When is a sparkling wine from Spain not Cava? While the blend of 40% Xarel-lo, 35% Macabeu, 20% Parellada, and 5% Malvasia de Sitges sounds like Cava, this wine is not from one of the six Cava D.O.s in Spain–Aragon, Navarra, Rioja, Pais Vasco, Valencia and Extremadura — which produce about 10%. And  it’s not a Cava coming from Catalonia near Penedes in northeastern Spain, even though originally Cava could only come from Catalonia, and 90s% still comes from Catalonia, however, now it can come from anywhere. This sparkling Spanish wine is from the Raventos family who decided to leave their Cava D.O. and form a new one, Conca del Riu Anoia. 

This is really saying something as the Raventos family has been growing grapes and making wine since 1497, making them the family with the longest documented winegrowing tradition in Europe– and they

brought the method of making sparkling wine from France and began using it with their Spanish grapes becoming Cordoniu, one of the more well known Cava producers in Catalonia. Read more about their history here– it’s really interesting!

So why did the Raventos leave Cava for what is now known as Conca del Riu Anoia, or Conca for short? 

Farming is one reason: they wanted to create a distinct D.O. known for sustainable viticulture. Read more about Raventos commitment to organic, biodynamic practices here.

They’re not alone in striking out: you can read about others in this great explainer about non-Cava Spanish sparkling wines from Martin Redmond. 

Happy Sparkling Wine Week! Put some Cava or other sparkling wine from Spain in your glass and toast all the beautiful bubbles! 

Menu

• open faced anchovy sandwiches on a bed of arugula:
  on a roll, layer tapenade, then ricotta (or burrata or another fresh creamy cheese), then arugula, then anchovies, then walnuts; drizzle with high quality olive oil
  if it feels unwieldy or you want to capture all the flavors, put the top of the roll on the sandwich
• open faced grilled fruit on ricotta and toasted bread 
• potato chips

2020 Raventos i Blanc, Conca del Riu Anoia

ABV: 12%
SRP: $28
Grapes: biodynamically grown 40% Xarel-lo, 35% Macabeu, 20% Parellada,  5% Malvasia de Sitges
Importer: Skurnik
Purchased at the Point de Chene at an industry discount.

Raventos is committed to practicing biodynamic viticulture in the Conca del Riu Anoia region of what was formerly Cava DO.  Their wines are made in the traditional method. 

While generally 50% of a Spanish sparkling wine is made from Macabeo, which is the most widely planted grape in the Cava D.O., the unusual, distinct earthy notes in Cava and this wine comes from the Xarel-lo grapes which provide 40% of the blend here. 

Appearance:  Pale yellow, very small persistent bubbles

Aroma: Toasted almond, earth, funk, meadow grass, chamomile, dirt, different aspects of earth, dirt, damp soil, and creekside. Did we mention that there’s an interesting earthy note? Yes that’s the 40% Xarel-lo!

Palate: Tart, the foam and acidity tickles your palate in a very pleasing manner, phosphate, minerals on the finish, lean and crisp. I would like to lay this bottle down and revisit it in 10 years. Sue just wanted to sip and enjoy now, and she said no way to wasting this on a cocktail. This is a very sophisticated wine. 

Pairing: Absolutely perfect with our anchovy sandwiches, both are bright and fresh together. Substance without being heavy and flavor profiles that work so well with the wine. The wine loves the saline ocean flavors. The spicy arugula brings out a slight sweetness in the wine that is not present without the food. Potato chips are also perfect with the wine. 

For more surprising sparklers from Spain, check out:

• “Huevos Rotos (Broken Eggs) + Juve & Camps Reserva de la Familia Gran Reserva Brut” from Camilla at Culinary Cam
• “Cava and Croissants? Yes Please!” from Andrea at The Quirky Cork
• “Grilled Teriyaki Chicken+Cava= A Perfect Summer Pairing” from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• “Coconut Almond Tea Cakes and Torre Oria Cava Rosè / Our Good Life” from Terri at Our Good Life
• “Cava with an eclectic array of Tapas!” from Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles
• “Hoya de Cadenas Cava Brut and Coctel de Camaron” from Deanna at Wineivore
• “2017 Can Descregut Corpinnat Brut Nature Reserva + Spanish Inspired Appetizers!” from Martin at ENOFYLZ Wine
• “Slightly sweet Cava Brut ups your grilling options/ My Full Wine Glass” from Linda at My Full Wine Glass

You can also check out the July 8 twitter chat held at 8am Pacific by searching for the hashtag #winepw.