8. Cava Flashcards
What is the name of the industry body that oversees Cava production?
Consejo Regulador del Cava
What are the three traditional varieties used in Cava production?
1) Macabeo
2) Xarel-lo
3) Parellada
What international variety is increasingly used?
Chardonnay
In which region is most fruit for Cava grown and most Cava produced?
Penedes, Cataluna
What is the climate of Penedes?
Mediterranean
Up to what altitude are vines planted in Penedes?
200-300m and as high as 700-800m
What are the two general soil types of Penedes?
1) Alluvial soils and clay at lower altitudes
2) Stony clay and granite at higher altitudes
What makes Penedes soil types suitable for viticulture? (3)
Low in nutrients
Good drainage
Adequate water retention
What is the climate of Lleida/Lerida?
Mediterranean near the coast with continental influences inland.
What has allowed the former semi-desert region of Lleide/Lerida to grown grapes?
An irrigation system with water from the Pyrenees.
What is the climate of Tarragona?
Mediterranean
What is the main grape variety planted in Tarragona?
Macabeo.
What are the four black grape varieties used in Cava production?
1) Garnacha Tinta
2) Trepat
3) Pinot Noir
4) Monastrell
At what altitude is Macabeo typically planted?
100-300m
When does Macabeo bud?
Late
Which of the local varieties is picked first?
Macabeo
What is Macabeo susceptible to? (2)
1) Botrytis
2) Bacterial blight
What is the most widely planted grape variety for Cava?
Macabeo
At what altitude is Xarel-lo typically planted?
0-400m
When does Xarel-lo bud and ripen?
Mid-budding & mid-ripening
What is Xarel-lo susceptible to? (2)
1) Powdery mildew
2) Downy mildew
At what altitude is Parellada typically planted?
~500m
What is the latest ripening local variety?
Parellada
What is the lowest yielding local variety?
Parellada
When does Parellada bud?
Early
When does Parellada ripen?
Late
What is Parellada susceptible to?
Powdery mildew
What common Spanish variety is not permitted in the production of Cava (rosado)?
Tempranillo
At what densities are vines for Cava production planted?
1,500-3,500 vines/ha
How are Cava vines trained?
1) Bush
2) Single/double cordon
When is irrigation permitted?
To relieve extreme hydric stress
For what two reasons are rootstocks chosen?
1) Tolerance to lime
2) To control vigour
How are vineyards treated to counteract both mildews and botrytis?
Copper and sulfur
What canopy management technique assists with rot prevention?
Removing leaves from the north side of the row to aid air circulation and reduce shade.
What is the main pest in Cava vineyards and how is it managed?
1) Grapevine moth
2) Sexual confusion
Why is 90% of fruit hand harvested? (2)
1) Scattered ownership
2) Uneven terrain
In what size crates is basic and premium fruit loaded for transport?
1) 25kg
2) 10kg
How must Rosado be produced?
25% black grapes by skin contact.
What is the maximum yield for Cava?
79 hL/ha
100 litres from 150kg
What are two reasons why the use of reserve wines uncommon?
1) Vintage variation is limited
2) To keep costs down
How has fast disgorge been achieved? (3)
1) Gyropalettes
2) Yeast strain selection for quick flocculation
3) Bottles with smooth inside glass
What sweetness is most Cava?
Brut (8-9 g/L)
In which markets is Medium-Dry (Semi-Secco) popular?
Spain & Germany
What were the three original categories of Cava?
1) Cava
2) Cava Reserva
3) Cava Gran Reserva
What is the minimum lees ageing term for Cava?
9 months
What is the minimum lees ageing term for Cava Reserva?
18 months.
What is the minimum lees ageing term for Cava Gran Reserva?
30 months.
In what year was Cava de Paraje Calificado established?
2017
Why was Cava de Paraje Calificado established?
In response to discontent with the perceived image of Cava as an inexpensive wine of only good quality.
What is the new name for young Cava DO?
Cava de Guarda
What category now includes Cava Gran Reserva and Cava Reserva?
Cava de Guarda Superior
In addition to the minimum lees ageing term of Cava DO, Cava de Guarda must also be what?
Traceable from vineyard to bottle.
What are the additional five requirements of Cava de Guarda Superior?
Vine age
Fruit production
Yield
Accountability
Labelling
1) Minimum vine age of 10 years
2) Certified grown organically
3) Maximum yield of 10 tonnes/ha
4) Traceable from vineyard to bottle
5) State year of harvest
In addition to the five requirements of Cava de Guarda Superior, Cava de Guarda Superior wines may also use what labelling term?
100% Integral Producer/Elaboraderes Integrales if the company carries out the entire production itself.
What are the four separate registers the Consejo Regulador del Cava maintains?
1) Growers
2) Producers of base wine
3) Storekeepers of base wines
4) Cava producers
May a Cava producer feature on more than one Consejo Regulador del Cava register?
Yes
What are the four main export markets for Cava?
1) Germany
2) Belgium
3) UK
4) USA
What is the current trend of Cava sales?
Plateaued since 2010
What is Classic Penedes? (4)
When
Method
Ageing
Fruit (not varieties)
1) A sparkling wine category introduced in 2014
2) Wines made using certified organic fruit
3) Traditional method
4) Minimum 15 months ageing
What is Corpinnat? (5)
A producer group committed to making traditional method wines with:
1) 100% certified organic grapes
2) 90% local varieties
3) Grown in Penedes
4) Hand-harvested
5) Vinified entirely on the premises of the winery
What are the three minimum ageing categories within Corpinnat?
1) 18
2) 30
3) 60 months
What are the two requirements of Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja?
1) Hand-harvest
2) Traditional method
What are the three tiers of Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja?
1) Crianza (lees for 15 months)
2) Reserva (24 months)
3) Grana Anada (36 months)
What is Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja?
A classification approved in 2017 by Rioja DOCa that approved the name Rioja for sparkling wine production.
In which city are the main wineries?
Sant Sadurni d’Anoia
