Say no to prosecco, and yes to cava

In our house, we have been fans of cava, over prosecco, for as long as I can remember. Prosecco just doesn’t do it for me. As a wine merchant, however, prosecco is a hard product to ignore. Italian sparkling wine accounts for just under seventy per cent of the sparkling wine portfolio I work with.

The term Cava, relatively speaking, is a new concept; the Spanish agreed to stop using the potentially misleading term “Champagña” only in the 1970s, replacing it with the Catalan word for “cellar”. Although 95 per cent of this glorious fizz is produced in Catalonia, production is legally allowed in Valencia, Aragon, Rioja and Navarra too.

Spanish sparkling wine was first written about by Francesco Eiximenis in 1340, where the writer intimated his enjoyment of “formigalejants” or “tingling” wines. These sparkling wines, however, were most probably created by accident. It wasn’t until the second half of the 19th century, influenced heavily by Champagne, that the deliberate production of Spanish sparkling wines took place.

As with Champagne, Cava is made by taking initially still wines and putting them through a secondary fermentation process in a sealed bottle where the carbon dioxide created is trapped in the liquid. Jose Raventós, head of the Codornui family was the first to use the now traditional three grape varieties Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Parellada in the blend of the wine.

Today, the biggest drivers of Cava’s success, and also barriers to further success, are the big brands Freixenet and Codornui. They have a market constricting duopoly in production. Although the international fame of the wine has been built by these two firms, their commercial position is so dominant that their buy-in is vital to pass legislative improvements. And, due to their competitive position, they rarely reach a consensus between themselves, stifling development.

Due to the prominence of these two brands, many people think they are all there is to Cava; this is not the case. Genuine elegance and complexity can be found in the wines of Bodegas Gramona, arguably the finest of all Cava producers, and I have selected a few more below that are definitely worth a taste.

The modernist: Raventos I Blanc L’Hereu – £21.99 from Selfridges

The old favourite: Segura Viudas Brut Vintage – £14.99 from Ocado

The perfect pre: Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva NV – £8.20 from Decantalo