Cava

Question 1

Who are the two largest producers of Cava?

Answer 1

Freixenet (Ferrer family) and Codorníu (Raventós family)

Question 2

What is the authoritative body for the Cava PDO?

Answer 2

Consejo Regulador de Cava

Question 3

What international agreement started the formation of the Cava PDO?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

What amount of Cava is grown and produced in Penedès?

Answer 4

95% is grown and produced there

Question 5

What are the three most significant areas of Cava production?

Answer 5

• Penedès
• Lleida
• Tarragona

Question 6

What is the climate like in Penedès?

Answer 6

• 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

Question 7

How does typography vary within Penedès?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What style of wine will you typically see being made at higher altitudes within Cava?

Answer 8

• Macabeo dominant
• Better built for aging
• Intense fruit character
• Higher acidity

Question 9

What are the two main towns within Penedès and what are they known for?

Answer 9

Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
- Principal cava producers located here

Vilafranca del Penedès
- Consejo Regulador de Cava headquartered here

Question 10

What is the climate/typography like in Lleida?

Answer 10

• 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

Question 11

What is Raimat estate?

Answer 11

Largest single family-owned estate in Spain

• 2,200 ha
• Mainly still wine
• Owned by the Raventós family
• Pioneered Chardonnay in the region

Question 12

What is climate/typography like in Tarragona?

Answer 12

• Low lying, undulating hills
• Mediterranean climate

Question 13

What styles of Cava are generally produced in Tarragona?

Answer 13

• Macabeo dominant
• Simple, early drinking

Question 14

What’s unique about Cava Rosado coming out of Tarragona?

Answer 14

It will include Trepat

Conca de Barberà, home of Trepat, is located within Tarragona

Question 15

How does Cava produced in Rioja differ from Penedès?

Answer 15

• Rain protection from Cantabrian Mountains
• Higher altitude (425m in Rioja Alta), longer growing season
• Macabeo (aka Viura) and Chardonnay only

Question 16

What are the four white grapes allowed in Cava?

Answer 16

• Macabeo
• Parellada
• Xarel-lo
• Chardonnay

Question 17

What are the main characteristics of Macabeo?

Answer 17

• Late budding
• Earliest ripening of the local varieties
• High yielding
• Susceptible to botrytis and bacterial blight
• Light intensity, apple and lemon character

Question 18

Where is Macabeo mainly grown?

Answer 18

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)

Question 19

What are the main characteristics of Xarel-lo?

Answer 19

• Mid-budding and ripening
• Susceptible to powdery and downy mildew
• Herbal (gooseberry, fennel) character
• Reasonable affinity for oak

Question 20

Where is Xarel-lo mainly grown?

Answer 20

26% of Cava vineyards are Xarel-lo

• 0-400m in altitude in Penedès
• Indigenous to Cataluña

Question 21

What are the main characteristics of Parellada?

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Where is Parellada mainly grown?

Answer 22

500m+ sites in Penedès

Needs high altitudes and a long growing season

Question 23

What role does Chardonnay play in Cava?

Answer 23

• 9% of plantings
• Adds richness and body
• Clonal/rootstock selection especially important to avoid early ripening

Question 24

What are the black grapes allowed in Cava production?

Answer 24

• Pinot Noir
• Garnacha Tinto
• *Trepat
• Monastrell

*Allowed solely in Cava Rosado

Question 25

What Spanish black grape is NOT allowed in Cava production?

Answer 25

Tempranillo

Question 26

What role does Garnacha Tinto play in Cava production?

Answer 26

- Adds red fruit character and spice notes Decrease in use because it oxidizes quickly

Question 27

What role does Trepat play in Cava production?

Answer 27

- Local to Conca de Barberà (Tarragones) - Strawberry flavors - High acidity ONLY ALLOWED IN ROSADO

Question 28

What role does Pinot Noir play in Cava production?

Answer 28

- Blended into Rosado - Rosado as a single varietal - Blanc de Noir

Question 29

What role does Monastrell play in Cava production?

Answer 29

A tiny one. It's rarely used.

Question 30

What is a typical vine density in Cava?

Answer 30

Low to medium (1500-3500 vines/ha)

Question 31

What vine training systems are normal for Cava?

Answer 31

- Bush training - Single or double cordon

Question 32

Is irrigation allowed in Cava?

Answer 32

Yes, but strictly controlled to relieve hydric stress, and not to improve yields

Question 33

Why is rootstock selection so important in Cava?

Answer 33

- Tolerance of lime - Prevelancy of mildew and other hazards/pests - Macabeo is too vigorous on some rootstocks

Question 34

What are typical hazards in Cava and their solutions?

Answer 34

- Misty, humid mornings (botrytis and downy mildew) = Bordeaux mixture, canopy thinning - Dry weather (Powdery mildew) = Bordeaux mixture - Grapevine moth = Sexual confusion technique

Question 35

Besides testing for sugar and acid, what else are producers increasingly considering when picking?