Understanding What’s Cava and What’s Not Cava
There’s a lot of confusion regarding what is Cava and not Cava due to a small number of producers leaving the D.O. over the last ten years. There are now three separate categories to consider besides Cava: Raventós i Blanc who are all on their own, Clàssic Penedès, and Corpinnat. The producers are of high enough quality to stand on their own, but these divisions create unhelpful complications when discussing Spanish sparkling wine. At the same time, the quality of Cava has continued to improve which makes the divisions between the entities hard to explain.
why all the fuss?
In 2012, Raventós i Blanc left D.O. Cava, frustrated by the negative image of Cava because of a focus on volume over quality. Disputes like these are not unique to Cava: over in Italy, Antinori and others left the Chianti DOC for similar reasons in the late 1970s, returning 15 years ago; more recently, Artadi has left the Rioja DOCa because of a perceived lack of focus on terroir.
The withdrawal of Raventós i Blanc was based on years of frustration with the quality of the wines being made by some of the producers. But there does need to be some historical context. Spain was ruled by Franco’s military dictatorship from 1939 until his death in 1975. The first twenty-five years of his rule were isolationist and protectionist before, in the mid- to late-1960s, the regime opened up to attract investment and tourism. The two big Cava producers, Cordoníu and Freixenet, were not alone in taking advantage of the newly open market, focusing more on quantity than quality: a trend that occurred also with sherry. Cava became known for inexpensive alternatives to champagne, but lacking the quality of that prestigious region. So it’s understandable that Raventós i Blanc finally lost patience and broke away.
This was followed by the separate creations of Clàssic Penedès in 2014 and Corpinnat, the latter recognised as a brand by the EU in 2018. These new entities wanted to focus on quality, organic practices, and paying growers what they deserve: all admirable ambitions. However, most consumers don’t understand the differences between all the names: within Spain and abroad, non-Cava is sold alongside Cava in supermarkets and wine shops. There is also the impression, perpetuated by some in the wine industry, that all these non-Cava wines are inherently better than Cava, which isn’t true.
the big brands
The dominance of the big producers—not unique to Cava—has kept the price of grapes too low, one of the reasons for the breakaway movements. Gramona, a Corpinnat producer, are prepared to pay €1.50 for 1kg of grapes, in comparison to less than 20 cents that some major Cava producers are only prepared to pay. There is little incentive for quality at such low prices. (In comparison, champagne grapes cost €7-8 per kilo.)
But there has been a perceptible move towards quality within the D.O. and a recognition that growers not only deserve to be paid more, but have to be encouraged to practise sustainable farming with long-term planning. The Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Paraje Calificado categories now all require organically-farmed vineyards, with a traceability system from start to finish. D.O. Cava is performing a much better job in promoting the reputation of the wines and assuring quality. Cava is now divided into four regions with several sub-zones, which have created a much stronger sense of identity than before.
the breakaways
When they left D.O. Cava, Raventós i Blanc planned to create their own D.O. called Conca del Riu Anoia, the valley in the heart of traditional Cava country in which they are located. The name still appears on the label in the US, but legally they are not allowed to do so in Spain as they were sued by a separate regional body which has the rights to the name. Their ambition to create their own D.O. is unlikely to be ever fulfilled, and maybe that doesn’t matter: this is an historic winery rightly associated with quality.
Corpinnat is a separate EU-recognised brand, rather than a regional designation, with eleven producers. It could be likened to VDP in Germany, a self-regulatory body, except the VDP still work within German wine laws (which radically need changing, but that’s another story). Despite suggestions that they plan to do so, it is unclear how the Corpinnat group could create a D.O. within another D.O. given the group is a collection of producers rather than a specific region or zone. Although Corpinnat have created strict rules for their members, all of whom produce high-quality wine, an identity distinct from Cava is absent: the wines taste like very good Cava.
Clàssic Penedès, consisting of 17 producers, is more regionally precise, as it is based on D.O. Penedès on the Catalan coast south of Barcelona. Penedès is where most Cava is made and the intention of Clàssic Penedès producers is to use the existing D.O. to give a clear indication of where the wines come from.
All of these three independent breakaways have focused on local identity, which Cava had, to a certain extent, previously lacked, and have helped pushed D.O. Cava to focus much more on the origin of the wines. It is rare for a region to have rival designations, and it naturally leads to confusion. All of which seems unnecessary as wines made by Raventós i Blanc, Corpinnat, and Clàssic Penedès all taste like high-quality Cava, made in the same way from the same grape varieties.
regulations
Regional regulations are annoying for producer, consumer, and retailer alike: why do we have to explain all these rules rather than just appreciate the wines? But they exist to protect quality, ensure provenance, and prevent a Wild West of wine. Corpinnat have introduced their own ageing regulations as part of their brand: a minimum of 18 months and always vintage. Clàssic Penedès have separate ageing classifications, with a minimum of 15 months, also always vintage. As, of course, does Cava: nine months for Cava de Guarda, 18 for Guarda Superior Reserva, 30 months for Guarda Superior Gran Reserva, and 36 months for Cava de Paraje Calificado (a single-vineyard wine). The Cava terms are generally familiar to consumers of Spanish wine, but the breakaways need a lot of explaining. Raventós i Blanc do their own thing, completely separate from any entity, a producer’s dream but not easy without any regional body to support them.
wines to taste
I’ve previously written about the many great Cavas being made, and the realisation at tastings that there is seriously sensational Cava far removed from the wines displayed on the bottom shelf in a supermarket. (A common reaction in tasting any wine that isn’t sold in a supermarket.) To appreciate quality Cava, try anything from Alta Alella, Parés Baltà, Vins Familia Ferrer, Avinyó, Bohigas, Mestres, Castell d’Age, Vilarnau, Jané Ventura, Naveran, or Vins el Cep among others. The three Paraje Calificado made by Cordoníu are outstanding. Conquilla make affordable, good quality white and rosé, while Juvé y Camps specialise in long-aged wines. With the many ageing categories, there is a range of of styles of wine to choose from.
There are great wines that are now not designated Cava, even if it’s not obvious on the shelf whether they are or not. Raventós i Blanc consistently excel: despite leaving the D.O. they identifiably taste like Cava. Within Corpinnat, Gramona are the most famous though I find the wines a little too rich and weighty: longer ageing requirements (for all styles of sparkling wine) aren’t always advantageous. Llopart, another Corpinnat producer, make refined wines which balance freshness and maturity. For Clàssic Penedès, Albet i Noya make quite powerful, distinguished wines.
There’s no real reason to take sides in explaining these different categories: producers in Catalunya are making great sparkling wine however it is labelled. They are all expressive of the beautiful hillside slopes next to the Mediterranean. Taste all these wines blind side by side and there is a consistency of style, character, and quality which should be celebrated rather than quarrelled over. Welcome to the world of European wine.
