Juve & Camps Cava

Are you having a sparkling summer so far? With Prosecco Week, Sparkling Wine Week, and now International Cava Day on July 12, we have had lots of reasons to break out the bottles of bubbly! One of the reasons I love these  wine celebrations is that they give us a moment to pay attention to a particular wine, region, or style– in this case Cava– and a chance to review what that wine is all about. Most people know that Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain, but did you know it’s made using the same method as they do in France for Champagne or Cremant but with grapes indigenous to Iberia like Xarel·lo, Macabeo, Parellada? Read more about the authorized grapes here.

I was excited to learn that Spain leads Europe in certified organic vineyards, and that the category of organic Cava grew by almost 25% last year!

In fact, D.O. Cava reports that the entire category of Guarda Superior will become 100% organic in 2025; currently, over 32 million bottles of organically-certified bottles were sold in 2023. In some areas of the world it is easier than others to grow organically, and D.O. Cava’s conditions make it possible to implement organic viticulture. But it also takes a commitment to sustainability which D.O. Cava has made. Find Cava D.O. on a map.

rockfish and cava

I was also surprised to learn that Spain is the European leader by area of certified organic vineyards, and Cava D.O. has almost 110,000 hectares or organic vineyards. Producers say organic agriculture certification is important when selling their Cavas and for consumers who choose a Cava based on the European Union’s organic certificate which guarantees that no chemicals have been used in the vineyard for the past three years or more. In addition to the E.U. certification, the Catalan Council for Organic Agricultural Production (CCPAE), grants a certificate to organic plant-based products grown without chemically-synthesised fertilisers or pesticides like fungicides, insecticides or herbicides. Read more about sustainability here.

Cava has more than 70% of Spain’s international sales, and Cava D.O. is the Spanish D.O. with the most exports.

On July 12, we join Spain and the world to toast #CAVADAY in a celebration of Cava which comes in various styles from light and fresh to complex to sweet — one to go with every occasion and dish. There’s even a rose or use it in Cava cocktails like these as suggested by D.O. Cava. For pairing ideas, check out this chart from D.O. Cava.

• 2016 Juvé & Camps Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature

Menu

• Lemon herb olives
• On Crostinis–
  From Spain: Chorizo, Tres Leches, Farmstead Manchego, Queso de Murcia Al Vino PDO
  From Portugal: Coelho de Vilao, Quito de Nisa DOP
  From Italy: Prosciutto
• Raw oysters and grilled oysters with Spanish chorizo
• Dates stuffed with blue cheese and pecans wrapped in prosciutto
• Mussels with Portuguese Barriga de Sueno from Minho Fumeiro
• Grilled Spanish Style Whole Red Snapper
• Mediteranean Orzo Salad

rockfish and cava

2016 Juve & Camps Reserva de la Familia Brut Nature

ABV: 12%
SRP:
Grapes: organic 50% Xarel·lo, 35% Macabeo, 15% Parellada
Importer: Vintus LLC
purchased by Gwendolyn at Grocery Outlet (!!)

In the beginning, the Juvé y Camps family had their own reserve of this Cava, it is still the only Brut Nature that they make,  it is the flagship cuvée of the Juvé y Camps estate winery, and the Cava of choice of Spain’s royal family, so it is regularly served at all official banquets.

Appearance:  Golden, buttercup, platinum rim, larger bubbles cling to the side of the glass while delicate bubbles arise from the middle of the glass.

Aroma: White flower, jasmine, citrus, chamomile, sunflower, toast, fennel

Palate: Beautiful bubbles that envelope the palate, great balance between active and caressing, gentle foam, Meyer lemon, lime, green apple, grapefruit, citrus up front and apple and asian pear on the finish,

Pairing: Absolutely amazing with the fresh oyster bringing out beautiful cucumber and melon in te oyster and salinity in the wine, The grilled oysters were a bit too salty for Sue, she really wanted to make adjustments to the dish, however it went perfectly with the wine, the wine goes fantastically with the mint in the orzo salad, the wine really loved the flavor profile of the salad, really great with the grilled fish loving the oregano and other aromatics that went into the belly of the fish. This wine loves the sweet dates salty blue cheese and the toasted pecans in the stuffed dates.

rockfish and cava