What is the minimum ageing on lees for :
A. Cava
B. Cava Reserva
C. Cava Gran Reserva
A. Cava : 9 months
B. Cava Reserva : 15 months
C. Cava Gran Reserva : 30 months
What are black grape varieties used to produce Rose Cava (Rosado) ?
- Garnacha Tinta
- Trepat
- Pinot Noir
- Monastrell
What white grape variety used to produce Cava ?
- Macabeo / Viura
- Xarel-lo
- Parellada
- Chardonnay
What are the characteristics of these grape variety and how it affects Cava style ?
A. Macabeo
B. Xarel-lo
C. Parellada
A. Macabeo
- It is typically planted at 100-300 metres above sea level in Penedes, with some planted higher in Rioja and Lleida.
- It is late budding (and thus less at risk from spring frost). It is picked first of the local varieties.
- It is high yielding.
- It is susceptible to botrytis bunch rot and bacterial blight (a serious disease associated with warm, moist conditions which reduce yields and for which there is no cure).
- It has light intensity apple and lemon aromas and flavours.
B. Xarel-lo
- It is typically planted at sea level and up to as high as 400 metres in Penedes.
- It is mid budding (therefore prone to spring frosts in some years) and ripening.
- It is susceptible to powdery and downy mildew, but otherwise has good disease resistance.
- It gives greengage and gooseberry notes. It has herbal (fennel) notes that set it apart from the other varieties. It can become earthy when fruit is over-ripe.
- It has reasonable affinity with oak.
C. Parellada
- It is typically planted on higher sites (e.g. 500m) in Penedes. The best vineyards are planted at highest altitude.
- It is early budding (and is therefore prone to spring frosts) and susceptible to powdery mildew.
- It is the lowest yielding and latest ripening of the three main indigenous Spanish white varieties.
- It needs to be planted at altitude to give it a long ripening season to reach flavour maturity without excessive potential alcohol.
- It adds finesse and floral notes.
What is black grape variety in Rosado production that is local variety to Conca de Barbera with Strawberry flavours and high acidity ?
Trepat
What are the requirements for Cava de Guarda Superior ?
- Be made from vines that are a minimum of 10 years old
- Be certified grown organically
- Have a maximum yield of 10 tonnes per hectare
- Be traceable from vineyard to bottle
- State the year of harvest.
- They may state their zone of origin.
What is Classic Penedes ?
A new category created in 2014 by the Penedes DO for sparkling wine made from certified organic grapes grown in the DO.
The wine must be made by the traditional method with a minimum of 15 months ageing on the lees.
If Cava is labelled Corpinnat, what does it mean ?
In Penedes, a number of high quality producers left the Cava DO in 2019 and founded the producer group Corpinnat. This commit members to making sparkling wines by the traditional method with 100% organic grapes, grown in Penedes.
Harvested by hand and vinifed entirely on the premises of the winery. 90% of the grapes used must be approved local varieties. There are 3 categories with minimum ageing on the lees of 18, 30, and 60 months.
Explain the vineyard management in Cava production.
- Vineyards are typically planted at low to moderate densities (1,500 - 3,000 vines/ha) with either traditional bush vines or single or double cordon. Low density vineyards with moderately high yields are suitable because producers are not looking for intense primary flavours in base wines.
- Irrigation is permitted, though strictly controlled, to relieve hydric stress and protect the future viability of vineyards. Yields may not be increased by irrigation.
- Rootstocks are chosen for tolerance to lime, where needed, and to control vigour. Macabeo in particular tends to grow excessive shoots and leaves and produces little fruit if planted on the wrong rootstock.
- Misty, humid mornings means that botrytis and downy mildew can be a threat. Powdery mildew can also be an issue during periods of dry weather. Vines are treated with cooper and sulfur to counteract them. Grapevine moth is an issue, with some producers treating this using sexual confusion techniques.
- Canopy management measures, such as removing leaves from north side of the row, are used to aid air circulation and reduce shade within the canopy.
- Grapes are typically tested for sugar levels, acidity and pH in order to make a decision on picking dates. Full phenolic ripeness is not needed for most cava, as the juice will be extracted quickly to avoid excessive phenolic pick up. Low potential alcohol and appropriate acidity are important criteria in setting a picking date, which is typically earlier than for still wines.
- The vast majority grapes are harvested by hand as vineyards are very widely scattered in ownership, fragmented and on very uneven terrain, though gradually more grapes are being machine-harvested. Grapes for high quality wines are all picked by hand. Handpicked premium fruit is transported in smaller crates (e.g. 10kg) to avoid grapes splitting, which could lead to microbial spoillage.
- Quality focused producers often press whole bunches for base wines with low phenolic content. The big companies press grapes in the region where they are grown to avoid oxidation and to maintain quality. The juice is refrigerated and transported to the main wineries in Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.
Where are the main production areas of Cava and the climate ?
1. Penedes region
Mediterranean climate with bright, sunny summers, mild winters and moderate rainfall spread throughout the year.
2. Lleida province
Mediterranean nearer the coast with increasing continental influences further inland.
3. Tarragona province
Mediterranean climate
Explain the Cava winemaking process.
- Pneumatic presses are used for a soft press. This is to maintain wine quality by avoiding the extraction of phenolics.
- Rosado must be made from a min 25% black grapes and by contact with the skins, rather than by blending red and white base wines.
- Grapes are typically picked early enough to have sufficient natural acidity without adjustment.
- Large producers use cultured yeast.
- The first fermentation takes place in large format stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature 14-16 degress C to preserve fruity aromas.
- Malolactic conversion is typically prevented to preserve acidity.
- Thereafter the wines are made by traditional method.
- The use of reserve wines is not common because vintage variation is limited and storing reserve wines would add cost.
- The process of disgorgement has been made faster. This has been achieved by a combination of yeast strain selection and the use of bottles with smooth glass on the inside surface to speed up flocculation. In addition, an automated rotating drum has been developed to replace the gyropalette. The entire disgorgement process can now take as little 80 mins.
What is Espumoso de Calidad de Rioja ?
A new category implemented in 2019 in Rioja DOCa. The grapes must be hand harvested and the wine made by the traditional method.
There are 3 tiers :
1. Crianza : aged on the lees min 15 months
2. Reserva : min 24 months
3. Gran Anada : min 36 months
