…CAVA is one of the most splendid sparkling wines.

Although for most people the notion of a sparkling wine evokes the thought of French champagnes, it is worth noting that a number of countries produces their own, equally superb sparkling wines. One of the more splendid and world-renown types is the Spanish Cava. The history of Cava began in 1872 when Josep Raventos Fajitos, believed to be the founding father of this wine type, produced Cava for the first time. Today, Spain annually produces ca. 200 mln bottles of this fine sparkling wine for domestic use and for import.

Cava is produced using the traditional champagne method, the difference lying in the type of grape varieties used, namely - Xarel·lo, Macabeo and Parellada. During the first stage, the berries undergo fermentation until a delicate, fine white wine is obtained which is then bottled. Yeast and sugar is placed in the bottle; the bottle is then corked, to induce secondary fermentation. A temporary cork is placed and the bottles are transported for storage to a cool cellar. The storage process takes 9 months. During this period, winemakers turn the bottles over, mostly manually, to make the yeast residue accumulate on the bottleneck to allow its removal. Then the bottle is corked again and this completes the production process of this fine wine. It is worth noting that the originality of Cava is certified by a four-pointed star on the cork top. Cava should be served chilled between 8-10˚C to ensure the perfect flavour of this sparkling wine.