By cyclonebill from Copenhagen, Denmark (CavaUploaded by FAEP) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

By Joseph Temple

Ever since the financial meltdown in 2008, many sparkling wine drinkers have searched high and low for a substitute to costly Champagne.   And in 2013, Italian Prosecco—where the secondary fermentation process takes place in steel tanks, reducing the price per bottle significantly—outsold its French competitor for the first time ever.

However, if you’re looking for another alternative that won’t put a major dent in your wallet, you might want to try Cava, one of Spain’s most popular exports.  Although seen by many as the poor man’s sparkling wine, being largely relegated to college parties where quality takes a back seat to affordability, the stereotype is slowly being dismantled as numerous Spanish winemakers seek to improve the negative perception of this drink.  Much like Prosecco, if you’re willing to spend a little extra, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

But what exactly is Cava?  What grapes are used to make it? What methods and industry regulations govern the production of this wine?  Have no fear—below are ten quick facts that will get you up to speed on this bubbly libation.  Cheers!

By SantiagoFrancoRamos (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

1. Cava is made in several regions across Spain, but approximately 95 % of it comes from the Penedès region of Catalonia.
blank

By batega (originally posted to Flickr as Young wine) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

2.  A number of different grapes are allowed to make Cava.  However, the three most traditional are xarel-lo, macabeo and parellada.
blank

3. Many vintners also use chardonnay and pinot noir to make Cava — two grapes that are also used for Champagne.
blank

By Justus Hayes [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

4. Cava that is made from local grapes tends to have earthy aromas.
blank

By MARIA ROSA FERRE ✿ (Flickr: Caves Freixenet, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

5. Freixenet, makers of the world-famous Cordon Negro in its signature black bottle, is also the world’s largest producer of sparkling wines.
blank

By cyclonebill from Copenhagen, Denmark (CavaUploaded by FAEP) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

6. Up until 1970, Cava was called “Spanish Champagne.”  But due to E.U. regulations, no area outside of Champagne, France can use that term — requiring Spain to change the name to Cava.
blank

By Alberto-g-rovi (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

7. The word Cava is Catalan for “cellar.”
blank

By Herrero Uceda (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

8. Despite most Cava being relatively inexpensive, it is made through the traditional method where the secondary fermentation process takes place in the bottle instead of in tanks, which is usually the case for lower-priced sparkling wines.
blank
blank

9. After removing the yeasts from each bottle, a sweetened reserve wine is added to Cava.  The amount added will determine whether it is dry (brut) or sweet (Demi-sec or Semi-seco).
blank

By Agne27 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

10. Rosé Cava is usually the result of adding cabernet sauvignon, garnacha or monastrell grapes to the blend.
blank

Sources:

Amatuzzi, Dan. A First Course in Wine: From Grape to Glass. New York: Race Point Publishing, 2013.
Asimov, Eric. (2010, May 10). Cava, the Prosecco of Spain, Gets Its Due – at Last. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://nytimes.com.
Asimov, Eric. (2014, Aug 8). Cava Is Overlooked Everywhere but Catalonia. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://nytimes.com.
Asimov, Eric and Fabricant, Florence. Wine With Food: Pairing Notes and Recipes from the New York Times. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 2014.
Harding, Julia. The Oxford Companion to Wine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Hornsey, Ian Spencer. The Chemistry and Biology of Winemaking. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2007.
MacNeil, Karen. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing Company, 2000.
Nowak, Barbara and Wichman, Beverly. The Everything Wine Book: From Chardonnay to Zinfandel, All You Need to Make the Perfect Choice. Avon: Adams Media, 2005.
Welch, Nicky. The Pocket Guide to Wine: Featuring the Wine Tubemap. Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 2014.

You might also like:

 Loading ...

Question:  I am planning an IWFS event where the theme will be: Breaking all the wine rules.  These rules will include:

– White before red. Any suggestions for a good starter red? Answer: Try Rose or Gamay.

– White only with fish.

– White with red meat. Not sure what white would go well with what kind of red meat.

Answer: Try Riesling with Pork, Veal, or Wiener Schnitzel. A big full mature white Burgundy can work with simpler red meat dishes especially beef.

– Sweet wine at the end. I’ve read somewhere the Victorians liked to start a meal with Sauternes and foie gras. Not sure if that was an hors d’oeuvre or a sit down starting course.

Answer: Sauternes is a perfect aperitif!

– No wine with asparagus or artichokes. Sauvignon Blanc or Alsatian Muscat goes with either.

My question:   Can you think of any more wine rules we might break?

Answer: Andre Simon always said “Grapefruit, like all citrus fruits, is constitutionally unsuited to be the partner of any wine”. However he suggested a plainer Sherry of medium sweetness might work! Find the best wine match for citrus fruits.

You might also like:

 Loading ...

Continue to be impressed with the quality of many South African wines. Blogged previously on the top quality of chardonnay & pinot noir from Hamilton Russell (www.hamiltonrussellvineyards.com) in the Hamel-en-Aarde Valley near Hermanus. Anthony Hamilton Russell advises that 2014 had “cool growing conditions resulting in full phenolic ripeness at lower alcohol levels than usual” (even for pinotage!). He says “in an area already known for more ‘European’ styling the vintage added yet further to this.”  Other tips among many South African possibilities include: Ken Forrester Wines (www.kenforresterwines.com) chenin blanc, May-Elaine de Lencquesaing (ex Pichon Lalande) has Glenelly (www.glenellyestate.com) rolling at a high level, Vergelegen (www.vergelegen.co.za) top quality with still relatively unknown amazing sauvignon blanc reserves, Boekenhoutskloof Winery (www.boekenhoutskloof.co.za) for age-worthy cabernet sauvignon, and Owner GT Ferreira improving the wines at Tokara (www.tokara.com) & showcase restaurant with the breathtaking views.

I have been following the developments since established in 1999 of the Sadie Family Wines (www.thesadiefamily.com) in Swartland. They have been listed by Tim Atkin as a First Growth in his 2014 Cape Classification. Eben Sadie ex-Spice Route winemaker with Priorat experience in Spain now is producing some amazing shiraz blends under the Columella label. This month I was treated by a close friend to a 6 vintage vertical of this amazing wine showing a remarkable attention to detail in the winemaking. We started with 3 whites with their 2011 Palladius showing dry chenin blanc characteristics on the nose but a complex benchmark for white blends of 10 varieties including viognier, verdelho, marsanne, rousanne and more.  Next the full rich peaches and beeswax honey 2013 T Voetpad (Semillon blanc & gris, palomino, chenin blanc, & muscat d’Alexandrie from Old Vines) given 95 points by Neal Martin of the Wine Advocate and 2013 Kokerboom planted in the 1930s with both white & red Semillon using 18 months on the lees for a distinctive profound statement matching so well with Dungeness Crab Cakes.

The 6 reds were remarkable paired with duck confit frisee & Cape Buffalo cooked sous vide. Showed well even against other wines served blind like the outstanding classics of 1990 Chave Hermitage & 1990 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle.

2000 Columella (first vintage): 95% syrah + 5% mouvedre – Only 17 casks from 5 different soil types basket pressed, macerated nearly 2 months on the skins and 24 months in wood (35% new). Need January rains to protect the acidity in the grapes which arrived in 2000. Still lively and elegantly graceful.

2003 Columella: 80% syrah + 20% mouvedre – Like Europe warmer and drier in South Africa too resulting in a smaller crop using native yeasts & lowly toasted barrels. Sorting table selected only 85% best grapes. Concentrated but balanced blackberries and cherries with nutmeg.

2004 Columella: 80% syrah + 20% mouvedre – Real power intensity of dark ripe spicy pure plummy fruit but excellent structure and harmony. Wonderful texture showing admirable elegance with finesse.

2005 Columella: 80% syrah + 20% mouvedre – Compelling fresh earthy aromatics with minerality. Same as the recent bottles all labelled 14.5 alcohol. Seems less alcoholic than others with acidity and 40% new oak. Bottle imported by Vinnovative in Charlotte North Carolina.

2006: Columella: 80% syrah + 20% mouvedre – Similar weather conditions in 2000, 2004, and 2006. More herbal and developed with less showy fruit.

2007: Columella: 80% syrah + 20% mouvedre – Picked 10 days earlier than norm. Basket Press with long cool fermentation and 24 months barrel age but new oak is well managed. Sensual and more impressive than 06. Admire the way Eben avoids jammy overripe character from the grapes and focuses on floral freshness and acid balance difficult to achieve in such a hot region. Hoping organic certification will help get the alcohol levels down even further.

You might also like:

 Loading ...

By Joseph Temple

Last month, the doors opened to EXPO Milan 2015, a World’s Fair that runs until the end of October and is expected to attract over twenty million visitors.  With its theme titled Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life, the focus will be on how both countries and individuals can produce healthy and sustainable quantities of food that could end world hunger.

Of course, throughout the history of these fairs, which date back to the late 18^th century, food and drink has always been paramount.  From the Bordeaux Classification of 1855 to the modern era where everything from Sangrias to Crawfish burst onto the national scene after being showcased at the fair, numerous expositions have propelled hundreds of little-known delicacies into the collective appetites of millions of Americans.

So for this week, let’s look back at one of the most important fairs in U.S. history—the World Columbian Exposition of 1893, an event held in the city of Chicago that ushered in the modern era. Spread over 686 acres near the shores of Lake Michigan, it earned the nickname “White City” after nearly 200,000 incandescent bulbs—during a time when most Americans lived without electricity—illuminated the fair grounds which contained the very first Ferris Wheel and over a hundred neoclassical buildings featuring the latest conveniences.

But in addition to automatic dishwashers, moving walkways and Edison’s Kinetoscope, many devilish delights were popularized that year in Chicago as twenty-seven million hungry fair goers descended upon the city.  Below are six items that got their first national exposure in Jackson Park and have stayed in our kitchens and dining rooms ever since.

 
1. California wines

At the beginning of the 19^th century, Ohio was the country’s largest producer of wine.  But as America expanded to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, California—with its ideal climate—emerged as a grape growing powerhouse.  And at the Columbian Exposition, many visitors got their first taste of Golden State wines that were sent by local vintners in hope of achieving both national and international visibility.
blank

2. Cracker Jack

Outside the various exhibits, a strange new mishmash of caramelized popcorn, peanuts and molasses were sold at a feverish pace.  The combination was so popular with fair goers that in 1896, its inventor, Frederick Rueckheim, patented it with the name Cracker Jack, which went on to become one of America’s most popular snacks for over 100 years.
blank

3. Pabst Blue Ribbon

Ever wonder how Pabst got its famous blue ribbon?  Look no further than the World Columbian Exposition when it took home the award for best suds.  According to author Jerry Apps: “Anheuser-Busch, which had been ahead by five-eights of a point, threatened legal action when the judges finally decided that Pabst should win the blue ribbon.”  From that point on, the victorious Wisconsin brewery marketed its beer as Pabst “Blue Ribbon.”
blank

4. English Muffins

In addition to Aunt Jemima pancake mix that debuted at the fair, another breakfast item called English Muffins garnered significant attention.  Striking while the iron was hot, S.B. Thomas formed a company that began manufacturing these delightfully airy bread rounds under the name of Thomas’s English Muffins.  Since then, they have been a staple at the morning table and afternoon tea where the nooks and crannies of the signature craters are perfect for capturing every last bit of butter and preserves.
blank

5. Shredded Wheat

If pancakes and muffins weren’t up your alley, you could always go to the “Coarse and Dry Wonders of Tomorrow Pavillion” where a new machine patented by a Boston lawyer named Henry Perky was churning out what he described as “little-whole-wheat-mattresses.”  Known later as Shredded Wheat, the product would go on to be one of the most popular breakfast cereals of all-time.
blank

6. Chocolate bars

When a caramel maker named Milton Hershey arrived at the fair, he was absolutely blown away.  That’s because a German manufacturer from Dresden had demonstrated how to make something called chocolate — a sweet most Americans at that time have never heard of, let alone even tasted.  After sampling this delightful confection, he immediately purchased the equipment used to make it.  And in a very short time, he was able to make chocolate in a convenient bar form that could be purchased by both rich and poor, creating a whole empire based on what he saw that day in Chicago!

Sources:

Apps, Jerry. Breweries of Wisconsin. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005.
Larson, Erik. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. New York: Crown Publishers, 2003.
Mattern, Joanne. Milton Hershey: Hershey’s Chocolate Creator. Edina: ABDO Publishing Company, 2011.
Smith, Andrew. Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.
Smith, Andrew. Food and Drink in American History: A “Full Course” Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2013.
Smith, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2006.

You might also like:

 Loading ...

Question: My husband and I are arguing about whether or not feta cheese can have cow’s milk in it. Please settle this.

Answer: Both of you are correct. Traditionally there are specific rules that Feta Cheese must have at least 70% sheep’s milk and up to 30% goat’s milk – no cow’s milk. It is a Protected Designation of Origin product from Greece within the European Union. However many countries including Greece now produce a different type of feta using some or even all cow’s milk in making it. Lots of recipes on line for a home-made “modern” feta using cow’s milk. Hope this helps.

You might also like:

 Loading ...