Why not try cava brut? An alternative to your usual champagne choices.

Produced in a number of regions in Spain, cava is made from indigenous Spanish grapes using the traditional champagne method. Major cava brands such as Cristalino and Friexenet come from an area just outside of Barcelona called Penedes and are made using 2 or 3 varieties of grape. It is these grapes that give cava its uniqueness. But, what is it that makes cava different from champagne and prosecco? The answer lies in the grapes. Thanks to Spain’s warmer climate, the grapes tend to be riper and fruitier than those used in the production of champagne, for example, yet this still makes cava more champagne-like than prosecco. So, if you’re looking for a good value bubbly, cava brut might be the right choice. If you’re having guests over, they might not even be able to tell the difference!

All cava is made in the same way, but this does not mean that there can’t be different varieties for you to try. Macabeu is the primary grape used in the production of cava. The taste of macabeu is simple, with faint floral aromas, a lemony taste and a bitter finish. Other grape varieties include the pear-like Xarel-lo and Paralleda which is used for its zesty flavourings. These three are blended together to create a sparkling wine that stands somewhere between the sweeter prosecco and the more nutty champagne. The styles of cava can range from Brut and Brut Nature, to Cava Rosé and the less common vintage cava. Unlike prosecco, cava never tends to be very sweet. Instead, in all styles, you should expect an ideally balanced flavour of citrus, melon and pear with a not-unpleasant acidity.