The Wine Bible by MacNeil Karen

Author:MacNeil, Karen [MacNeil, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2015-10-12T16:00:00+00:00

It’s hard to imagine a more simple but more satisfying appetizer than the Catalan specialty pan con tomate. Thick slices of warm, grilled country bread are rubbed with fresh tomato (and sometimes garlic), then drizzled with Spanish extra virgin olive oil. All kinds of wine work brilliantly with this humble dish, but I vote for cava.

In addition, there’s a vast difference in grapes used. The three main cava grapes have unique flavors and aromas that are different from those of chardonnay and pinot noir. Cava, moreover, is more often than not the product of all-white grapes, unlike most Champagne, which is a marriage of white and red grapes. The number of separate still wines blended to create cava is far smaller than the number of still wines in a Champagne blend (which includes dozens, sometimes hundreds of base wines). Most nonvintage cava is aged in contact with the yeasts for nine months, the legal minimum, while many nonvintage Champagnes are aged at least fifteen months and usually far longer. Finally, there is the critical issue of terroir. Climatically and geologically, Penedès and Champagne have almost nothing in common. How conceivable is it that the two wines could mirror each other in flavor?

All of this comes down to the fact that most cava tends to be fairly simple. Lemony, earthy, and somewhat mushroomy, it’s fruitier and has less frothy foam than Champagne or sparkling wine from California. But, like California sparklers, the best cavas have a bright, citrusy streak of acidity running through them and are refreshing on the palate.

SOME OF THE BEST PRODUCERS OF CAVA

1 + 1 = 3 • Agustí Torelló Mata • Castellblanch • Cavas Hill • Chatel • Codorníu • D’Abbatis • Freixenet • Huguet • Jaume Serra • Maria Casanovas • Miro • Mont Marçal • Paul Cheneau • Segura Viudas • Vilarnau

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