Cava, like Champagne in France, is made with the Traditional Method of sparkling wine production, however it can not be called "Champagne". The law prohibits the use of the term Champagne for sparkling wines outside of the Champagne region in France. While most people are used to call sparkling wines "champagne", the proper name for all sparkling wines other than Champagne thus is "sparkling wine".
1. Cava Winemaking Method:
The bubbles or sparkles are produced during the Second Fermentation. In the Traditional Method of sparkling winemaking, the Second Fermentation does not take place in the pressure tank, but instead occurs in the bottle, the same bottle to be sold eventually.
2. Cava Wine Regions:
In Spain, Cava is produced in DO* Cava, which includes five regions. The grapes for Cava are Macabeo (or called Viura in Rioja), Xarel-lo and Parellada. Some producers now include a proportion of Chardonnay (one of the traditional grapes for Champagne) for its flavors that are familiar to international wine consumers.
*DO, Denominaci
