Tag: Cava

The Boletín Oficial del Estado BOE) Certifies Strict New Zoning and Segmentation of the D.O. Cava

BOE has published a new regulation regarding the ambitious zoning and segmentation project led by the D.O. Cava, that will appear on labels starting in January 2022. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has approved the new regulations drawn up by the D.O. Cava, marking the start of an important phase of implementation that will involve all winegrowers and winemakers of the Designation of Origin.

Javier Pagés, President of the Regulatory Board underlines the importance of the regulations, which are the result of a new plan approved by the Board’s plenary session: “We are committed to maximum traceability and quality. It is the most demanding regulation in the world for quality D.O. sparkling wines made using the strict traditional method. All of this places the D.O. Cava at the forefront of quality sparkling wine designations of origin.”

Cavas aged for more than nine months will now be called Cava de Guarda, while those aged for more than 18 months will be called Cava de Guarda Superior. Cavas Reserva will be aged from 15 to 18 months. The ambitious new regulations also require that the production of Cavas de Guarda Superior, the long-aging category that includes Cavas Reserva (minimum 18 months of aging), Gran Reserva (minimum 30 months of aging) and Cavas de Paraje Calificado (from a special plot/minimum of 36 months of aging), will be 100% organic by 2025.

The Cavas de Guarda Superior will be made with grapes from vineyards registered in the Regulatory Board’s specific Register of Guarda Superior, which must meet the following requirements: vines at least 10 years old, organic vines (5 years of transition), vines with specific qualitative yields of a maximum of 4.9 tons/acre, separate production (separate traceability from the vineyard to the bottle), production starting in January, proof of the vintage on the label, and organic product (5 years of transition).

The zoning of the D.O. Cava has been established on two levels, marked by specific climatic, orographic, historical and cultural attributes that justify the new plan and lend these wines their unique identity. The following zones have been defined: Comtats de Barcelona, which encompasses the Cavas of the region of Catalonia (with sub-zones Valls d’Anoia-Foix; Serra de Mar; Conca del Gaia; Serra de Prades and Pla de Ponent), Ebro Valley (with sub-zones Alto Ebro and Valle del Cierzo), Viñedos de Almendralejo, and Levante.

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New Cava Classifications for 2021  

Designations of Origin evolve over time and incorporate modifications that have an impact on the way their wines are classified. This is the case of the DO Cava, which has recently announced changes and the approval of new regulations.

The origins of Cava lie in the wine-growing region of Penedés.  Cava can also be produced in other towns and regions, which are themselves divided into sub-zones. There are four main areas of the DO, which include the Valle del Ebro with the sub-zones Alto Ebro and Valle del Cierzo; and the Comtats de Barcelona with the sub-zones Serra de Mar, Valls d’Anoia-Foix, Conca del Gaià, Serra de Prades, and Pla de Ponent. Further regions are Viñedos de Almendralejo and Valencia.

The DO Cava has announced that it will introduce new regulations that will raise the requirements to reinforce the quality seal and will affect not only the terminology linked to the ageing months of its wines but also the geographical designations within the Designation of Origin.

Cava wines are differentiated by their residual sugar content -which divides them into Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Dry, Semi-Dry and Sweet categories, as well as by their aging time, which divides them into Cava de Guarda and Cava de Guarda Superior (including Cava Reserva, Cava Gran Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calificado).

In addition, they must display the vintage year on the label and those DO Cava wineries that press and make all their wines on their own property will be able to use the Integral Winemaker label.

The greatest novelty is the segmentation and zoning that allows territorial identification, so that the consumer can clearly detect in which area of the DO the wine was made, whether in Comtats de Barcelona, Valle del Ebro, Viñedos de Almendralejo or Zona de Levante. The possibility of specifying each sub-zone is also envisaged.

The latter is a very significant change, as it recognizes and allows the particularities of each of its territories to be valued.

In addition to the new classification, DO Cava has announced the implementation of a new traceability system to provide consumers with the best possible quality guarantees. This also involved the development of a new, more modern digital platform.

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