The holidays are here and therefore it is time to celebrate with bubbly! I love to serve any type of sparkling wine for Christmas, New Years, and birthdays. It feels festive and to me is sophistication and elegance in a glass. Last night we opened a bottle of Bohigas Brut Cava Reserva to celebrate the birth of our niece Alessandra Elizaveta. This was a very appropriate choice to celebrate a huge family event as this winery has been in the hands of the same family since the 13th century! I had purchased this bottle after it was served to kick off the Old World Wines class at New York Vintners. I have taken many of their classes so if you are in the NYC area I highly recommend experiencing them.
Cava is Spain’s version of a sparkling wine and is a wonderful and affordable alternative to Champagne. Bohigas Brut Cava Reserva is composed of 50% Xarel·lo, 30% Macabeo, and 20% Parellada grapes. It is made in the traditional method in which a second fermentation takes place in the bottle, the lees are removed, and a solution of wine and sugar is added. In the glass this wine is a pale straw color with aromas of pear and slight wet rock. It is dry with great acidity and has very little sweetness. On the palate I perceived mainly citrus notes of both lemon and lime as well as a hint of peach. It is 12% alcohol and retails anywhere between $14-$20 which is an outstanding value in my opinion.
I hope you will consider Cava to celebrate your milestones or even better any occasion where you feel like sparkling. Happy and Healthy Holidays to all!
