High quality and low production are the hallmarks of the DO Cava harvest

The positive collaboration with the sector and the increase in resources have been key to ensuring compliance with current quality standards required by DO Cava.

Vilafranca del Penedès, 6 October 2020.- The Cava Regulatory Board declared the end of the Cava harvest on Monday 5 October, one of the earliest ends to the harvest in recent years. The 2020 harvest concluded with high-quality grapes but a slight decrease in production as a result of mildew in some areas. This was the result of damp conditions and heavy rain in the spring, as well as the production limit of 10,000 kg per hectare which was unanimously approved by the Regulatory Board for this season. According to data from the Cava Regulatory Board’s technical department, an average 25% global decrease in production was expected for the Designation of Origin compared to 2019, in particular in the Alt and Baix Penedès regions, as well as for vineyards using ecological farming methods. The result is that the DO Cava harvest this year was 240 million kg grapes compared to 322 million kg the previous year.

“The drought we had in the two months before the harvest helped to mitigate the effects of the mildew and produced small fruit with moderate acidity, resulting in high-quality grapes,” said Luis Marco, director of the Regulatory Board’s technical department. Climatic conditions also brought the harvest forward by two weeks.

It is important to note the extensive collaboration between winegrowers and wineries, as well as the record number of 90 verifiers that the Regulatory Board made available this harvest, factors which ensured compliance with the strict quality controls and guaranteed both the origin and excellence of the grapes. This, along with the creation of a coordination centre, has proved indispensable in confirming and streamlining the work of the verifiers, using new technology and mobile applications specifically designed for the harvest. Daily declarations have made it possible to verify deliveries of grapes, including the kilos, quality, variety, grade, origin and provenance, and all in real time.

This has insured a high-quality harvest based on strict criteria that ensure the traceability of the grape and a level of quality which ultimately produces some extraordinary Cavas.

DO CAVA

With over 60% of international sales, CAVA is the Spanish DO with the most exports. It includes over 38,000 hectares of vineyards and more than 6,800 wine producers. It has 370 associate wineries in more than 100 countries. CAVA creates universal culinary harmonies and is made using traditional methods and with dedication and commitment to origin, territory, and sustainability.