A guide that will help us find the right words every time we enjoy a cup of cava.

Autolysis: Degradation process of dead yeast cells by their own enzymes, during which the cava begins to modify its aromatic profile, becoming more complex.Although it can vary depending on the type of cava, it is considered that after 15 months the characteristics of butter, pastries, toasted bread or nuts begin to develop in the bottle.The maximum expression of this process will be reached at approximately five years after the circulation.

White White: White cava made from white grape varieties.

Blanc de Noirs: White cava made from varieties of inks.

Brut: Golosa input, the cava brut allows a greater amount of sugar added in the expedition liquor (maximum 16 gr/l).The good acidity of the product makes this small amount of sugar not very noticeable standing out only its virtues and adding one more possibility of pairing to cavas.Cava Brut is a great ally even for those difficult meals with other wines such as Asian food dishes or with a spicy touch.

Brut Nature: Brut Nature's words on the label of a cava mean that it does not carry added sugar.It is the cava in its pure state: clean and bright, fresh and the perfect partner to harmonize a whole meal at the end.The total sugar content of the final product ranges from 0-3 grams per liter.These cava are ideal with dishes with a salty and/or fatty touch.

Bubble: Carbonic gas blood that is formed inside the wine.In the case of Cava, bubbles occur during the second bottle fermentation.

CAVA: Foamy quality with Denomination of Protected Origin Cava (D.O.P), prepared by the traditional method, which consists of producing the second fermentation, parenting and slaughter in the same bottle that reaches the consumer.

Guardian cava: sparkling that has been made by the traditional method, from a base wine, subsequently making a minimum raising of 9 months in the bottle.He is the youngest in the entire range of cavas and overflowing of freshness.Cava de Guarda is the new nomenclature approved in July 2020 by the Plenary of the Regulatory Council of the D.O.Digging.If you are looking for a fresh, fruity and vitality cava, a guard cava is the ideal option.

Cava Reserva: Sparkling that has been made by the traditional method, from a base wine, subsequently making a minimum raising of 18 months.They are wines with great wealth and aromatic complexity and complexity.Of abundant bubble and with a pleasant freshness it becomes the best wild card for any menu.The Regulatory Council has approved in 2020 that the minimum raising of Cava Reserva rises to 18 months.

Cava Gran Reserva: It is the exaltation of complexity.Of great aromatic intensity, the Gran Reserva cavas stand out for having their own personality and aromatic complexity as a result of the raising of more than 30 months in the bottle.

Cava of qualified place: as the name implies it is a unique product, the result of a special and concrete place, of a vineyard and a farm that due to its characteristics (location and terroir) differs from the rest.

ROSADO CAVA: For its elaboration, inks are used that, thanks to a short contact of their skins with the must, provide this color distinctive.Depending on the aging months we can find a pink, reserve or great reserve cup.

VARIETAL CAVA: Cava prepared with a single variety of grapes allowed by the Regulatory Council of the Cava Denomination of Origin.By law, it must contain at least 85% of that variety.

Chardonnay: It is a variety of great aromatic power and good alcoholic graduation.Its good acidity with its predilection for offering "exotic" aromas provides freshness and elegance to the product, at the same time as a good aging power.Although it is an international variety - of French origin - has been authorized in the elaboration of CAVA since 1986.

Collar: small label that is placed in the neck of the cava bottles;You can indicate the type of wine, the brand of the cellar or other complementary information.It began to be used in 1897.

Comtats of Barcelona: Geographically, Comtats in Barcelona is located in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain, caressed by the Mediterranean Sea and around the iconic and cosmopolitan city of Barcelona.It is the area that concentrates more than 95 % of the production of Cava.In it is the latent heart of the cava, having as reference the municipality of Sant Sadurní d'Alcoia, considered the "Capital of Cava", where in 1872 the first bottles of Cava began to be prepared.

Cava cork: Cork cap shaped like a mushroom formed by an agglomerate body with two natural cork washers that are in contact with the wine.

Corona: Effect that occurs in the cup when the bubbles of the cava when they reach the surface, persist and accumulate partially or totally occupy the free surface.

Swallow: Extraction process of the second fermentation in the cavas during which the neck of the bottles is immersed in a coolant that causes it to freeze.This facilitates expulsion without losing carbonic gas.

Dosage: In French, Dosage.Operation that consists of adding the expedition liquor, whose sugar content will determine the type of cava.

Sweet: It is, as his name says, the sweetest of the cava (with more than 50 gr./l).It is a fantastic gift to finish an evening.

Efervescence: In Cava, the formation of carbonic gas that occurs inside the bottle as a result of the second fermentation.This effect is also generated at the time of serving a cup of cava when carbonic gas detachment occurs.

Assembly: mixture of different wines that are performed after the fermentation of the musts to achieve a certain type of cava.They can be wine assemblies originated in different plots, assemblies of different pressures, wines of different grape varieties, vigns, etc.

Foam: Bubble dough that is formed on the surface of the cava and adhere to each other with more or less consistency.

Tag: It must record all the data referring to the wine established by legislation as mandatory mentions: Denomination of Cava origin, type of cava (Brut Nature, Brut, Extra brut, etc.), brand, bottling registration number and location,Alcoholic graduation, legal mention "contains sulphites."Mentions related to grape varieties, tasting notes, etc. may also appear.

Extra brut: The extra brut is the cava in which only 6 grams per liter of sugar can be added only to a maximum of sugar in the dosage.This low addition of sweetness allows further to increase its versatility, making it ideal to combine at the table with countless more fatty dishes.It is ideal for snacks, incoming and acidic dishes or with a touch of bitterness.

Extra dry: in the extra dry cavas, the amount of added sugar remains small (between 12 and 17 gr./l), but the fair touch that gives the cava of greater weight in the mouth, thus allowing to join the versatility of theproduct and participate in riskier pairings such as slightly sweet cheeses and dishes.

Garnacha Ink: It is one of the most planted varieties in the world.In addition to their ability to deliver wines with a soft flavor and very fruit aromas, it is also one of the most used varieties to make pink cavas, providing them with jams and red fruits.

Giro Palets: Equipment used in the production of cava to remove the bottles in order to favor the elimination of dead yeasts.The bottles placed in these metal jaulones are turning to the vertical position.In this way it is achieved that these yeasts are placed on the neck of the bottle and it is slaughtered to eliminate them.

Expedition liquor: mixture of wine and sugar introduced into the cava after the slaughter.The amount of sugar introduced will determine the type: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, etc.

Ruling liquor: mixture of base wine, sugar (sucrose, concentrated grape must, rectified concentrated grape must or partially fermented grape must) and yeasts introduced into the cava to cause the second fermentation.

Macabeo: It is one of the three varieties that make up the triumvirate of the cava and the most planted within the framework of the denomination.Considered from the Penedès area, it produces wines with a slight floral, fine, elegant and well balanced character.It is also much appreciated for its good aging capacity.

Macabeo

Traditional method or champenoise: This method is distinguished by performing the second fermentation in the bottle, unlike most sparkling in the world that use other methods.

Monastrell: It is one of the first varieties that was used in cava's elaboration.In its winemaking it gives an intense color and a good amount of tannins that make it a variety with good potential for guardianship.It is mostly used in the elaboration of pink cavas.

Most Flor: First fraction of the pressing of grapes, considered the highest quality.In the case of cava, only this must for its elaboration is used.The Cava Denomination of origin determines that for each kilo of grape you can only obtain a maximum of 0.66 liters of base wine for cava.

Parellada: White grape that produces well structured, fruity and elegant wines, providing softness and good balance.Of moderate acidity, it gives personality to the cava in addition to offering a good potential for guardianship.

Pinot Noir: Although its fame is worldwide known, Pinot Noir is the most "young" grape variety of the D.O.P.Digging.Its use was authorized in 1998 for the elaboration of pink cavas and since 2007 it can also be used to make white cavas, the so -called "White of Noir" (applying a soft pressed and avoiding prolonged contact of the must with the skins).

Popitre: Wood or cement structure as cells where the bottles of foamy wine are placed to be removed.The bottle is placed inclined with the lowest mouth so that the sediments are placed on the cap.

Removed: operation specifically carried out in the elaboration of quality sparkling wines, which aims to eliminate the bottle lines more easily.It consists of progressively rotating and raising the bottles on the desk until they finally leave them in an inverted position, so that the Lias are concentrated in the neck of the bottle and can be eliminated more easily in the Degüelle.The removed is done once the foam and raising of the cava is finished, and can be manual or mechanical with the so -called Pallets.

Rosario: This is the name of the cava bubbles that form the vertical lines from the bottom up in the cup.

Dry: The dry cava has a sweet character thanks to the addition of up to 32 grams per liter.Ideal for desserts or extreme pairings.

SEMI DRY: It is the type of cava that for years accompanied family meals due to its extreme versatility, but the touch of added sugar (between 32 and 50 gr./l) makes it the ideal companion of desserts.

Subirat Parent: Also known as Malvasia, it is an increasingly used variety in the elaboration of sweet or semi -spacing cavas.It gives wines with structure, fresh and of good aromatic composition, being very rich in tropical aromas, not forgetting those of white flower, pink, melon and herbaceous touches.

Corona cap: sheet or metallic cap with which the cava is tightly closed during its elaboration to prevent bubbles and pressure from expelling the liquid inside the bottle.

ROF: Operation that consists of introducing into the cava the so -called circulation liquor.

Foam taking: it refers to the process of the second fermentation, when the wine becomes a sparkling thanks to the bubbles caused during this process.

Trepat: grape with aromas that tend to red fruits such as strawberry, raspberry and cherry.Its wines usually have spicy touches (cinnamon) resulting in elegant and subtle cavas, with a large touch of personality.In recent years it has proven to be ideal for pink cavas, providing them with a living color and balanced acidity.

Ebro Valley: This area of the cava encompasses the vineLocation and its unique microclimatic conditions: Alto Ebro and Valle del Cierzo.

Base wine: Quiet wine from which the cava begins to be made.

Almendralejo vineyards: In the southernmost and western part of the Denomination of Origin, in the South-West of the Peninsula, the Almendralejo vineyard zone is located, constituted by the municipality of Almendralejo, in the region of land of Barros.

Xarel·lo: It is one of the white varieties with which the cava is most identified in its area of origin, the Penedès in Catalonia where native variety is considered.Together with the Macabeo and Parellada varieties, they make up the most classic coupage.It is characterized by providing structure and delivery wines with body and a unique flavor that distinguishes the cava of other sparkling elaborated by the traditional method.

Levante Zone: It is constituted by the municipality of Requena and is located inside the province of Valencia, taking the name of its location in relation to the Iberian Peninsula.

Information Source: Do Cava Regulatory Council