At noon, before dinnner or late at night—it’s always the right time for cava. Spaniards drink bubbly at the drop of a hat and make no ceremony about it; why reserve such a pleasant beverage for special occasions? Whether you are meeting friends for a drink after work or treating yourself to a quiet lunch, a glass of cava is the ideal companion.
Cellar of Caves Codorniu
In the bars of Barcelona, cava rules. This Spanish sparkling wine—made by the classic Champagne method—accompanies platters of Serrano ham, hot tapas like fried anchovies or salt-cod croquettes, and sophisticated tapas like Quim Márquez’s Huevos con Chipirones (Eggs with Baby Calamari) at El Quim de la Boquería.

Although cava can be made in several parts of Spain, in reality 95 percent comes from Catalonia. Production centers around the village of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, where the first commercial cava was bottled in the 1870s.

Dom Pérignon perfected Champagne in the 1700s, but it took Catalan winemakers awhile to figure out how to apply the Champagne method to their own indigenous grapes. (They had tried planting French grapes—Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—but the results were not encouraging.) The Raventós family of Codorníu was the first to invest in the heavy bottles, sturdy cork stoppers, fermentation vats and labor required to produce a proper cava.

Their success was immediate and other producers quickly followed. Today, Catalonia produces 200 million bottles a year of the sparkler, in styles ranging from Extra Brut (very dry) to Dulce (sweet). Until Spain entered the European Union in 1986, Catalans referred to the drink as Xampàn. At the insistence of the French, the name was changed to cava, a word that refers to the underground cellars where many producers age their bottles.

Catalonia’s “big three” white wine grapes—Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada—all contribute to the traditional cava blend. Xarel-lo adds flavor and strength, Macabeo adds acidity and freshness, and Parellada adds aroma and creamy softness. Some blends now include Chardonnay or use red varieties to make a rosat (rosé style). In recent years, some producers have even bottled prestige cavas from Chardonnay only.

Josep Roca, sommelier and owner of Celler de Can Roca in Girona, tells you what to expect from Catalan cava in this brief video. (Flash video, 2:14)

Read more »