Wine lovers & professionals weigh in on the best of Spain’s sparkling wine
Not all sparkling wines are created equal and Penedes based wine tourism company, Wine Pleasures, knows this better than anyone. Wine Pleasures, founded in 2004 by cava fan and businessman, Anthony Swift, has become one of the leading wine event & tourism companies in Spain. Swift announced today that Wine Pleasures’ first e-book, titled 50 Great Cavas, will be available for free download on their website as of September 1st, 2011.
“We once Googled “great cavas” and nothing showed up so we decided to do something about it,” said Swift. “We created the very first e-book on the subject directed at both consumer and importer interests.”
The book not only presents tasting notes, price ranges and scores for 50 of the region’s greatest sparkling quaffs, but it also details the history, process and grapes of Cava. To make it personal, the panel has also thoroughly visited and profiled each of the wineries that made it into the top 50 with their cavas.
Panel judge and American wine sales professional Jeff Didra said “The visits were amazing. At every winery we were led by either the owner or winemaker and really got a feel for what made each bodega so special. More importantly though, through our visits we came to understand Cava on a much grander scale…what makes it such a distinct region in terms of people, quality, innovation, and character.”
Of the 152 Cavas tasted, 20% of those reviewed scored over 90 points and the vast majority are priced under 15 Euros. This book is the definitive guide to Cava and is a must for anyone wanting to learn more about the region, where to go, which cavas to buy and who to talk to.
Ah, bet it doesn’t include Tesco Cava, of which we said: “My routine is to get the Tesco product down to a hairsbreadth above absolute zero, and what do I find but a nice prickly mousse, followed by a hint of burnt caramel on the tongue, then a ferocious poof as it expands rapidly across the floor of the mouth like a CO2 fire extinguisher, leaving only a chesty rasp in its wake. It passes the time very agreeably, especially when you consider what we paid.”
More here: http://sedimentblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/tesco-cava.html