D4 Sparkling: Cava Flashcards
Examines the region, grapes, method of production, and styles of Cava, and factors that can affect the styles.
Who are the two biggest producers of Cava?
- Freixenet (Ferrer family)
- Codorníu (Raventós family)
When did the word Cava first come into use, then into law, and in what year did it gain PDO status?
- Started being used – 1960s
- Law – 1972
- PDO status – 1989 (named after the wine rather than place)
Because the Cava PDO status protects the name of the wine (and not the place), what is distinctive to Cava production?
Grapes are allowed to be sourced from a number of separate, different, unconnected areas and blended together.
What body oversees Cava?
Consejo Regulador del Cava
More than 95% of all grapes grown for Cava are grown where?
Penedès in Catalunya
After Penedès, what two other areas in Spain are important for Cava production?
- Lleida
- Tarragona
What are the three main grapes that go into Cava?
- Macabeo
- Xarel-lo
- Parellada
Which white grape variety is increasingly being used in Cava production?
Chardonnay
What’s the one Spanish grape not allowed in Cava?
Tempranillo
What is the predominant climate of Penedès?
Mediterranean
- Bright, sunny summers
- Mild winters
- Moderate rainfall (540 mm) spread over the year
What are the altitude ranges of Penedès?
- Most vineyards are 200-300m above sea level;
- A few are 700-800m above sea level (greater diurnal range which leads to brighter acidity and more intense flavors).
What are the soils of Penedès, and what makes them suitable for viticulture?
- Lower elevation (200-300m asl) = alluvial + clay
- Higher elevation (700-800m asl) = stony clay + granite
Penedès’ soils are poor in nutrients, and have adequate drainage and water retention, making them suitable for viticulture.
What are the two principal towns of Penedès?
- Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
- Vilafranca del Penedès (Consejo headquartered here)
What is the elevation range of Lleida (Catalan) / Lérida (Spanish)?
100-700m above sea level
Grapes tend to have riper fruit flavors grown at lower altitudes, and fresher flavors with higher acidity at higher altitudes.
What are the climates of Lleida province?
- Mediterranean near the coast and at at lower elevations
- Increasing Continental influences further inland
Select the correct answer.
Lleida is:
a) irrigated with water from the Pyrenées
b) irrigated with water from the Mediterranean
c) not irrigated
Irrigated with water from the Pyrenées
This water is also used for frost protection in the spring.
The Raventós family, which owns Codorníu, owns a large, single-vineyard estate in Lleida that’s making still wines. What is the name of the estate?
What grape is the Raventós family pioneering here and using in their still and sparkling wines?
- Raimat
- Chardonnay
What is the climate of Tarragona?
Mediterranean
- Tarragona is a low-lying area
Which grape dominates Cava from Tarragona?
Is the style of Cava from Tarragona meant for early drinking or for aging?
- Macabeo
- Early drinking because of Mediterranean climate and no elevation to provide cooler temperatures
What is Trepat?
A red grape variety grown in Tarragona that’s increasingly being used to make Cava Rosado.
What area in northern Spain is becoming increasingly important for sparkling wine?
Hint: it’s protected by the Cantabrian Mountains.
Rioja
What makes Rioja Alta well suited for sparkling wine production?
High altitude (425m above sea level), which lends higher acidity
What are the only two grape varieties used in Rioja for Cava production?
- Macabeo (known locally as Viura)
- Chardonnay
Of the vineyards registered for Cava, what percent is planted to:
- Macabeo
- Xarel-lo
- Parellada
- Chardonnay
- Macabeo - 37%
- Xarel-lo - 26%
- Parellada - 19%
- Chardonnay - 9%
