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A recent
tasting in London was a big success with guests sampling 50 different
varieties of Cava, as well as fantastic tapas and finding out all
about the Spanish tradition of Sparkling your Friday first hand.
The Institut del Cava are keen to
make Britain aware of their tradition of toasting in the weekend on a
Friday with a glass of Cava in the run up to the summer. Cava is
perfect alfresco as a cooling tipple in the warm weather. Teaming a
glass of fizz with tapas and friends on a Friday evening is a credit
crunch friendly way of socializing. It is hoped it's something the
consumer can really latch onto. Ladies needn't worry either as the
Brut Nature varieties of Cava have no added sugar so it's friendly to
the waistline also!
Sparkling wine is scientifically
proven to be the best aperitif before a spicy meal as it prepares the
palate better than any other drink. Cava is a quality sparkling wine
produced in a designated area (Cava region) under specific
characteristics in which the second fermentation and aging take place
in the same bottle that the consumer uncorks, allowing the bubbles to
be produced in a natural way following the traditional method.
There are different types of Cava
dependent on how long the wine is allowed to age during its second
fermentation:
Cava
- a minimum of nine months aging
Cava Reserva
- a minimum of 15 months aging
Cava
Gran Reserva - a minimum of 30 months aging
Cavas can also be classified by
their sugar content; the more sugar is added to the wine, the sweeter
it will be. This is broken down as:
Brut Nature
- no added sugar
Extra Brut
- up to 6 grams of sugar per litre
Brut
- up to 15 grams of sugar per litre
Extra Dry
- Between 12 and 20 grams of sugar per litre
Dry
- Between 17 and 35 grams of sugar per litre
Demisec
- Between 33 and 50 grams of sugar per litre
Sweet
- More than 50 grams of sugar per litre
GRAPE
VARIETIES AND CHARACTERISTICS
Macabeo
- moderate acidity and alcohol content; light, fruity and floral when
young. Delicately pearly with a light bouquet.
Xarello
- produces structured and well balanced wines with good acidity,
providing personality and aging potential.
Parellada
- fruity, fresh and aromatic wines. Moderate acidity, providing
fragrance freshness and life to young Cavas.
Chardonnay
- balanced wines with body and strong aromas. Good alcohol content.
Great persistence in the mouth.
Garnacha
(Grenache) - balanced wines, with stable and not very intense colour.
Rich alcohol and moderate acidity.
Pinot Noir
- aromatic and rich in alcohol. Delicate; excellent acidity and
alcohol balance.
Monastrell
(Mourvèdre) - intense colour, full bodied. Good alcohol
content and balance between alcohol and acidity.
Trepat
- only used for making rosé Cavas. Little colour intensity.
Moderate alcohol content, balanced acidity, light and little body.
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