What's in a name...again
By nature, I’m pedantic: I like words, facts, and figures to be correct. Otherwise, how else do we know what’s true and what’s not? Although pedantry can obscure essential truths that lie beneath hard facts and figures, it always remains important to be able to understand and explain what’s accurate and what’s not: otherwise, we give in to the “post-truth” world.
Which is an overly dramatic introduction to a discussion on what’s Cava and what’s not Cava. I’ve written about this before, explaining the three breakaways from the D.O.—Corpinnat, Clàssic Penedès, and the standalone producer Raventós i Blanc, all of whom often get described as Cava even though they have left the designation. It continues to frustrate that very few people within the industry seem to care about appellation rules, terms, what they signify, and how best to communicate a region to consumers.
Or, to put it another way, it’s about time these producers were put under the spotlight because whereas Cava producers—sometimes fairly, often unfairly—are criticised either in-print or in-person for the low quality of the wines and their lack of respect for place and history, these other producers get a free pass. Wines by Corpinnat producers are always amazing, astonishing, true reflections of place, what Cava ought to be and strive to be—see an article in Wine Enthusiast, “Why the Best 'Cava’ isn’t called Cava Anymore (sic).” Articles like these read like puff-pieces for Corpinnat rather than demonstrating a deep understanding of the region and wines.
Another recent article in Wine Enthusiast focused on visiting Catalunya, where the majority of Cava is made. It included recommendations for several restaurants (of which there are many great examples in the region), and highlighted a producer to taste and visit. Great, exactly what any wine and food lover travelling to Catalunya needs. The article was titled, “An Eating and Drinking Guide to Spain’s Penedès Region, the Birthplace of Cava,” and the opening paragraph began, “Around 25 miles to the west of Barcelona lies (sic) the rolling hills of Penedès, one of Spain’s oldest wine regions and the land of Cava. These crisp sparklers have a pedigree that goes back generations.” So one assumes the article is going to focus on Cava, its history, and the styles of wine, but it showcases just one producer—Llopart—who left the designation when Corpinnat was provisionally formed in 2016.
Maybe this shouldn’t matter. But Wine Enthusiast used the Cava name in both headlines (and URL links) to generate hits, to feature in SEOs, to draw people to read the piece, to raise money from advertising. All to promote a producer who deliberately left the designation nearly ten years ago. Likewise another recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “These Cavas Offer Champagne Quality at Half the Cost.” Another great headline featuring the Cava name, except in the middle of the piece are two paragraphs on Raventós i Blanc who left Cava in 2012. It also perpetuated the myth that Raventós i Blanc are going to create their own D.O. which they are unable to do (and why leave a D.O. to create a new one?). Leaving a named designation is a big risk which Llopart, Raventós i Blanc, and other producers carefully considered; one of the risks—and perceived advantages—is not being associated with such a famous name which also has an awkward reputation. But it also means those producers can’t ride on the back of the Cava name for their self-promotion; wine writers—and the producers themselves—should know better.
And so should those in the wine business. Many shops, restaurants, and online sites list Corpinnat, Clàssic Penedès, and Raventós i Blanc as “Cava”; those wines have featured in blind tasting exams as “Cava.” I just tasted a few wines from Vins el Cep, a Cava producer, and Llopart, all equally good and interesting. The sales rep I was tasting with constantly referred to Llopart as a great example of Cava: but it says Corpinnat on the label, these are wines you sell and should know about, they don’t consider themselves as Cava! If a producer is a member of a regional designation, they benefit; if they leave, they lose those benefits.
There is still a lot of confusion. For example, the ethos of Corpinnat is maintaining the traditions of Catalan sparkling wine, which they felt Cava producers were not doing, and therefore only indigenous varieties can be used: yet Llopart’s Rosé—which is fantastic—contains 21% Pinot Noir. Clàssic Penedès is attached to the lesser-known (though historically important) D.O. Penedès. These, again, are very good wines but do they mean anything to the consumer if you don’t use the “Cava” name? Can these producers benefit in the long term from using their own classifications, or do they need the Cava name to succeed?
The Clàssic Penedès website is also confusing and unclear: it states,
“Strictly following the traditional and ancestral methods, with the objective of consolidating Clàssic Penedès among the best sparkling wines in the world, our producers must hold Clàssic Penedès wines for at least 15 months in the cellar. This effectively makes all Clàssic Penedès wines Reservas.”
Traditional and ancestral methods are different; which one do producers actually use? Reserva is a Cava term for a wine aged for 18 months; how long are Clàssic Penedès wines actually aged and why are they comparing themselves directly to a Cava designation if they want to be dissociated from Cava? Perhaps because they know the general consumer knows the Cava name, but not these other new groupings.
Having to repeatedly write about the different factions with Catalunya’s wine industry is tiresome. We just need widespread clarity which shouldn’t be that difficult to explain: Cava is a D.O.; Corpinnat is an EU-recognised brand; Clàssic Penedès is sparkling wine from D.O. Penedès; Raventós i Blanc are in their own independent space. Writing that last sentence shows that it’s not actually that easy to explain these separate entities in a straightforward way, which doesn’t help anyone. It’s not an insoluble problem, but it requires some honesty. And just call them by the names they have chosen to use.
