Cava is the premium sparkling wine of Spain with rich floral aromatics as well as fruity and citrusy notes with a depth of nutty flavour as the wine is aged. Renowned for its versatility, Cava stands as one of the most food-friendly wines available. Its balanced profile and fresh acidity make it the perfect accompaniment to a wide range of dishes.
While Cava is considered one of the greatest sparkling wines, being rivalled by Champagne, makes people think that Cava is only a celebratory wine, to be uncorked on special occasions. However, Cava pairs excellent with loads of different types of foods so why not open a good bottle of Cava whenever you feel like it?
Taste Profiles for pairing Cava
It might sound strange but the food that goes along the best with Cava is Potato Chips.
Similar to other sparkling wines, Cava is high in acidity. Salt always balances out acid. As a result, any salty foods such as potato chips will reduce the acidity of the wine and give a perception of more body and depth to the wine allowing the delicate notes of the wine to shine.
On the other hand, the high acidity of Cava can bring out more flavour and depth in rich and heavy foods. The acid in Cava cuts through fatty dishes and improves the mouthfeel of the food and the slightly bitter notes of the wine allow the richness of the food to shine.
Meanwhile, contrary to public opinion, Cava should not ideally be paired with desserts or sweets. Sugar emphasizes the acid. Any food that is sweet increases the perception of acidity and bitterness in the wine. It is commonly known that having sweet food will make your beverage taste less sweet.
Pairing by Style of Cava
The maturity of Cava also plays a key role in factoring food pairing. Young Cava aged for 9 months is brighter and fresher with fruity, citrusy notes and higher acidity. It pairs well with more delicate foods high in fat, food that is cooked in pork lard or cooked in oil or butter as well as the natural fat from avocado in a guacamole.
The shorter-aged Cava Reserva which is aged for 15 months is more earthy with notes of ripe fruits and nutty aromas similar to almonds. It pairs well with a lot of foods ranging from vegetables, nuts, sausages, spicy food, complex seafood dishes, fried foods, meat as well as Mexican tacos.
The longer-aged Gran Cava Reserva which is aged for 30 months has a more complex profile with mature nutty flavours and zesty citrusy notes. It is best for pairing with bold flavours and complex dishes. It pairs well with complex seafood dishes such as smoked salmon and caviar as well as rice, meat, and Oriental food cooked in coconut milk, corn, and spicy dishes, and is the prime choice of wine to go with cheeses and hams.
Charcuterie and Cava go hand in hand
Cava is the prime choice for pairing with a well-curated Spanish Cheese board or the classic Tapas. You can never go wrong when pairing Cava with the classic Iberian ham, Jamón, Smoked salmon, Sliced veal, Foie gras, Prosciutto or Serrano Ham.
Cheeses that will pair perfectly with Cava include Manchego, Cheddar, Vacherin, Torta del Casar, Gruyere, Comte, Asiago and any sheep’s milk matured cheeses.
Almost all nuts go along well with Cava from almonds. pistachios, hazelnuts to dried figs and apricots. Cava also works wonderfully with acidic foods such as Spanish olives, Capers and the classic Spanish delicacy Boquerones en Vinagre, anchovies in vinegar.
Cava is also a perfect choice for any Tapas especially Pimentos de Padron which are salted pan-fried peppers or the classic Patatas Bravas which are fried and spiced potatoes. When it comes to Cava and Tapas, the sky is the limit!
Cava and Seafood
From something as basic as anchovies from a tin can to something as complex as traditional stews like zarzuela, Cava is perfect for seafood. It is one of the best wines to pair with seafood. The acidity in wine has an effect on seafood that helps to make the texture firm and taste less fishy.
Shorter aged Cava goes incredibly well with delicate seafood such as oysters, tartare, scallops, steamed fish dishes, fried fish, shrimp as well as sushi! While longer-aged Cava goes splendidly well with fried fish, lobster or langoustine, and complex seafood stews.
Pairing Cava with Vegetables
Artichokes are notoriously difficult vegetables to pair with other food or beverages. However, in the winter in Catalonia, a small seasonal variety of artichoke is grown which is cooked with olive oil on charcoal to be served with Cava.
Cava can pair phenomenally well with vegetables, tenderising the fibre with its acidity. It goes especially well with butter-tossed, grilled or fried vegetables and any salad with less acidity in its dressing.
Cava and Rice dishes
Cava is remarkable for its versatility. It is one of the few wines that improve the taste of rice.
It is well known to pair along with any rice dishes from simple Thai lemongrass rice or fried rice to complex classical rice dishes such as Italian risottos or Persian jewelled rice.
Cava is a part of the Spanish cuisine
Last but not least, one cannot overlook the classic gem of Spanish cuisine, Paella, a traditional rice dish cooked with saffron, vegetables, chicken and seafood in one pot. The two masterpieces of Spanish food and beverage culture pair together like a miraculous symphony. The savoury umami flavour of the paella is sometimes underappreciated due to its oily nature. This is where the acidity of Cava works remarkably well in brushing aside the fatty nature of the paella and bringing out a depth of flavour while enjoying the notes of fruity aromas from the wine at the end.
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