A Cava Toast to the Last Issue of 2023
This issue was published on November 15, 2023.
Happy Wine Wednesday!
And welcome to the final issue of 2023!
Wow. I’ve had a blast spending the last almost 40 Wednesdays with you chatting about wine & women and hope you have, too.
Even though I won’t be in your inbox for the next month or so over the holidays, you can find me talking about wine and highlighting women in wine at @merobebe.wine on Instagram and TikTok. I’ll also be sharing all of the woman-owned wine I’ll be enjoying with family throughout the holidays, so be sure to follow me there!
Today, as a toast and hurrah for the last issue of the year, we’ll be drinking about Cava and looking back at some of the many women in wine we’ve met this year.
So pour yourself some bubbles and let’s get our wine nerd on!
Cava
Your Zesty Daily Sparkler
Did you know that cava was inspired by Champagne? In fact, the Spanish sparkling wine was actually first called champán or xampany due to its origins. If you’ve visited Barcelona, you may have been to a xampanyeria, a wine bar specializing in Spanish sparkling wine!
As always, let’s start with a quick history:
In the 1860’s, a Spanish winemaker named Don José Raventós was the head of the bodega Codorníu which has been producing still wines since 1551. He was based in Penedés, a DOP (Denominación de Origen Protegida or official wine region) next to Barcelona in Catalonia, in the northeast region of Spain. During this time, he traveled through Europe selling wine until he eventually found himself in Champagne, France. There, he became fascinated by their sparkling wine (I mean, who wouldn’t?).
After returning to Penedés, he decided to try making his own using imported equipment from Champagne and three local white grapes. In 1872, the triumphant Raventós produced Spain’s first traditional method sparkling wine (“traditional method” meaning the same method that Champagne is made – more on that in a bit).
During this time, Raventós and other winemakers would meet after Mass on Sundays to talk about wine and share information with each other. As they gathered, they made an ambitious decision: to convert all of the local wines to sparkling and establish Penedés as the Champagne region of Spain. Thus, champán and xampany were born – until the winemakers agreed that their bubbles were different enough to deserve its own name: cava, Catalan for “cave” or “cellar”.
Today, Penedés continues to produce almost all cava, although it can legally be made in six Spanish wine regions.
So what exactly is cava?
The Spanish sparkling wine must be made by the traditional method also used to make Champagne. This is where the secondary fermentation (the first being the one to create the alcohol and the second to create the bubbles) takes place in bottles. You’ll find “Método Tradicional” on cava labels for this reason. For context, Prosecco goes through a secondary fermentation in a large tank. You might find other Spanish sparkling that is also made by tank, although these can’t be called cava.
The following grapes can be used in cava production, with the first three being the most commonly used:
Parellada: A fruity white grape with moderate acidity
Xarel-lo: A white grape with high acidity and a round body that provides structure
Macabeo: A fruity, floral, aromatic white grape
Subirat: A white grape loosely related to Malvasía
Trepat: A native, high-acid red grape with thick skin
Chardonnay: The first cava to include chardonnay was produced in 1981 by Codorníu’s Anna de Codorníu. Today, some cava is made entirely from chardonnay
Pinot noir: A grape that, along with chardonnay, is also used to make Champagne. It was authorized to make cava rosado (rosé) in 1998
Garnacha: Also known as grenache, the red varietal is primarily used in cava rosado
Monastrell: Also known as mataró or mourvèdre in France where it’s the “M” in GSM blends
You’ll see that almost all of the grapes allowed in cava production are white whereas Champagne is often a blend of both.
There are some other similarities between the two sparkling wines:
Both Champagne and cava can be rosés, although less than 5% of cava is rosé
Similar to Champagne, cava can range in sweetness based on residual sugar and is categorized the same way (from dry to more dry: semi seco, brut, extra brut, brut nature)
You can find both vintage and nonvintage cava and Champagne, with nonvintage being blends of wines from several different years (sometimes noted as NV on the label)
While both also have aging requirements, cava’s aging is less restrictive than Champagne. Legally, cava must be aged in contact with the yeasts for a minimum of 9 months compared to Champagne’s 15 months. For cava that’s aged for longer than the minimum, you’ll find two categories: Reserva and Gran Reserva. Reserva means that the wine was aged on its yeast lees (also known as sur lie and what gives sparkling wine that nutty and bread or toast-like aromas) for at least 15 months. Gran Reserva wines spend at least 30 months on the yeast lees.
A couple other things differentiate cava and Champagne.
First, in addition to the grape varietals used, Penedés and Champagne are quite different in climate and geology which leads to further difference in taste. Cava tends to be a bit fruitier with refreshing, lemon-like notes and zesty acidity. You might also find notes of apple and almond in cava that has been aged for longer, although it’s typically less nutty than vintage Champagne.
Second, importantly for those on a budget, is the price. Cava doesn’t have the same reputation of luxury as Champagne. It’s not viewed as a “special occasion” or celebratory wine, but as a refreshing daily drinker. No need for caviar and oysters! You can pop open a cava anytime with any appetizer or meal. The Catalan specialty pan con tomate, where you rub both sides of grilled bread with a ripe tomato before drizzling it with extra virgin olive oil, is a perfect example of a simple, lovely pairing.
One special occasion that cava is used for is baptisms. The sparkling wine is sipped by everyone in the ceremony, including the baby whose pacifier is dipped in bubbly. The other babies present are also given cava to keep them quiet during church (and to make sure nobody feels left out). It brings a whole new meaning to church wine…
My point is, if you’re in charge of bringing the bubbles to a holiday party, cava is a great way to get bang for your buck! Keep your eyes peeled for a cava from Penedés and you’ll find great quality wine while sparing your wallet.
The two largest producers of cava are Freixenet (pronounced FRESH-enette) and Codorníu (co-door-KNEW). Each also owns wineries in the Carneros district near Napa and Sonoma: Gloria Ferrer and Artesa Winery, respectively. Other cava producers to try include Maria Casanovas, Cavas Hill, Chatel, Huguet, Vilarnau, Miro, and Castellblanch.
A Look Back at Some of Our Women in Wine
Jill Osur
Founder of the woman-owned & operated Teneral Cellars
In the inaugural issue of Merobebe, Jill talked about the importance of supporting women, supertasters, and how she believes wine can be a conduit for change. Read her interview here.
Desiree Harris-Brown
Wine Educator & Founder of The Wino Shop
Desiree talked about her goals to make wine more inclusive and some of the challenges and stereotypes that she’s faced as a Black woman in wine. Read more about her story here.
Kerith Overstreet
Owner & Winemaker at Bruliam Wines
This doctor-turned-winemaker in Sonoma is not only thriving as a business owner and winemaker, but is also a mother to three. Read the interview with this award-winning winemaker here.
Margot Mazur
Wine Grower, Wine Maker, and Wine Writer
This multi-hyphenate based in Maine talks about the growing winemaking community there, natural wines, and how they’re adapting to climate change. Read more here.
Marisa Meckstroth
Hospitality Director at Wren Hop Vineyards
From touching insects early in the morning during harvest to standing up to rude customers and pairing wine with ethnic foods, this interview with Marisa covered a range of topics! Read it all here.
Kira Ballotta
Owner and Winemaker at Olivia Brion Wines & Cantadora
Originally working in finance, Kira stumbled onto winemaking in Napa and never looked back. Today, both of her wine brands celebrate women - historic and modern. Read more about this award-winning winemaker here.
Because I can’t highlight them all (or this issue would go on forever), you’ll just have to check out the rest of our women in wine on the website here.
From a wine insurance specialist who hosts a wine podcast to a marketing manager at Vivino and head sommelier at a Michelin-star restaurant, you’ll find some inspiring women in wine in each story!
Image from their Instagram
Get a wine-related movie or book pairing for your weekend.
Today’s pairings are the puzzles from Water and Wines
As someone who loves puzzles, I was so excited when I first heard about Water and Wines! Their sustainably made puzzles are designed by a sommelier and artist and feature colorful maps of different wine regions (they also now have spirits and beer puzzles, too).
And no, this is not a sponsored post or ad. I just genuinely love their puzzles. This is also a great gift idea - whether for your fellow wine loving friends or yourself! Take a look at their different maps and get one (or two or three) to puzzle over with your family this holiday.
Need book recommendations for your holiday flights or for other gift ideas?
You can find and order all of the Vinotainment books from Bookshop.org
And that’s a wrap!
Thank you all so much for going on this journey with me this year. I’m already putting together interviews with more women in wine for next year’s issues and can’t wait to be back in your inboxes so you can meet them.
Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram and TikTok, and you can always reach out to me here at cheers@merobebe.com as well.
Cheers to a new year filled with even more discoveries, inspiring women, and the joy that only a good glass of wine can bring.
See you next year!
Megumi