Cava Flashcards
Who are the two largest producers of Cava?
Freixenet (Ferrer family) and Codorníu (Raventós family)
What is the authoritative body for the Cava PDO?
Consejo Regulador de Cava
What international agreement started the formation of the Cava PDO?
Spain entering the EU (1986)
-1960’s: informal name for Spanish sparkling
- 1972: PDO of Cava recognized by Spanish law
- 1989: EU recognizes the Cava PDO as a wine rather than a place
What amount of Cava is grown and produced in Penedès?
95% is grown and produced there
What are the three most significant areas of Cava production?
- Penedès
- Lleida
- Tarragona
What is the climate like in Penedès?
- Mediterranean
- Bright sunny summers, mild winter
- Moderate rainfall (540mm) spread throughout the year
- Mostly at 200-300m altitude
- Soils poor in nutrients, with good balance of drainage and retention
How does typography vary within Penedès?
Lower altitude (200-300m)
- Warmer climate
- Alluvial/clay soils
- Closer to the coast
Higher altitude (700-800m)
- Cooler climate
- Longer growing season
- Higher acid, more intense flavors
- Stony clay with granite subsoils
What style of wine will you typically see being made at higher altitudes within Cava?
- Macabeo dominant
- Better built for aging
- Intense fruit character
- Higher acidity
What are the two main towns within Penedès and what are they known for?
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
- Principal cava producers located here
Vilafranca del Penedès
- Consejo Regulador de Cava headquartered here
What is the climate/typography like in Lleida?
- More mediterranean closer to coast, increasingly continental further inland
- 100-700m altitude (slopes and a high plain)
- Irrigation from Pyrenees necessary for viticulture/spring frost protection
- Resulting wine depends on altitude
What is Raimat estate?
Largest single family-owned estate in Spain
- 2,200 ha
- Mainly still wine
- Owned by the Raventós family
- Pioneered Chardonnay in the region
What is climate/typography like in Tarragona?
- Low lying, undulating hills
- Mediterranean climate
What styles of Cava are generally produced in Tarragona?
- Macabeo dominant
- Simple, early drinking
What’s unique about Cava Rosado coming out of Tarragona?
It will include Trepat
Conca de Barberà, home of Trepat, is located within Tarragona
How does Cava produced in Rioja differ from Penedès?
- Rain protection from Cantabrian Mountains
- Higher altitude (425m in Rioja Alta), longer growing season
- Macabeo (aka Viura) and Chardonnay only
What are the four white grapes allowed in Cava?
- Macabeo
- Parellada
- Xarel-lo
- Chardonnay
What are the main characteristics of Macabeo?
- Late budding
- Earliest ripening of the local varieties
- High yielding
- Susceptible to botrytis and bacterial blight
- Light intensity, apple and lemon character
Where is Macabeo mainly grown?
37% of Cava vineyards are Macabeo
- 100-300m in altitude in Penedès
- Higher altitude in other regions (425m in Rioja, 700m in Lleida)
- Only indigenous white in Rioja (bottled varietally or blended with Chardonnay)
What are the main characteristics of Xarel-lo?
- Mid-budding and ripening
- Susceptible to powdery and downy mildew
- Herbal (gooseberry, fennel) character
- Reasonable affinity for oak
Where is Xarel-lo mainly grown?
26% of Cava vineyards are Xarel-lo
- 0-400m in altitude in Penedès
- Indigenous to Cataluña
What are the main characteristics of Parellada?
- Lowest yielding
- Early budding
- Latest ripening of the three indigenous grapes
- Susceptible to powdery mildew
- Needs a long ripening season to avoid excessive alcohol
- Adds finesse and floral notes
Where is Parellada mainly grown?
500m+ sites in Penedès
Needs high altitudes and a long growing season
What role does Chardonnay play in Cava?
- 9% of plantings
- Adds richness and body
- Clonal/rootstock selection especially important to avoid early ripening
What are the black grapes allowed in Cava production?
- Pinot Noir
- Garnacha Tinto
- *Trepat
- Monastrell
*Allowed solely in Cava Rosado
What Spanish black grape is NOT allowed in Cava production?
Tempranillo
What role does Garnacha Tinto play in Cava production?
- Adds red fruit character and spice notes
Decrease in use because it oxidizes quickly
What role does Trepat play in Cava production?
- Local to Conca de Barberà (Tarragones)
- Strawberry flavors
- High acidity
ONLY ALLOWED IN ROSADO
What role does Pinot Noir play in Cava production?
- Blended into Rosado
- Rosado as a single varietal
- Blanc de Noir
What role does Monastrell play in Cava production?
A tiny one. It’s rarely used.
What is a typical vine density in Cava?
Low to medium (1500-3500 vines/ha)
What vine training systems are normal for Cava?
- Bush training
- Single or double cordon
Is irrigation allowed in Cava?
Yes, but strictly controlled to relieve hydric stress, and not to improve yields
Why is rootstock selection so important in Cava?
- Tolerance of lime
- Prevelancy of mildew and other hazards/pests
- Macabeo is too vigorous on some rootstocks
What are typical hazards in Cava and their solutions?
- Misty, humid mornings (botrytis and downy mildew) = Bordeaux mixture, canopy thinning
- Dry weather (Powdery mildew) = Bordeaux mixture
- Grapevine moth = Sexual confusion technique
Besides testing for sugar and acid, what else are producers increasingly considering when picking?
