Cava needs to better communicate quality, trade body claims
Date£º
2015-05-13 14:55 Source£º
harpers.co.uk Author:
Arabella Mileham Translator:
Cava needs to better communicate its quality credentials, the head of the Cava trade body has claimed.
Pedro Bonet Ferrer, President of the Consejo Regulador Cava told Harpers.co.uk the passing of a new EU law to establish a new classification rank for single estate wines would help boost the image of Cava, which has seen sales suffer in the UK.
¡°We need to go all over the world showing that we have the quality of wine,¡± he said, speaking to Harpers.co.uk at the tasting event organised by the Consejo Regulador Cava last night.
It has taken two years for the EU to approve the establishment of the Cava del Paraje Calificado, which is expected to be active by the end of the year. However Bonet Ferrer said there was still much that needs to be worked out to determine the exact parameters and determine which wines will make the grade. In addition to being from one single estate, it is expected that a maximum yield per hectare will be set, and Cavas will have to be aged for at least 36 months, compared to a minimum of 9 for standard Cava, and verified by specialists.
¡°I am not sure how many will qualify ¨C probably only about 2% or 3%¡±, he admitted. ¡°Cava¡¯s that meet the specific quality will be the same proportion as Bordeaux, the best of the best, but the total premium Cava is only around 30m bottles of Reserva and Grand Reserva.¡±
¡°These types of premium products won¡¯t sell in the supermarkets, but we want to change the image and segmentation, distribution and introduce more modern distribution¡± he said, ¡°Cava is not just one type of sparkling wine.There is a wide range of premium Cavas as the territory is so large.¡±
Richard Hemming MW agreed that there was an association between Cava and poor quality sparkling wines, but that this was not a valid presumption. Cava producers were keen to boost the quality of their offering and withdraw from the higher volume, lower quality markets, he said, particularly as the sparkling market is the only growing market in the UK wine trade.
¡°The passing of the new law would give consumers and the trade a clear sign of wines that represent the best quality, and which are aspirational,¡± he said. ¡°Hopefully, this will have a trickle-down effect so that producers aim higher.¡±