Champagne or cava? by Rachel Webb Every fall, the largest cava-producing town in Catalonia-Sant Sadurní d'Anoia-celebrates its produce with feasting, concerts, bike rides, art shows, and an evening of pétanque or bowls. The event begins with the crowning of the Cava Queen, who arrives escorted by the mounted brigade of the Barcelona police (this year the event takes place from October 9 - 12). And at the end of the festival, on Oct. 12, people from Barcelona board the special cava train to Sant Sadurní d'Anoia where they are greeted at the station by carnival characters and escorted to the town hall and cava houses for a tour of the cellars and lunch before returning to the Catalan capital.
This fiesta began in 1982 to promote cava-wine from more than 30 different wineries is up for tasting. Cava has been produced for 140 years and is no poor The Cost of Cava Cheapest:
Dubois semi-sekt: 1.69 euro
Rondell: 2.30 euro
Freixenet Cordon Negro 4.95 euro
(matured for 15 months) fine, intense and fruity,
pale yellow in color.
Cabre & Sabre: 1.69 euro
Crisp and pale.
Codorniu Reserva Extra: 5.99 euro
fine persistant bubbles, golden yellow.
Anna de Codorniu: 8.45 euro
a touch of chardonnay, nicely balanced Most expensive:
Codorniu non plus ultra: 10.99 euro
Compared with 15 euro minimum for champagne… Note: The term reserva is used rather than vintage for cava. |
relative of champagne, but is produced with its own grape varieties.
Cava karma Originally cava was known as Spanish champagne, a sparkling wine that had been launched to rival the French version, but made from local grapes grown on Spanish soil. In the 1970s, however, the EU ruled that only wine produced in that specific area of France could go by the name. This move helped the Spanish growers by making them label their wines under their own name-and restrictions as to what could be labeled "cava" meant an improvement in quality.
With cava enjoying greater popularity, the larger bodegas-wine cellars such as Freixenet and Cordorniu-have ploughed their profits back into cava production to ensure a world-wide presence of this clear effervescent wine. The greater supply of cava (85%) comes from the village of Sant Sadurni D'Anoia in the Penedes region of Catalonia. A mild climate, average temperatures of 12°C - 14°C, limited rainfall, and hardly any wind here make ideal growing conditions for the Macabeu, Xarel-lo, and Parellada grape. For guided tours and wine tasting sessions, try the bodegas of both these large cava producers: www.freixenet.com and www.codorniu.com. Barcelona is the nearest airport. |
