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IN THE GLOBAL SPARKLING wine market, Spain’s cava faces two challenges – one historic – in competing with champagne. The other is the meteoric rise of Italy’s prosecco. One at the top end of the sector, the other at the bottom, entry-level end.

With challenges come opportunities. For cava, along with the others, there are two. In an otherwise fairly flat wine sector, two categories stand out in terms of growth: sparkling and rosé (for Spain, read rosado).

The two ‘hot stories’ coming out of the region (cava comes predominately from Penedés, near Barcelona in Catalonia (see designation), putting aside the broader region’s desire for independence (I am not going there…) is: a new classification for single vineyards, the Cava de Paraje Calificado, and news that a faction of the Freixent family is in negotiation to sell its 50.68% share in the cava giant to German sparkling wine producer Henkel.

“Cava is a great sparkling wine,” says Javier Pagés. Well, as chief executive of Codorníu, one of the two giants of cava, he would say that. Made in the same traditional method as champagne but, generally speaking, using indigenous varieties, usually Macabeo, Xarel-Lo and Parellada principally, the claim is not with-out foundation.

Pagés refutes the suggestion that cava is just seen as a cheap alternative to champagne. With the advantage of Codorniú’s long history, established in 1872, he points out that cava enjoys good sales in the likes of New York, Argentina and Cuba, due mainly to Spanish immigrants. But then Belgium, Germany, the UK, US, even France, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, are all significant importers of Spain’s best fizz.

Pagés points out that the on-trade, specifically restaurants, has proved a hitherto insurmountable problem for cava. The reason? Simple. At the fine-dining end, Michelin-starred restaurants tend to be French inspired or French cuisine oriented. Below that, there are many Italian restaurants. Under that we are looking at Indian, Chinese and then fast food, American-themed eateries, many of which are unlicensed. So not much chance for cava.

But Pagés sees Paraje as “very important” in adding credibility to cava when talking to “prescriptors”, namely the likes of wine writers, journalists, sommeliers and MWs.

PROMOTING CAVA

Toni la Rosa Torelló is director of Torelló which has one of the first wines to gain the Paraje Calificado for its Gran Torelló 2010 from its Vinyes Can Martí vineyard.

He says he is “23rd generation” and part of a “brotherhood” called the Confraria dèl Cava to promote cava. Understandably, he is decidedly more upbeat. He just sees ‘bubbles’ as the ‘gran’ opportunity for cava.

He tells DI: “The problem in the past for cava was that it had been sold cheap. But the market for sparkling wine has changed – and will change. There is a ‘bubbles’ market going on. So, if people want bubbles, that is any opportunity for us.

“If young people want to drink prosecco that is fine. I would rather that than beer. That gives us more opportunities to sell cava. It’s mathematics,” says Torelló enthusiastically.

For Torelló, the Cava de Paraje Calificado is simply the next step for cava. Talking about single vineyards, organic (not a specific requirement of the classification but many are) and long-aged cavas, provides the producers with the opportunity to tell consumers about better quality caves –the Reserve, Gran Reservas and now above.

Belgium is the principal export market for cava but not for Juvé & Camps. It is the US. President Joan Juvé Santacana tells DI that he has 40ha of Pinot Noir and 60 of Chardonnay. So he makes a rosado and a blanc de noir, most of which goes stateside. His Reserva Familia Brut Natural (no added sugar) has shown “explosive growth”, he claims.

Jaume Gramona Marti, president of Gramona, is a man who takes his winemaking very seriously

– he belongs to a group of biodynamic cava makers. He found his soils so compacted that they were bordering on lifeless in terms of worms and insects.

He has invested €800,000 in converting and became officially biodynamic in 2014.

“It was a big decision but nothing happens by chance,” he says. “The soils were sick” and his vines’ roots were not going down deep enough. He now has sheep, cows and horses grazing in his vineyards.

Apparently back in 2012 Neal Martin of The Wine Advocate endorsed Gramona by calling it “unquestionably the most impressive portfolio of cavas that money can buy”. Praise indeed.

Pedro Bonet, head of a faction of the Freixenet family and outgoing president of the DO, has been the driving force behind the Cava de Paraje Calificado. But, at 72, he tells DI that he and his branch of the family has decided to put its near 51% of the company up for sale. They have offered their share to Henkel, which tried to buy the company some years ago.

There is some disquiet in the DO as to who is going to fill his large shoes. Soundings are currently being taken but, as Bonet has been so instrumental in trying to change mentality to drive up quality, there are some who are con-cerned as to who can continue the good work.

Asked who might replace him in April, a guarded Bonet replies: “I have been hearing names but people are waiting for the elections.”

A thoughtful, impressive man, Bonet says: “The Cava de Paraje is very im-portant for cava. For the past year and a half, people have been speaking about quality, not price.”

if you can’t beat them…

It also has to be said that the company has been astute enough to think that if ‘you can’t beat them, join them’. So last May Freixenet announced it was launching a premium prosecco, using Glera grapes from Italy’s Veneto region. Sparkling wine volumes have increased by 44% in five years to 1,020 million bottles and prosecco volumes have tripled while champagne and cava have remained steady, according to Freixenet and IWSR. There is also Australian ‘prosecco’ but it will not be allowed into European Union countries.

Bonet defended the launch by saying: “Prosecco is easy to ask for, easy to buy and easy to drink. Prosecco costs €3, premium cava is €20, champagne €32. Premium cava is €50-plus and Cava de Paraje is more expensive than most premium champagnes.”

Simply asked ‘Why cava?’, Pere Ventura, president of Pere Ventura, responds: “The brand ‘cava’ is well known around the world as a good product at an accessible price. Cava is a strong appellation with an important number of bottles produced, 240m, probably the largest appellation in volume. It has a group of prestigious companies recognised worldwide who join their efforts, despite having different views, all of which deserve maximum respect. Working together is the key to success and the Consejo Regulador is crucial to this cohesion.”

Ventura’s wife, Mireia Juvé (no relation to Juvé & Camps), tells DI that he pioneered exporting cava. Her husband’s great grandfather worked for Codorníu. She says the challenge for the company now is to promote its wines in its own backyard, Barcelona in particular with its burgeoning tourism. It has submitted one of its wines, its Gran Vintage Brut 2014, for the Paraje Califcado and awaits certification.

Damià Deas, chief executive of Vilarnau, in praising the work of the consejo over the last four years (Bonet’s tenure as president), highlights the importance of cava’s ageing and that so many producers are organic. He feels that is crucial to elevating cava’s image.

Vilarnau’s Els Capricis is worth a mention. Made only from Xarel·lo grapes, a variety native to Penedés, the wine is fermented in 250 litre barrels that are made by hand by a local cooper, using chestnut wood from the Montseny forests to the north of Barcelona. Vilarnau says in working this way it has revived the tradi-tional method of ageing white wine, and Xarel-lo in particular, practised in the masÍas (estates) of Catalonia for centuries.

Deas goes on to express concern that some of the other cava regions, Extremadura (Almendralejo) and Valencia (Requena), are expanding their cava production and that could be detrimental to what the DO and specifically Penedés (see panel) is doing to concentrate on and promote quality cavas (Reserva and above).

Alta Alella has two Paraje wines, its Mirgin Exeo 2013 and its Mirgin Opus 2013 gets its classification next month (March).

It boasts being the closest winery to Barcelona and in the smallest DO in Spain – Alella (300 a), family-run and organically farmed in the Serralada de Marina’s national park.

The vineyards it used for the qualified Cava de Paraje comprise:

0,2688ha of Pansa Blanca (Xarel·lo) variety, with a south east orientation

0,8927ha of Chardonnay, also with a south east orientation, both located 90m above sea level

Its production yields are always below 6.000kg/ha. The company limits and restricts the use of sulphites.

Mireia Pujol-Busquets, biologist, winemaker and daughter of the owner tells DI: “Cava de Paraje is THE opportunity. We are really happy. The Consejo has done an amazing job. With the fashion for bubbles, we have that opportunity. Also we are selling more rosé than ever.

“Prosecco is not our segment. Our target is to get people to understand our philosophy: place, terroir, grapes, vintage. I think people are becoming more open minded (to cava).”

SUMMARY

Most of the producers DI interviewed were not too worried about the threat from prosecco, mainly because they are all concentrating on the Reserva and above categories and are in, or about to enter, the Cava de Paraje Calificado.

Cava de Paraje is the ‘brave new world’ for Cava. It is an astute move by president Bonet and the DO to shift cava way from the sparkling bargain basement and move Spain’s finest fizz to be up there and bear comparison with champagne without apeing it.

It will be a long, hard road, the default for celebrating, particularly among the uninitiated, will remain and may always be, champagne. Nevertheless, the premium cava producers make great wines, worthy of comparison with any from Champagne.

It’s all about the bubbles.

CAVA SOUND

As well as the usual raft of tastings, masterclasses, competitions (Class Cava Cup, Sommelier for Cava), fairs and training, the DO has launched Cava Sound, aimed at younger people (25 to 45-year-olds) who do not necessarily know anything about wine, let alone cava. They want to have an experience, so cava has stepped in.

The DO has held concerts in Barcelona and Madrid and is hoping to take the concept to Amsterdam, Brussels and London. Silvia Grimaldi Martinez from the DO tells DI that companies are asked to donate 12 bottles each (18 this coming year) of Reserva, Gran Reserva or rosados (most give rosados). Of 204 members, 40 participated. Then, through social media, the DO announces applications for the 200 tickets. Applicants are checked for being within the target market. Tickets are issued to mobile phones but the venue is not announced until the day before. The audience gets live music, free cava and finger food.

CAVA REGIONS

• Penedès – 96% of cava production
• Extremadura (Almendralejo), Valencia (Requena) . Main areas – Aragón (Cariñena y Ainzón), Rioja, Navarra and Álava, less than 4%

CAVA BY CATEGORY

• Traditional: a minimum of nine months ageing in the bottle
• Reserva: a minimum of 15 months ageing
• Gran Reserva: a minimum of 30 months ageing
• Cava de Paraje Calificado: a minimum of 36 months

CAVA DE PARAJE CALIFICADO

• Qualified small area
• Yield per hectare: maximum 8,000kg
• Vines more than 10 years old
• Vinified on the estate
• Maximum yield of must per ha: 48hl
• A minimum of 36 months
• Only brut
• Quality tasting test
• Full traceability from vine to wine