Avinyó Cava Brut NV

Produced in the actual bottle in the same painstaking way as French Champagne, the Avinyó Brut is Cava at its finest. A lovely pearl of a bubble beads to the top of the glass: soft scents of apple, pear, and fresh bread delight the nose. In the mouth, creamy fruit and the faintest hint of cinnamon caress the palate. Fun, flavorful and easy to drink, the Avinyó Brut is one of the tasting panels favorite sparkling wines. Kudos to the Esteve Nadal family for producing such charming, well-balanced “Champagne” or should we say Cava, whose beguiling aftertaste lingers for nearly a minute. Exhibiting neither an acidic bite nor a flat, flabby finish, the Avinyó Cava will either change your mind entirely about sparking wines or make you wonder why some people spend exorbitant sums on luxury brands of French Champagne. We suggest serving the Avinyó Brut chilled (about 40º F).

It is nice to know some things don’t change. Hors d’oeuvres, smoked salmon with capers and onions, and even that special someone remain some of our favorite accompaniments to the Avinyó Brut. Like all fine sparkling wines, less is usually more. Neither “heady” nor heavy accentuates the subtle delicacy of sparkling wine, especially Cava. Although our preference is to consume the Avinyó Brut as an aperitif with family and friends, we do like what it does for lightly grilled or sautéed fish, and the fact that it will stand up to an herb-roasted chicken, with asparagus, attests to its subtle complexity. You may also want to try it with veal or turkey. And for those few among us who may still insist upon saving the bubbly for after dinner, we suggest serving the Avinyó Brut with fruit or cheese. Enjoy!

Avinyó is, perhaps, the most highly acclaimed boutique Cava producer in all Spain. This outstanding little cellar consistently fashions a pearl of a wine, a rare bubbly that exhibits both delicacy and finesse, as well as a true artisan purity for which Catalonia is renowned. The Esteve Nadal family of Avinyonet del Penedés produces Avinyó at the family owned winery. The winery is located at CAN FONTANALS, the family’s home, in the heart of the Penedés region of Catalonia, near Barcelona. The Nadal family’s delicious sparkling wine, known locally as Cava, is crafted in the same painstaking way as Champagne. Until quite recently, it was the only wine the family made for sale, preferring to concentrate its talents on making just one wine – the finest Cava in Spain. More than three decades ago, Juan Esteve, the patriarch of Avinyó, planted three varieties of traditional Catalan vines: Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo, so that he could have a fine sparkling wine for his family, friends, and the cadre of distinguished guests who were arriving to visit his wife – a celebrated ceramic artist. Today Juan Esteve’s two sons and a daughter carry on the tradition of Avinyó, providing only small quantities of exquisite bubbly for export. On the Avinyó label, there is an inscription in Catalan that aptly represents the philosophy of the Esteve Nadal family. The inscription roughly translates into the following: “From the must of the flower or free run juice and with the rigor of a work well crafted.” This symbolizes the family’s artisan values and the commitment to the ultimate quality of its wine. There also appears on the label a tiara from the church of the local village. Indeed, the Esteve Nadal family has crafted a jewel that many in the wine trade have rightly called “other worldly.” The masio or farmhouse that originally housed Avinyó’s winery is also the workshop of Fina Via, the wife of Juan Esteve; her work is legendary in Catalonia’s. Her ceramic works appear throughout the region and all of them are done according to the same traditional methods that were used in Catalonia during the seventeenth century, Spain’s Golden Age. On the subject of Avinyó’s beautiful wine, one well-known wine critic so aptly stated. “How much more beautiful the world would be with a little more art, a little more love and a few more wines like Avinyó Cava.” And indeed, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Senor and Senora Esteve Nadal for doing their part to preserve the traditions of Catalonia, in both art and wine. In the words of one distinguished and long-time member of our tasting panel: “It is obvious that this family’s pearls are not hidden, they shine forth in my glass.” Assuredly, this tiny estate continues to do its part to make the world a better place. Cava: Spanish Bubbly It has been said that Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne. Others would argue that is more of a rebuke. However, Cava and Champagne have much in common, including their taste and method of production. Both are produced by the traditional champagne method of fermenting the wine in the bottle. More fine champagne method sparkling wine flows out of Spain’s region of Catalonia than anywhere else on earth, including Champagne. And like Champagne, Cava is primarily a non-vintage wine that is made in a consistent distinct house style that does not vary. Moreover, the limestone hills beyond Barcelona provide the ideal soil condition, nearly identical to that of Champagne, for the cultivation of the native Xarelo-lo, Parellada, Viura, and Macabeo grapes for sparkling wine. With the addition of champagne yeasts during the fermentation, the high-acid musts of Catalonia yield sparkling wines of rich flavor, softness and finesse to rival those of Champagne itself. Where Cava may actually have the “edge” is in its soft, round, lingering finish – the antithesis of French Champagne which can often possess just a bit too much nerve and acidity in its aftertaste or finish. Although Cava can be made in many areas of Spain, it is the Catalan versions from Penedés that have formed the bulwark of quality and captured the world’s attention. Centered near the town of San Sadurni de Noya, 20 miles west of Barcelona, the production of Cava has taken the world by storm. In the past thirty years, the export of Cava has grown from a relative trickle to Spain’s leading wine export; Cava is presently the world’s number one selling champagne method sparkling wine.