ES: Cava and other Spanish sparkling

Question 1

What 3 companies producer 90% of Cava wine?

Answer 1

Freixenet, Codorníu, and García Carrión

[Freixenet and Codorniu produce 95% of Cava DO. Champagne and Cava cover roughly the same amount of vineyard; yet Champagne has ~5k producer compared to Cava’s 287]

Question 2

Penedes climate?

Answer 2

Mediterranean

Question 3

Penedes DO logo?

Answer 3

Goddess Demeter, based on 3rd century bust discovered in the region

Question 4

Cava Grapes - red and white

Answer 4

WHITE: Parellada, Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Chardonnay, Malvasia
RED: Pinot, Monastrell, Garnacha, Trepat

[update took away “Trepat for rosé only” - no more recommended or authorized]

Question 5

What town is the birthplace of Cava?

Answer 5

Sant Sidurní di Anoia

Question 6

What is the Spanish term for a gyropalette?

Answer 6

girasol

Question 7

What 7 autonomous communities can Cava be produced in?

Answer 7

Catalonia
Extremadura, Valencia
Aragon, Navarra
Basque Country
La Rioja

Question 8

Cava DO zones (4)

Answer 8

1. Comtats de Barcelona (95% of Cava is from here)
2. Valle del Ebro (has 2 subzones of its own)
3. Viñedos de Almendralejo
4. Zona de Levante (Cava de Requena)

** labelling by zone is optional

Question 9

Cava DO Comtats de Barcelona subzones (5)

Answer 9

Valls d’Anoia-Foix
Serra de Mar
Conca del Gaià
Serra de Prades
Pla de Ponent

[Cava de Guarda Superior only can label by subzone: if labelled by subzone (Valle d’Ebro and Comtats de Barcelona only), 100% must be from said subzone and from a winery located in said subzone.]

Question 10

What is the most planted Cava grape?

Answer 10

1. Macabeo
2. Xarel-lo
3. Parrelada

Question 11

What does the Cava de Guarda Superior designation indicate?

Answer 11

Jan 2022 update to rules splits Cava DO into 2 quality levels.

SUPERIOR Includes Reserva (18m), Gran Reserva (30m), and Paraje Calificado (36m) categories.

1. Vintage dated
2. organic
3. vines at least 10 years old
4. max yield at 10 tons/ha
5. wine traceable from vine to bottle

if labelled by subzone (Valle d’Ebro and Comtats de Barcelona only), 100% must be from said subzone and from a winery located in said subzone.
[Cava de Guarda covers the basic 9m Cava]

Question 12

What does a green label on a bottle of Cava indicate?

Answer 12

Cava de Guarda
(macharmo)

Question 13

What color label for Cava Reserva?

Answer 13

Silver macharmo
(18 months on lees)

Question 14

What color label for Cava Gran Reserva?

Answer 14

Gold Macharmo
(30 months on lees)

Question 15

Macharmo for Cava Paraje Calificado

Answer 15

Antique gold/rhomboid shape macharmo

Question 16

Cava de Guarda would carry what color macharmo?

Answer 16

Green macharmo
9 months aging

Question 17

How long does Cava Paraje Calificado stay on the lees?

Answer 17

Min. 36 months from date of tirage

[Cava DO has 4 aging requirement tiers - de Guarda (9m), Reserva (18m), Gran Rsva (30m), and Paraje Calificado (36m)]

Question 18

Cava Paraje Calificado is limited to what 3 styles?

Answer 18

Brut Nature, Brut, Extra Brut

Question 19

Who is the largest producer of Cava?
2nd largest?

Answer 19

1. Freixenet
   [makes Cordon Negro and Carta Nevada]
2. Codorniu

Question 20

Who is credited with producing the 1st Spanish traditional method wine and when?

Answer 20

Josep Raventos
1872

Question 21

Classic Penedés
- what is it / year est.
- principal ideas (3)
- rules: aging, pressure, etc
- min and max times on lees
- min abv

Answer 21

Part of Penedes DO, est 2014
100% organic, 100% Penedes, 100% Reserva

• vintage dated only; disgorgement required on label
• min 3.5 bars atm
• 15m on lees, min for traditional and ancestral method. Ancestral with 4+ years on lees can label “no degollat”
• longer than 15m? labels Reserva3, Reserva4, etc up to Reserva15
• min 11% ABV

Question 22

Aging terms for Classic Penedés sparkling

Answer 22

15 months - for Ancestral Method too
- Reserva3, Reserva4, etc can indicate lees aging up to 15 years
(essentially, starts at Cava’s reserva level)
- ancestral method with 4+ yrs on lees can release sans disgorgement and label as such

Question 23

Classic Penedés movement “pioneers” (3)

Answer 23

Albet i Noya
Colet
AT Roca

Question 24

Corpinnat
- name/what is it
- year of approval
- name 3 commitments (6)

Answer 24

“Heart of the Penedes”, est 2017
“a collective European Brand with the aim of distinguishing great sparkling wines made in the heart of the Penedes from 100% organic grapes harvested by hand and vinified entirely on premise”

Commitments:
1. 100% organic vineyards
2. Manual harvest
3. vinified on premise
4. long ageing
5. historic varieites
6. owned/long contract sourcing (no purchased juice)

Question 25

Corpinnat varietal requirements

Answer 25

>90% Indigenous: WHITE: Xarel-lo, Parrelada, Malvasia ROSÉ: Garnatxa Negre, Montastrell, Sumoll, Xarel-lo Vermell <10% non-Indigenous: Chard, Pinot, Trepat

Question 26

Corpinnat aging requirements

Answer 26

Corpinnat: 18m Reserva: 30m 60m for at least 1 cuvee

Question 27

Name 3 Corpinnat producers.

Answer 27

The founding 6: 1. Gramona 2. Sabate i Coca 3. Torello 4. Recaredo 5. Llopart 6. Nadal the 5 joiners..... 7. Can Feixes 8. Julia Bernet 9. Mas Candi 10. Can Descegut 11. Pardas

Question 28

Can a Corpinnat producer use the Cava designation? Can they label as Penedés DO?

Answer 28

Penedés yes, Cava no

Question 29

What is a "marchamo"?

Answer 29

Found above the main back label on a bottle of Cava - the labels are color coded to indicate aging

Question 30

Name 3 of Corpinnat's 7 subzones?

Answer 30

1. Alta Penedes 2. Alta Campo 3. Anoia 4. Baix Llobregat 5. Baix Pendes 6. Garraf 7. Tarragones

Question 31

Who produced the first Cava and in what year?

Answer 31

José Raventos (Codorniu) 1872

Question 32

What option does a Classic Penedes producer have to indicate that their wine has aged on the lees for longer periods of time?

Answer 32

Reserva3, Reserva4, etc - can use this to indicate lees aging from 3 to 15 years

Question 33

How long does a gyropalette take vs hand riddling?

Answer 33

Gyropalette/girasol = 3 days Hand riddling = up to 6 weeks

Question 34

Name 3 of Corpinnat's founding wineries?

Answer 34

1. Gramona 2. Llopart 3. Recaredo 4. Sabate i Coca 5. Torello 6. Nadal

Question 35

What is the Conca del Riu Anoia designation?

Answer 35

Est. 2012 by Pepe Raventos upon his departure from the Cava DO. Not legally recognized and they are the only to partake. - 100% organic, indigenous grapes only from vines at least 10 years old, rests on lees for at least 18 months - a subzone of sorts - the name references the Anoia and Foix Rivers

Question 36

labelling thing that designates grower-producer Cava

Answer 36

Cava DO - stamp to indicate producers who complete the entire process on estate, from vine to bottle [100% produced on own estate]

Question 37

Cava's single vineyard category - name - min vine age - aging - styles

Answer 37

Cava de Paratge Qualificat **Single vyd, hand-harvest fruit** * min 10yr old vines * min 36-month tirage * min TA is 5.5 g/l * No acidification * vintage-dated ONLY Brut, Extra Brut, or Brut Nature.

Question 38

What is a macharmo

Answer 38

the quality label on a bottle of Cava that guarantees the bottle's origins and authenticity by the Cava Regulatory Council

Question 39

Penedes Subzones

Answer 39

1. Alts d'Ancosa 2. Conca del Foix 3. Costers del Anoia 4. Costers de Lavernó 5. Costers del Montmell 6. Marina del Garraf 7. Massís del Garraf 8. Muntanyes d'Ordal 9. Turons de Vilafranca 10. Vall Bitlles-Anoia.