page_title: Cava (Spanish wine)
section_title: Production
hierarchical_section_title: Cava (Spanish wine) / Production
caption_attribution_description: Image of Xarel lo grapes used to make Cava.
context_page_description: Cava is a sparkling wine of Denominación de Origen status from Spain. It may be white or rosé. The Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo are the most popular and traditional grape varieties for producing cava. Only wines produced in the traditional method may be labelled "cava"; those produced by other processes may only be called "sparkling wines". About 95% of all cava is produced in the Penedès area in Catalonia, Spain, with the village of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia being home to many of Catalan largest production houses. The two major producers are Codorníu and Freixenet. Cava is also produced in other villages in Aragon, Castile and León, Extremadura, La Rioja, Basque Country, Navarre and Valencia.
  Marketing Cava as "Spanish champagne" is no longer permitted under European Union law, since Champagne has Protected Geographical Status and Spain entered the EU in 1986. Colloquially it is still called champán or champaña in Spanish or xampany in Catalan. Today it is defined by law as a "quality sparkling wine produced in a designated region".
  The word champán in Spanish is not to be confused with achampañado, a colloquial term for the non-traditional method sparkling wines.
context_section_description: According to Spanish law, cava may be produced in Catalonia. The Penedès is located in Catalonia. Cava is also produced in other villages in Aragon, Castile and León, Extremadura, La Rioja, Basque Country, Navarre and Valencia.
  To make rosé cava, blending is not allowed. The wine must be made via Saignée method using Garnacha, Pinot noir, Trepat or Monastrell. Besides Macabeu, Parellada, and Xarello, Cava may also contain Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Subirat grapes.  The first cava to use chardonnay was produced in 1981. Like any other quality sparkling wine, cava is produced in varying levels of sweetness, ranging from the dryest, brut nature, through brut, brut reserve, seco, semiseco, to dulce, the sweetest.
caption: Xarel·lo, one of the principal grapes in cava
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