If you didn't know Champagne has a Spanish cousin named Cava. She's made the same way, can still be sexy, but doesn't have as expensive tastes. The Cava DO covers several different geographical regions throughout Spain and is made from the local varieties Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada for the whites; with Garnacha and Monestrell making up the Roses. Recently they have allowed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to be used as well giving more depth to the profiles of these wines.
The first wine I tried at my first wine class was a $120 Champagne, and I finally got bubbly. It was a great little surprise gently exploding in my mouth....savour the moment, not in the budget. That's where Cava comes in. You rarely see a wine over $50 and in our market most are under $25. These are made in the traditional method where it goes through 2nd fermentation in the bottle, and then spends time ageing on it's lees (dead yeast cells). This will give the wines the bready, biscuit and yeast notes that come from a nice Champagne. Most Cava won't age like Champagne but at $20 a bottle your ageing better be in the vicinity of later this week.
Since it is the holiday season if you need to grab a quick bubbly, and you don't want to break the bank you may find a nice Cava to entertain with. Great for Mimosas too on Christmas morning! If you like your sparkling wines with a that bready yeasty note look for Traditional Method or Method Classique on the bottle. That describes the 2nd fermentation in the bottle. If you like a fruity bubbly without the biscuits try a Prosecco or a sweet Asti. Only drink red and looking for adventure track down a Lambrusco, Italy's frothy red bubbly. Hvae a great holiday season and enjoy your bubbles morning and night!
