Cava predicts a good-quality harvest

The president of D.O. Cava, Javier Pagés, highlights the efforts made by winegrowers after a long period of drought.

• This harvest is marked by fine quality grapes and the consolidation of the Cava de Guarda Superior category.

After three years marked by an intense and persistent drought, the D.O. Cava vineyards in the heart of the Penedès region, the quality Spanish sparkling wine’s main production area, have recovered considerably thanks to the much-anticipated spring rains. An excellent harvest is expected in terms of qualitative criteria. The rain has mitigated a drought that had pushed the survival capacity of some vines to their limit. As a result, the Regulatory Council’s Technical Services are forecasting an excellent quality harvest. The ripening process is progressing well.

This year the grape harvest will not start as early; it is expected to begin somewhat later than the last two years. The Regulatory Council’s Technical Services point out that "the harvest is a long one and there is still some way to go". However, they noted that "quality predictions are good".

Due to this year's more favourable weather, both in terms of temperature and rainfall, grapes are expected to have good acidity and a phenolic composition suitable for the production of Cava base wines with the potential for long ageing. This season has been marked by a cool May and June with occasional rainfall, and a spring and summer where temperatures thus far have remained within the seasonal average. These climatic characteristics have benefited the vineyards’ various stages of evolution, from the phenological phases of flowering through to veraison. Such stages have enjoyed the ideal conditions to ensure an optimal harvest in terms of the grapes’ physicochemical characteristics. In addition, the vineyards are in fine health.

The president of D.O. Cava, Javier Pagés, highlighted that:

"The winegrowers have worked hard, and have succeeded in recovering the vineyards, by pruning them respectfully, and taking into account the requirements of each plant after the drought and the successive periods of extreme heat".

He added that, on the whole, it has been a good season. Pagés also highlighted the resilience of Cava, which has managed to successfully overcome the effects of the pandemic, drought, and climate change. In addition, the president of the Cava D.O. emphasised the consolidation of the highest-quality category, that of the Guarda Superior Cavas, made from organic vineyards more than 10 years old. Javier Pagés insisted that "the future of Cava lies in continuing to focus on quality and the value of the Cava brand". This quality, he added, is guaranteed by the demanding requirements established by the Regulatory Council, which during the harvest period reinforces the team with a hundred monitors as well as 10 vineyard technicians. These winemaking professionals oversee the regulation of the quality requirements and guarantee of origin provided by the Cava Designation of Origin.

D.O. Cava, commitment to origin, land and sustainability

With international sales of more than 70%, Cava is the Spanish D.O. that has the highest exports. The Cava industry brings together over 38,000 hectares of vineyards and more than 6,200 winegrowers, and its 349 associated wineries are present in over 100 countries. Cava pairs harmoniously with every type of gastronomy, and is made using the traditional method, involving a strict commitment to origin, land and sustainability.