Celebrating Cava hosted by Jimmy Smith

For one week per year, Spain’s leading traditional method sparkling wine Cava, is celebrated and enjoyed in the UK in Cava Discovery Week. On this bubbly evening you will enjoy a spectrum of world-class Cavas showcasing the diversity of this world famous sparkling wine that is crafted the same as way as Champagne but in Catalunya in north-east Spain. We’ll have a selection of local cheeses and accompaniments to pair with the Cavas so you can celebrate this wonderful fizzy wine in style. The evening is hosted by wine school founder and Spanish Wine Scholar Jimmy Smith and is supported by the DO Cava with handouts and maps.

DO Cava

Cava is the popular sparkling wine of Spain, and one of Spain’s most famous wines. The name cava comes from the Spanish word for “cave,” referring to the cellars where the wines age. Spanish sparkling wine was called champán or champaña until the 1970s when Spanish winemakers renamed their wine cava to avoid the ire of French Champagne producers. To be called Cava, the wine must come from the Cava Denominación de Origen (DO) area and must be carbonated with a secondary fermentation in bottle, among other appellation rules.

The vast majority of Cava comes from the Penedès wine region in Catalonia, in northeast Spain near Barcelona. The Cava DO is not contiguous: While 95% of Cava comes from Penedès, there are also areas in Aragón, Euskadi, Extremadura, La Rioja, Navarra, and València that are authorized to make Cava wine.

Most Cava production is centered around the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, where the first Cava was made by José Raventós in 1872. He was inspired by a trip to France, and brought Champagne-style winemaking to Spain. The winery Raventós headed, Codorníu, along with Freixenet and Juvé y Camps, dominate Cava production to this day.

Wines on Tasting (TBC)