Cava

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The soils are mainly calcareous in nature, low in sand, relatively high in clay, with low organic matter content and limited fertility.
• The climate is Mediterranean in a transitional style between the milder coastal influence, due to proximity to the sea, and the continental conditions of the inland zones, with colder winters and hotter summers.
• Annual rainfall averages around 500 mm, concentrated mainly in autumn and spring, with scarce and poorly distributed precipitation during the growing season.
• The zone enjoys abundant sunlight, averaging around 2,500 sunshine hours, well suited to achieving full grape ripeness.
• The very long summer season, with high sunlight exposure and elevated temperatures in spring and summer, produces high heliothermal indices that allow thorough ripening even of later-ripening varieties.

• In 1872, the first bottles of Cava were produced in the municipality of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, following what was then known as the méthode champenoise, with a second fermentation in bottle.
• The name Cava derives from the underground cellars where bottles were stored during ageing, at a temperature of 13–15 °C and free from vibration, and which over time gave their name to the wine.
• The varieties Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada account for 85% of the grapes used in the production of Cava, with a planting density of between 1,500 and 3,500 vines per hectare.

• Cava PDO wines, following the second fermentation and bottle ageing on lees, reach an actual alcoholic strength of 10.8 to 12.8% vol.
• Cava is characterised by low pH levels, from 2.8 to 3.4, which promotes good ageing potential and reduces the risk of harmful oxidation.

• The soils and climate, with a mild and dry late summer and autumn, allow the authorised varieties to ripen in a staggered fashion, yielding base wines with moderate alcohol, high acidity, low pH and good health.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the specification (pliego de condiciones).

All appellations in Spain

Sources

• Specification (EUR-Lex, single document)
• National pliego de condiciones (PDF) — +1 varieties added
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-ES-A0735
• Official trade body site — D.O. Cava