Until a few years ago, Spanish Cava was second only to Champagne in terms of the number of bottles sold. Made with the Traditional method (read Methode champenoise). It has been inspired by Champagne, using its own local grapes and Chardonnay (Pinot Noir was added in the list of allowed grapes besides the predominant Macabeo (Viura), Parellada and Xarel.lo) grapes, it has seen good days in the global markets but reached saturation in Spanish market in the 1990s.
Unmindful of the competition earlier, the premium segment of Reserva and Gran Reserva which are cheaper and competitive with high quality champagnes, got a boost when the CRDO Cava (Consortium of Cava producers) introduced the top category of Cava de Paraje Calcificada in 2016 and introduced it to the market in 2017 in a bid to improve its image at home and overseas. The Tasting at Haus am Weinberg Hotel in Sankt Martin in Pfalz, facing the beautiful Rheine Valley.
Some interesting Statistics
2017 was a special and important year for the DO Cava, marking the 30th anniversary since cava joined the European system to protect geographical distinctions known as the Denomination of Origin. The domestic market, which was already mature in 1987, has grown by 1.4% despite two boycotts in 2005 and 2017, and the long economic crisis suffered by Spain from 2008 to 2015. Foreign markets, however, have been key to the success of the DO Cava, increasing their volume fourfold since 1987. The exports initiated by a few 
pioneering companies years ago (12 in 1987) was the necessary “push” that many needed to follow suit. Today 142 cava producers export their sparkling wines to over 140 countries.
Cava sales jumped from 82 million bottles in 2008 to 252 million in 2017. Of course the major growth has been through the export push- from barely 10 million bottles in 1980, the exports jumped to 162 million in 2017. However the growth was barely 2% over 2016.( Indian wine producers might want to take a clue from the statistics). The total sales, however increased from 245 million bottles in 2010 to 252 million in 2017 with Prosecco eating a lot into their earlier share of the market. 36% of the sales are in Spain while 44% are exported to EU countries. Balance 20% is exported into other countries including USA. There was minimal growth of export from 149 million in 2010 to 159 million in 2016.
Germany, Belgium, UK and USA are the biggest importers, importing 58% of the total exports. India has had a measly import of10,967 bottles-less than 1,000 cases and at the bottom half of the list of importing countries; the biggest importer Germany had bought 31.42 million! Even China which is not a fan of Cavas, imported 5,56,600 bottles, according to official DO Cava records.
There was hardly any growth in the domestic market which consumed 89.13 million to 90.29 million bottles from 2008 to 2017. 21 million bottles of Rose Cava were sold in 2017, though the number was 2% less than in 2016.
Promoting Cava
Between 2014-2017 the promotion carried out by the DO Cava Regulatory Board (CRDO Cava) has been specially focussed on the Premium category- Reserva, Gran Reserva and Cava de Paraje Calcificado the new, highest category since 2017. Premium category volume has increased by 20% and now totals 32.6 million bottles, representing 13% of all cava.
Cava Tasting at Hotel Haus Am Weinberg in Sankt Martin
As a part of this concept of promoting premium Cavas Pedro Ballesteros MW, the uncrowned Ambassador of Spanish wines, working with EU in Belgium and a regular at these guided Tastings every year had been commissioned by CRDO Cava and ICEX-Wein aus Spanien, the Germany based export agency of Spain, to curate and present in his inimitable style, Gran Reservas and the new highest category Cava de Paraje Calcificada of 7 top quality producers. Following wines were tasted:
1. Codorniu Jaume de Codorniu GR 2013 Brut
2. Bodegas Sumarroca Nuria Claverol Homenatge GR 2014 Brut
3. Can Feixes Huguet Cava GR 2009 Brut Nature
4. Bodegas Can Sala Can Sala 2007 Brute Nature
5. Castellroig-Finca Sabaté i Coca Sabaté i Coca Reserva Familiar 2011 Brut Nature
6. Pere Ventura GR Gran Vintage 2012 Brut
7. Recaredo Mata Casanovas Serrel del Vell 2008 Brut Nature
A note on the Sugar Ratings in Cava is due. Brut Nature (0-3 gms/li), Extra Brut (0-6 gms/li), Brut (0-12 gms/li) denote dry Cavas. Extra dry (12-17 gms/li) is very good for spicy foods whereas Sec (17-32 gms/li), Demi Sec (32-50 gms/li) and Sec(50+ gms/li) are really sweet wines for desserts.
Traditional Cava is when the wine is kept on the lees in the bottle for a minimum of 9 months; Reserva is longer at 15 months whereas Gran Reservas we tasted has to be on the lees for at least 30 months. Many producers keep them much longer-Huguet had been on the lees for 66 months, Codorniu for 40 months, Nuria for 42 months.
Con Sala is truly an iconic Cava de Paraje with less than 3 gms/li sugar and quite dry on the palate, but 9 years on lees had made this blend of Parellada and Xarel-lo a delightful wine with unmatched elegance. The Cava is the result of the Freixenet family taking Cava making to the old house where they started making Cavas initially. Parellada is not easy to manoeuvre but they have made a very delicate wine and though the alcohol in this Cava was 12.5%, they strive to keep it as low as possible, at times only 10.5%.
Sabaté i Coca was a 100 % Xarel-lo- a rarity in Cava but with only 7000 bottles it does not have much impact on the market or economics which has been a problem for premium Cava makers to make a mark internationally so far. AS Pedro said, the principle of 50/50,000 is important for such a growth-meaning the wine must cost over €50 and over 50,000 cases must be in production to make a mark. The only Spanish company that does that is Vega Sicilia.
Pere Ventura Paraje is an export oriented project with 95% wines exported and hence we were privileged to taste this wine. The best wine of the evening Serral Paraje 2008 had to be the best and most popular wine of the evening. A product from one of the best producers Recaredo has been matured for 103 months. It was a high quality bio dynamic wine. Apparently the producers are top notch producers and would not release the Cava until they are sure of the wine quality. Disgorging is done by a member of the family and using hands and with a secret formula for dosage. This was a clear winner over the other entire fine Cavas tasted this evening.
The grand tasting was followed by dinner at the Airen Restaurant of the hotel, facing the beautiful Rheine valley, with excellent service and very good food paired with wines from Canary Island. This was perhaps not the best combination with food-one had tasted better wines at another tasting a couple of years, also conducted by Pedro at another Mundusvini event.
The CRDO Cava also missed out a great opportunity to pair a couple of Cavas with different dishes. One of the mandates to the Consortium to promote Cava is through food and wine pairing and this might have been an excellent opportunity to showcase this important aspect. Perhaps ICEX and CRDO had their own limitations in arranging Cava for dinner but I could not help thinking of Pere Ventura and Recaredo Cavas during dinner.
All told, it was an excellent Cava Tasting evening in wonderful surrounds where we had even enjoyed the welcome with a Gran Reserva (GR) Roger Roulart Rose Brut Cava 2003, full of fruit and zing, while enjoying the beauty of the hotel and the Rheine Valley facing it.
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