Regulatory Board Flashcards
What are the three most important white grapes for Cava?
Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. ** [MXP]
In what town did Cava originate?
Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, in the Catalan region of Penedés
What major change in viticulture occured after phylloxera devastated the vineyards of the Penedés in the late 1800’s?
During replanting with American rootstock after phylloxera, some of the area’s most well-established landowners decided to replace the red varieties with quality native white grape varieties. **
When were the first bottles of Cava produced in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia using the traditional method with a second fermentation in the bottle?
1872; it is said that Josep Raventós of the Codorníu family was the one to produce the first bottles of Cava using the traditional method in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia.
When did most well-established owners in Penedès decide to replace the red varieties with high quality native white grapes?
After phylloxera, in 1887; more broadly this occurred throughout the late 1880’s.
When did King Alfonso XIII visit the Penedès to recognize the area’s sparkling wines, elevating the reputation to the category of quality wines?
1904
When did exports of Spanish sparkling wine exceed imports of foreign sparkling wines into Spain?
1911 **
When did the word “Cava” first appear in an official document, in what was to become the first ever legislation in Spain regarding sparkling wines?
1959
When was the Regulatory Board for Sparkling Wines set up, using the term “Cava” to refer to Spanish sparkling wines?
1972 [100 years after the first bottlings]
When was the Cava region was legally defined?
1986, and the name was reserved to describe the quality sparkling wines produced using the traditional method. A Ministerial order established the areas of production in what it called “the Cava Region”. [Coincident with joining the EU and allowing protection throughout Europe.]
When was the current Regulation approved regarding the Cava Designation of Origin and its Regulatory Board?
1991, approved by a ministerial order
When was the category Cava de Guarda Superior de Paraje Calificado legally defined?
Defined in 2015, a recognition of the uniqueness and excellence of exceptional vineyards as well as the closed-circle production and winemaking. [prior to recognition in 2017]
When were Parajes Calificados within the Cava P.D.O. recognized?
2017 ** [after legal definition created in 2015]
When did the Control Board unanimously approve the strategic plan based on the segmentation and zoning of Cava to protect the uniqueness and authenticity of the product. D.O.?
2020
When did the D.O. Cava start the implementation of a digital traceability platform to track the legal specifications?
2021
When was the decision taken to drop the word “Champagne” and instead to use the term “Cava”?
1970
Who are the members of the Cava Regulatory Board?
It is made up of winegrowers (6), producers (6), representatives of the autonomous communities (7) within the Cava Region and from the ministry (1). [gps-m] **
What is controlling body of the Cava Regulatory Board?
It is a decentralised body that falls under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
What does the Cava Regulatory Board certify?
It certifies the origin, the production method, and the analytical and organoleptic characteristics of Cava. [pot]
Who is responsible for the promotion and defense of the product and for protecting the Cava name?
The Cava Regulatory Board.
What is the only accreditation body in Spain that can grant ISO 17065 product certification?
ENAC (Entidad Nacional de Acreditación) represents Spain in the international organizations making up the global infrastructure of accreditation.
How long must Cava stay on the lees in the same bottle in which the second fermentation takes place?
It must spend at least nine months on the lees (lees are micro-organisms, mainly yeasts, that are responsible for fermentation.)
What color can Cava be?
white or rosé (blanco o rosado)
What factors influence consumption and exports of Cava?
Fluctuations in the consumer market.
Climatic conditions in the producer country.
Potential grapevine diseases.
Vintage conditions.
What is the position and market share of Spain among wine exporters world wide?
Spain is the world’s third leading wine exporter, behind only France and Italy, with a market share of over 20%.
What country is the leading buyer of Spanish wines and musts in terms of value?
USA became the leading buyer (valued in Euros) of wines and musts years ago.
What country is the leading buyer of wines and musts in terms of volume?
Germany with 14 million hectoliters (vs. 12 million for the USA)
What countries lead the category of worldwide sparkling wines and what is their combined market share?
France, Italy and Spain account for 84% of sales and 86% of volume.
What was total production of Cava in 2023?
Total production in 2023 was 253,838,296 bottles [one bottle per person in Indonesia or ~20 million cases in American speak] **
Compare the domestic and export markets for Cava.
One third of Cava production is for domestic consumption and two thirds for overseas markets. **
What is a hectoliter?
A hectoliter is a metric unit of capacity equal to one hundred liters. **
What are the most important export markets for D.O. Cava in terms of volume?
Germany, the United States, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
How many countries import Cava?
Exports go to a total of 144 countries.
What happened to Cava production in 2020 and what were the factors?
In 2020 Cava production fell due to a combination of the mildew that decreased production and the global pandemic which had an impact on restaurant consumption.
An increase of Cava production by 20% in the last 14 years is due to an increase in the domestic market, the export market or both?
Export market, domestic market has remained flat. **
What are the the most important export markets for D.O. Cava in terms of volume?
The most important markets for D.O. Cava in terms of volume are Germany, the United States, Belgium and the United Kingdom. **
The D.O. Cava accounts for what percent of the total value of sparkling wine produced in Spain?
The D.O. Cava accounts for 77% of the total value of sparkling wine produced in Spain. **
Where is Spain positioned among countries exporting sparkling wine?
third behind France (Champagne) and Italy (Prosecco,) both have a bigger market share than Spain.
To produce the 250 million bottles each year under the D.O. Cava, how many winemaking companies, base wine producing companies and winegrowers are there?
206 producers, 144 companies that make base wine and more than 6,000 winegrowers [Not all the base wine makers produce Cava.] **
