Cava is a quality sparkling wine that is characterized by its bubbles and a brilliant golden color. Its name comes from the old underground cellars where the wine was stored, which were also called “cavas”.
1. The older cava, the worse.
Cava is not like wine and you have to drink it fresh. If when opening the bottle of cava the stopper comes out in the shape of a mushroom, it means that it is fresh. On the other hand, if the stopper comes out in the shape of a T, it means that it has been bottled for more than a year.
2. Cava is not fattening.
As much as it contains sugar, cava does not make you fat. Sparkling wines are the least fattening drinks, since each glass contains 70 kcal. The different types of cava depend on the amount of sugar they contain.
3. Cava should be drunk cold, but not too much.
The correct way to cool the cava is to first put it in an ice bucket, then put the ice and a little water and, finally, a little salt so that it can withstand the cold longer. That is, avoid cooling it in the fridge or freezer. Also, if we leave it on the fridge door or in a moving drawer it can break the bubbles.
4. Cava and his crockery.
Cava should be drunk in flute-shaped glasses where the aromas open up and can be better analysed.
5. How to preserve the cava.
There are many people who think that putting a dessert spoon in the mouth of the bottle once it is opened preserves the cava, but no. The spoon leaves spaces where the gas evaporates, so the ideal is a plug that covers the entire hole.
6. The colour of cava.
You will have seen that there are different colors of cava. This is due to the type of grape with which it is made. The cavas made with the Macebo grape has a pale yellow color. Instead, with the famous Chardonnay grape, the cava obtains a bright yellow color with golden reflections.
7. Differences between cava and champagne.
Cava and champagne are exactly the same in terms of production. The main difference is the variety of grapes used. While the classic varieties of champagne are Chardonnay, Meunier and Pinot Noir; those for cava are Parellada, Macabeo and Xarel·lo.
8. Cava and its price
Cava is usually marketed at a lower price than champagne. Therefore, cava is known internationally as “cheap champagne”.
9. The most exported wine in Spain.
Cava is the most exported wine in Spain and the most exported sparkling wine in the world with more than 200 million bottles a year. This data may be surprising given the fame that champagne seems to have as a leader.
10. What goes with cava?
Rice dishes and paellas are the most suitable dishes to taste with Cava Brut or Brut Reserva, with its stimulating acidity point. Especially with fish and shellfish, since the cava acts as an enhancer of its flavors and the intensity of the aromas.
