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Cava is Spanish sparkling wine made using the traditional method developed in Champagne, right?
Not so simple. In 1872, Spain’s first méthode champenoise sparkling wine was made in the Penedès region of Catalonia, the steadfastly independent northeastern area of Spain with Barcelona as its capitol.
France insists traditional method sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it is made in Champagne. So Spaniards came up with “Cava” and establishing the Cava Denominación de Origen (DO). Although not a strict cava requirement, the Spanish grapes xarel-lo, madabeo, and parellada were the predominant grapes, in the same way chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier are primary grapes in Champagne.
Keith Williamson photo
Cava holds a middle-niche in the sparkling world. French Champagne is the aristocratic pour, almost always costing $50 or a lot more. Italian prosecco is everyman’s sparkling, made using a tank method that keeps prices in the $9-18 range. Cava hits the price point between, $15-35.
Spain had a winning hand. Makers could argue they matched Champagne quality at half the price, while being more sophisticated than prosecco. Spanish makers made impressive manufacturing modernizations that reduced labor costs without sacrificing quality. Production soared to 250 million bottles, led by mega-producers Freixenet and Codorníu.
So far, so good, except cava production spread throughout Spain. While the Penedès region remained the heart and soul of cava, starting in the 1990s the cava brand stopped identifying Penedès sparkling and became a generic term for Spanish sparkling. Cava stood for a Spanish production method rather than a specific terroir.
The Penedès region struck back. In 2012, makers established a distinctive wine category—Classic Penedès—to celebrate and proudly identify the Catalan winemaking identity. Classic Penedès requires wines to be organic and estate-bottled. Each bottle must be vintage-dated, include the disgorgement date. They must age for at least 15 months. Oh, and it has to be produced in Catalonia’s Penedès region.
In 2017, the requirements were formalized with the creation of the Corpinnat collective. The name etymologically means “born in the heart of Penedès.” A Corpinnat spokesperson explains: “We’re spreading the message that our place makes the wine, not just the method. Corpinnat emphasizes location over production technique.”
Fastidious care of the land is part of the deal. In 2025, Penedès will become the world’s first wine region to become 100% organic.
Spanish cava is a delicious value. But if you want the highest quality—a quality that rivals Champagne at much less the price—look for wines with Corpinnat on the label.
Last round
How much do rainbows weigh? Not much. They’re actually pretty light. Wine time.
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