Cava, the sparkling wine of Spain is one of my favorite types of bubbly. I have enjoyed it ever since the first time I visited Spain. The versatility of these wines, as well as the price, is what makes them so attractive for an aperitif and happy hour enjoyment!

How does Cava compare and differ to Prosecco or Champagne? I get this question a lot when teaching wine classes and the answer is fairly simple. Different countries, different grapes, different production styles (sometimes). The easy way to remember Cava is that it’s from Spain, and is mainly made from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo grapes. Prosecco is from Italy and is made with Glera grapes, while Champagne can be made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes, and has to be from the Champagne region in France.

This piece is about Cava though, so we will stick to talking about Cava, and one of my favorite Cava brands at that! Segura Viudas is an estate that dates back to the 11th century. By the 19th century, the grapes began to flourish and the estate knew the winemaking potential, which began a new future for them! Their mission is to preserve the land and biodiversity, and to create the highest quality cava, while still maintaining the land.

These wines range from $12-25 starting from the Brut all the way to the Brut Reserva. My favorites are the Brut Rosé and the Brut Reserva Heredad, however when it comes to brunch days, I always have a bottle of the Brut on hand for mimosas, and simple but elegant sipping.

The Rosé is dry and a perfect example of what cava that is made into a rosé should be. Made from Trapat grapes, this wine is gorgeous with bright strawberry pink hues and aromas. Nice red currant and fresh red fruit on the nose, following through to the palate, leading to a long finish. Overall this wine is just stunning, and luckily for us during our virtual tasting with Segura Viudas, we had the pleasure of pairing our cava’s with some traditional Spanish Charcuterie and Cheese from Despaña, NYC.

My favorite pairings with the rosé were the Tuna Paté as well as the Jamón! Something salty and fatty like the Marcos Paleta Iberica goes wonderfully with the wine, but also the Agromar bonito tuna Pate paired nicely with the rosé as well, when spread onto a cracker or piece of bread. The Despana Chorizo Sarta was a third winner with this wine, because of the bright red fruit flavors, and smokiness in the sausage!

Another favorite was the Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad! First off the bottle is just stunning and very medieval looking. This wine was created to offer an elegant and upscale sparkling wine, and only, the very best wines are selected from each vintage. They are then aged in the bottle and are in contact with the lees, for more than 30 months. On top of that, the aging of the cava ends with the winemaker giving every bottle a special human touch, where he does a shake of the wrist to each bottle. This increases the contact of the lees with the wine to create a more complex nose for an elegant Cava. This is really a special way to produce Cava and sparkling wines in general!

The aromas are striking with yeast and citrus. Some slight smokiness can be detected followed by hints of honey and flowers. It’s a delicious wine that can be enjoyed with a variety of foods, and I especially enjoyed it with the Vidiago Mini Cheese, the Fermin Lomo Serrano Presliced, and the Cabo de Pena Mussels. Due to the complexity of the wine, it was pair-able with pretty much the entire charcuterie board!

If you’re seeking some new sparkling wines to try, I absolutely recommend Segura Viudas! You will love the range of styles they have to offer and the pricing is perfect for any occasion!