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Ingredients
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Cava Ingredients
Method
Cava Preparation
- 1
Harvesting
Carefully hand-harvest the grapes during the early morning hours to retain their freshness.
- 2
Pressing
Press the grapes gently to extract the juice, avoiding the skins to prevent bitterness.
- 3
Fermentation
Inoculate the grape juice with yeast and allow it to ferment in stainless steel tanks for approximately 15-20 days.
- 4
Blending
Blend the base wines to achieve the desired flavor profile. This typically includes using a mix of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada grapes.
- 5
Second Fermentation
Add the liqueur de tirage to the blended wine and bottle it. Cork the bottles and place them horizontally for secondary fermentation, which lasts about 9 months.
- 6
Riddling
After fermentation, gradually turn the bottles to collect sediment in the neck. This process can take several weeks.
- 7
Disgorgement
Remove the cork, expel the sediment, and quickly re-cork the bottle with a dosage of sugar and wine (liqueur d’expédition) if desired.
- 8
Aging
Age the bottled Cava for a minimum of 9 months before release, though longer aging can enhance the flavor.