Cava: Catalan Champagne

Welcome to Cava country! Cava is Catalonia's very own sparkling wine, made using the 'Champagne method' and a delicious - and much cheaper - version of its French cousin. It is extremely popular in Barcelona, and indeed the rest of Spain, thanks to the numerous vineyards in the region owned by top wine-makes such as Codorniu, Torres and Freixenet.

Cava was first produced in 1872 by Josep Raventós of the Codorniu winery, who, after a reconnaissance mission to France, fell in love with Champagne and successfully copied its production method using Spanish grapes. The essential process that makes a Cava a Cava, and not a mere carbonated wine, is the secondary fermentation of the wine in the same bottle in which it is sold; the bubbles are formed naturally. This produces finer, more persistent bubbles than sparkling wines made by other methods, such as adding CO2 to a still wine.

Cava is produced in varying levels of dryness, according to the amount of sugar used in the fermentation process. These are: brut nature, brut (extra dry), seco (dry), semiseco (medium) and dulce (sweet). According to Spanish law, Cava can be produced in six wine regions in Spain and must be made according to the traditional Champagne method to qualify as the real deal. The most common grapes used are Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello, although Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Subirat can also be used to make a fine sparkling wine. 99% of Cava is made in the Penedes region of Catalonia, just outside Barcelona.

Above: The dusty cellars where the magic happens.

Xampanyerias (Champagne Bars)

Barcelona's Xampanyerias (the word is simply Catalan for Champagne bar/Cava bar) are a much-loved institution by the locals who flock to these usually homely dens to stand cheek-by-jowl and munch on tapas in between glasses of the good stuff. Typically the Cava is served up as a complement to relatively cheap bocadillos (sandwiches) and tapas dishes which patrons are required to order if they want to be served drinks too. The atmosphere is often a feeding frenzy and a far cry from a civilised sit down meal - or quiet drink - however a visit to a Xampanyeria is strongly recommended for anyone who wants to sample these typical Barcelona joints and see the Catalans in their natural environment... everyone from old men in ill-fitting suits to boys in beach wear and senoritas in elegant cocktail dresses are partial to a Cava-flowing standing supper!

El Xampanyet
Found on the very same street at the Picasso Museum, what better way to round off an afternoon of effervescent art than a glass of bubbly? Full review here.
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Can Paixano
Often referred to simply as 'La Xampanyeria', Can Paixano's is a standing room only bar in La Barceloneta district where vast hams are hung up over the counter and delicious bubbly is as cheap as chips... get there very early to avoid the stampede.
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Cava Tours

There are plenty of tourist operators who are more than happy to pack you off in a mini-van to the Penedes region of Catalonia for a tour of a Cava vineyard or two, and the famous cellars where they are kept. Here are a few places and selected activities to begin your enquiries...

Create Your Own Cava
A great experience, and a twist on the usual Cava tour, the "Create Your Own Cava" activity takes place in a tiny village in the Penedes region where you'll be taken to small but innovative winery. Here, not only do you taste several different types of 'Spanish Champagne', but you even become directly involved in the bottling process. Having chosen your favourite blend of Cava, you will be armed with vizor and gloves and asked to 'disgorge' the wine's sediment, so that it is ready to be taken home and consumed (this is also your job!). You can even come up with a name and custom label for your own personally-bottled blend of Cava! The Create Your Own Cava experience also includes a tour of the surrounding vineyards and underground cellars with an expert oenophile, a slightly kitsch video presentation of the production process, and of course your take-home bottle of bubbly. That's all for 30 euros. For an extra 10 euros per person you can tuck into a feast of barbecue, either in the millenium-old masia (farm house) or out on the terrace by the ancient olive tree overlooking the sun-kissed Catalan countryside. You can catch the train there cheaply and easily, or book private transport from Barcelona at an extra cost. Email us to make a reservation or for more details.

Cava Tasting Tour
This premium experience, selected by Barcelona Life, is a bit different from your standard cellar tour, in that not only are taken to one of the two most famous Cava producers in Spain - the Codorniu winery - for an in-depth look at top-of-the-range grape-squeezing and some tasting, but you're also given a personal tour of a boutique vineyard. Here you'll not just sample Catalan champagne, but a range of red and white, sparkling and still, local wines - and get to sit down for a tapas-style lunch with the wine-making family. If you're looking for a more intimate/authentic experience of Cava and other Catalan wines, you just found it! The cost is 96 euros per head, incl. transport to and from BCN. Email to book.

Barcelona Food & Wine Tours
For a day trip to some of Catalonia's best vineyards get in contact with the folk at Food & Wine Tours and ask for a quote. They can have you picked up at your hotel, filled full of booze and ferried home for what amounts to the perfect day out of town. Full history of Cava and guided tour of bodegas are part of the experience! Full review and contact info here.

Also worth reading is our article on the Cava vineyards of Catalonia where you can read about some of the individual wineries, and how to arrange your own visit if you prefer to travel independently.