Caves Blancher - Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Alt Penedes, Barcelona (Spain). ENGLISH After the primary fermentation, it comes the blending. This is the operation by which different wine varieties are mixed with precision and creativity so as to create a single blend. Examination and analysis of each of the wines – Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada and Chardonnay – enables us to decide which proportion of each to use for production of the various types of blended sparkling wines. The tirage consists of filling the bottle with the chosen blend and adding the yeast that will bring about the secondary fermentation in the bottle. The bottles are then transferred, with a provisional stopper, to the cellars. Cava is the name of a type of white or pink sparkling wine, produced mainly in the Penedes region in Catalonia, Spain, 40 km to the south west of Barcelona. Its name is derived from the Catalan word for cellar. There are a small number of areas in Spain outside Catalonia that also produce Cava. The region of Penedes is an area of predominantly rocky terrain, and has been home to vineyards since the Greeks settled there in antiquity. It has a favourable climate for wine-making; the north and eastern winds of the levanter help to cool the region, while the chalky top soil over clay allows the vines to establish deep roots. The sparkling wine of cava was created in 1872 by Josep Raventos. The vineyards of Penedes were devastated by the phylloxera plague, and the predominantly red vines were being replaced by large numbers of vines producing white grapes. After seeing the success of the Champagne region, Raventos decided to create the dry sparkling wine that has become the reason for the region's continued success. In the past the wine was referred to as Spanish Champagne but this is no longer permitted under EU law, or colloquially as champana or xampany. Cava is produced in varying levels of dryness of the wine which are: brut nature, brut (extra dry), seco (dry) and semiseco (medium). Under Spanish Denominacion de Origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions and must be made according to the Methode champenoise and uses a selection of the grapes macabeo, parellada, xarel·lo, Chardonnay, and Subirat. Despite being a traditional Champagne grape, Chardonnay was not used in the production of Cava till the 1980s. In Spain, Cavas have become integrated with family traditions and is often consumed at baptism celebrations with even the newborn getting a taste of their pacifier dipped in the wine. Cava is a Greek term that is used to refer to "high end" table wine or wine cellar. Comes from the Latin word "CAVA" which means cave in English. Caves were used for the preservation or aging of wine. The constant, slightly chilly temperature and high humidity that most caves possess makes them ideal for such use. ------------------------------- CASTELLANO Tras la primera fermentacion viene el "coupage", momento en que se mezclan con rigor e imaginacion diferentes variedades de vino para obtener una unica melodia denominada cuvee o cupada. El examen y analisis de cada uno de los vinos -macabeo, xarel·lo, parellada y chardonnay- permite decidir la proporcion de cada uno para elaborar los distintos tipos de espumosos de coupage. El tiraje consiste en llenar la botella con el coupage seleccionado y anadir las levaduras que permiten provocar la segunda fermentacion en botella. Las botellas se transportan, con un tapon provisional, al interior de las cavas. El cava es un vino espumoso elaborado por el metodo champanoise fundamentalmente en la region del Penedes catalan (95% de la produccion espanola), especialmente en la localidad de Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (75% de la produccion espanola). Tambien se elabora cava en otros puntos de Espana. El cava se empezo a producir a partir de las investigaciones del Instituto Agricola Catalan de Sant Isidre que defendio el methode champenoise pero a partir de las variedades blancas autoctonas del Penedes. Josep Raventos i Fatjo produjo, en 1872, las primeras botellas de cava en la masia de can Codorniu, en Sant Sadurni d'Anoia. En 1887 llego la plaga de la filoxera al Penedes arruinando los cultivos de uva. Eso condujo a una renovacion de las variedades utilizadas, con la introduccion de cepas blancas de calidad en sustitucion de variedades negras. Esta sustitucion facilito el desarrollo del cava. En 1972, ante el conflicto con Francia por la denominacion protegida champan, se constituyo el Consell Regulador dels Vins Escumosos que lanzo la marca Cava recogiendo el nombre comun ya utilizado de vino de cava. Las variedades de uva que entran en su elaboracion son variadas pero predominan las uvas blancas: macabeo, parellada y xarel·lo. Tambien se utilizan otras variedades blancas en menor cuantia: Chardonnay y Subirat Parent (Malvasia Riojana). Existen cavas rosados que se elaboran con las variedades monastrell, garnacha, pinot noir y trepa

Caves Blancher - Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Alt Penedes, Barcelona (Spain). ENGLISH At the end of the ageing, the neck of the bottle is frozen and then the cork is withdrawn in such a way that all the concentrated yeast lees are discharged in a small block of ice. Cava is the name of a type of white or pink sparkling wine, produced mainly in the Penedes region in Catalonia, Spain, 40 km to the south west of Barcelona. Its name is derived from the Catalan word for cellar. There are a small number of areas in Spain outside Catalonia that also produce Cava. The region of Penedes is an area of predominantly rocky terrain, and has been home to vineyards since the Greeks settled there in antiquity. It has a favourable climate for wine-making; the north and eastern winds of the levanter help to cool the region, while the chalky top soil over clay allows the vines to establish deep roots. The sparkling wine of cava was created in 1872 by Josep Raventos. The vineyards of Penedes were devastated by the phylloxera plague, and the predominantly red vines were being replaced by large numbers of vines producing white grapes. After seeing the success of the Champagne region, Raventos decided to create the dry sparkling wine that has become the reason for the region's continued success. In the past the wine was referred to as Spanish Champagne but this is no longer permitted under EU law, or colloquially as champana or xampany. Cava is produced in varying levels of dryness of the wine which are: brut nature, brut (extra dry), seco (dry) and semiseco (medium). Under Spanish Denominacion de Origen laws, Cava can be produced in six wine regions and must be made according to the Methode champenoise and uses a selection of the grapes macabeo, parellada, xarel·lo, Chardonnay, and Subirat. Despite being a traditional Champagne grape, Chardonnay was not used in the production of Cava till the 1980s. In Spain, Cavas have become integrated with family traditions and is often consumed at baptism celebrations with even the newborn getting a taste of their pacifier dipped in the wine. Cava is a Greek term that is used to refer to "high end" table wine or wine cellar. Comes from the Latin word "CAVA" which means cave in English. Caves were used for the preservation or aging of wine. The constant, slightly chilly temperature and high humidity that most caves possess makes them ideal for such use. ------------------------------- CASTELLANO Durante el deguello se congela el cuello de la botella y se destapa, de forma que salgan, concentradas, todas las levaduras en un pequeno bloque de hielo. El cava es un vino espumoso elaborado por el metodo champanoise fundamentalmente en la region del Penedes catalan (95% de la produccion espanola), especialmente en la localidad de Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (75% de la produccion espanola). Tambien se elabora cava en otros puntos de Espana. El cava se empezo a producir a partir de las investigaciones del Instituto Agricola Catalan de Sant Isidre que defendio el methode champenoise pero a partir de las variedades blancas autoctonas del Penedes. Josep Raventos i Fatjo produjo, en 1872, las primeras botellas de cava en la masia de can Codorniu, en Sant Sadurni d'Anoia. En 1887 llego la plaga de la filoxera al Penedes arruinando los cultivos de uva. Eso condujo a una renovacion de las variedades utilizadas, con la introduccion de cepas blancas de calidad en sustitucion de variedades negras. Esta sustitucion facilito el desarrollo del cava. En 1972, ante el conflicto con Francia por la denominacion protegida champan, se constituyo el Consell Regulador dels Vins Escumosos que lanzo la marca Cava recogiendo el nombre comun ya utilizado de vino de cava. Las variedades de uva que entran en su elaboracion son variadas pero predominan las uvas blancas: macabeo, parellada y xarel·lo. Tambien se utilizan otras variedades blancas en menor cuantia: Chardonnay y Subirat Parent (Malvasia Riojana). Existen cavas rosados que se elaboran con las variedades monastrell, garnacha, pinot noir y trepat. Las dos primeras variedades se pueden utilizar, ademas, para la elaboracion de Cava blanco. La produccion anual es de unos 12 millones de cajas (de 12 botellas), siendo el segundo productor mundial de vino espumoso, despues de la region de Champagne. Aunque la mayor parte de la produccion procede de Cataluna, tambien hay bodegas productoras de cava en Aragon, Castilla y Leon, Extremadura, La Rioja, Pais Vasco, Navarra y Valencia.