DISCOVERING CAVA
Types
Cavas are classified by sugar content, from Brut Nature to Sweet. There is a wide range depending on the sugar added.
Brut nature: 0-3 g. per litre (no added sugar).
* Extra Brut: Up to 6 g. of sugar per litre.
Brut: Up to 12 g.
Extra Dry: between 12 and 17 g. of sugar.
Dry: between 17 and 32 g. of sugar.
Semi Dry: between 32 and 50 g.
Sweet: over 50 g. of sugar per litre.
* It could only be used in the case of there is no added sugar after disgorging the bottle
Labelling
Label and Back label
Once the bottle is stopped with the definitive cork, capped and labelled, it is ready to be marketed and consumed.
By carefully reading the label on a Cava bottle, we can easily distinguish what product we are going to taste, its ageing, sugar content, year harvested, etc. In short, its profile and origin.
The Label.- This indicates the following:
- the designation Cava
- the brand
- the type of product: Brut Nature...
- ageing period: Reserva and Gran Reserva
- its particularities: Own harvest, year, rosé, etc.
The back label.- This offers information about the grape varieties, disgorging date, tasting notes and other suggestions.
When presenting a Cava we should not forget to identify the numbered control mark issued by the Regulatory Board.
Videos CAVA
Serving temperature:
Tasting Cava at the right temperature is one of the keys to full enjoyment. Cava must be served between 5º C and 8º C, the young, light cavas being served the coldest.
Cava should be cooled for several hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in a recipient with water and ice. The freezer should be avoided as a sudden change in temperature can impair the properties of such a carefully produced product.
The glass:
The glass we choose must allow us to enjoy the colour, subtle aroma and size of the bead.
We should choose a fine, transparent glass, tulip or flute shaped, avoiding wide glasses which allow the aromas to be released too quickly.
Serving:
Cava is a delicate wine which should be uncorked gently, to avoid any loss of wine and froth. To service, hold the bottle slightly tilted, letting the liquid slide down the wall of the glass, which should never be filled more than 2/3 to prevent the wine from losing its ideal temperature.
Tasting
Cava
Mild, fruity and fresh. Highly pleasant in the mouth, with a good balance between the acidity and richness of aromas. This makes it light and flavoursome. A pale straw colour with green tinges. In honour to its singularity, however, it has a lively, light and refreshing edge, suggestive of its origins: fruit in all its splendour.
Reserva
Lively, brilliant and balanced. Reservas have rested for a minimum of 15 months deep in the dark and silent underground cellars. This noble ageing lends the Cava an unmistakable note of mature fruit. Its pale yellow colour indicates the excellence of Reserva cavas. It is the symbol of tradition and the legacy of the history of Cava-making. An exquisite delight for the most demanding palates.
Gran Reserva
Patience brings its reward. The meticulous ageing for over 30 months makes this a unique wine, for which this special category is reserved. Pale gold with perfect tiny bubbles, toasted aromas and an intense flavour. It is made exclusively from Brut wine. It possesses a strong personality. Gran Reserva is the quintessential Cava.
Rosé
Freshness and exuberance. Monastrell, Red Grenache, Pinot Noir and Trepat. These are the four varieties which provide it with its colour singularity. Using the same methods, they produce a more aromatic, light and inviting Cava, with a colour which is reminiscent of red fruits on the palate. It is the most visible example of the modernity of Cava.
Cuisine
Cava is a wine which accompanies every course of a meal, either simple fare or a party. From seafood to desserts, including traditional roasts, there is always a suitable Cava to accompany them.
A Brut Cava, at the right temperature, is ideal for accompanying any snack, either canapés, oysters, ham, cheese or nuts.
We should choose a Brut or Brut Reserva for seafood, fish, rice dishes and any type of hors d’oeuvre with their fruity, stimulatingly fresh acidity.
Meat, roasts, poultry and in general spicy foods call for a Brut Nature Gran Reserva Cava, with more body and breadth to accompany these hearty dishes, without losing their personality.
For desserts, we should choose a Cava which is Semi-dry or Sweet, a little older, whose mildness and freshness make it the ideal accompaniment for desserts.
Needless to say, a white or rosé Cava is excellent with any type of fruit.
Cava’s versatility enables it to combine well with difficult dishes.
The wealth of aromas of the different types of white and rosé cavas means
there is always an ideal Cava for any dish.
Cava is the wine
for any moment and all occasions
