimum ageing of nine months, to the reserva, minimum of fifteen months and the gran reserva at thirty months or more, this aspect also widens the range of choice. Unfortunately many people only know the very young products and think that this is the only way to have Cava. Numerous times I have met wine people and even fellow Sommeliers that think that Cava cannot be aged and nothing could be further from the truth. Some even say that the local grapes don’t have the structure to age in a good way and to those I can very much recommend a trip to the Cava houses of Gramona, Recaredo, Juvé y Camps or Castell San Antoni, just to mention a few.

One other aspect that contributes to the wide spread of choice with in the Cava family is the price range and this is a much debated subject. Mass produced or high end, the choice is yours. I’m not saying that this wide spread is all good. But if you exclude the very cheapest bottles from the discussion, I do think it is great that you can find a Cava that suits your taste, the occasion and your wallet. Because to be honest, most of us are not made of money and can’t drink 50 Euro bubbles every day, at least I can’t and one thing that you can be sure of is that you very often get extremely good value for your money, since the land prices and production costs are so much lower in Penedès than say Champagne.

So my dear friends, if you have not already dived into the sea of great Cavas out there and enjoyed the diversity. I highly recommend you to do that as soon as possible and I’m absolutely positive you will find some favourites.

Cheers and happy hunting!

Written by Anna Wallner