Cava, Classic Penedès, Corpinnat: A guide to Catalan sparkling wines
Catalonia, the ideal place to discover the festive beverage
Catalonia, the ideal place to discover the festive beverage
Can the famed Catalan fizz survive a harvest marked by intense heat and droughts?
Cellars favor traditional Mediterranean grapes, harvest at night, and build structures for shade
Rail transport also reduces economic cost by 24% and allows better product control
Penedès, home to cava sparkling wine, is largest Catalan winegrowing region
The Regulatory Council admits expectations were "too optimistic" and a boycott from the political situation in 2017 also hampered sales
World-class pastry chef admits it was a “challenge”
Six producers in the Penedès region unveil new project to promote the best of Catalonia’s sparkling wine
Catalan world-class cava producer no longer under control of a family
Exports to foreign markets have also increased in 2017, says president of PIMECAVA
The Catalan cava producer Codorniu announced that they will stop producing for foreign brands and will instead focus on their own Premium and Prestige products. The company explained that white label production (producing for third parties) is no longer profitable and thus must be stopped. The company said that production for third parties, basically in the United Kingdom, represents 5% of sales. According to the Catalan cava company, suspending this area is one of the major steps in its strategic plan, which was launched in 2015, and means that around 100 workers of the company will be let go. Sources at the company explained to the Catalan News Agency that the layoffs will affect both Catalonia and the rest of the countries where Codorniu is present.
The Wine and Cava Fair celebrates its 35th year at the feast of ‘La Mercè’, in Barcelona. From the 19th to the 24th of September, 81 wineries from all 12 of Catalonia’s wine and Cava regions will be represented. The fair is a way of demonstrating that Catalonia produces top-quality wines which successfully compete with other regions. It is also an interesting way of introducing new enthusiasts to wine culture. Wine and Cava will be sold by all the wineries at the fair, and there is a large area reserved for wine tasting. There is also the opportunity to sample other typical Catalan products, including a selection of the best local sausages and cheeses.
Cava is a Catalan sparkling wine produced using the ‘Méthode Champenoise’. According to statistics from the Cava Regulatory Board, some 242.29 million bottles of Cava were sold in 2014, which represents a 0.38% increase on 2013 figures. Sales on the domestic market increased for the first time after two years of decline, reaching 87.58 million bottles, a 7.54% increase over 2013, with 6.14 million more bottles sold. Sales in bars and restaurants are one of the main reasons for the domestic increase since these grew by 9.3% over 2013. These results compensated for the drop in 2014 sales to the EU market, which accounted for 111.62 million bottles, 5.3% less than in 2013 and a decline in absolute terms of 6.22 million bottles. This was mainly due to a contraction in demand from the German market.