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EP 962 Cava Tasting

Gary Vaynerchuk has long been a fan of Cava, sparkling wine from Spain, as an alternative to expensive Champagne. Cava comes from the Barcelona region in Spain and ring in at nice price points.

Wines tasted in this episode:

Cavas Hill BrutSpanish Brut Nonvintage
One + One Three BrutSpanish Brut Nonvintage
Codorniu OriginalSpanish Brut Nonvintage
2007 Gramona Gran CuveeSpanish Brut Vintage


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Cara Cassetta

Can cheap-end Cava be compared to high-end Champagne & expect the same quality? I want to see a tasting of Cava priced at the same prices as high-quality Champagne, there we can see the quality-price-value ratio. I don’t feel it’s fair $9 Cava being tasted as an alternative cheap version of Champagne, when Cava is completely unique in it’s own way not simply defined as an imitation. There is some awesome Cava, perhaps it might not be as widely-accessible as other wines, but, beyond convenience they are a treasure waiting to be discovered…

Tags: brut, Cava, review, Spanish, sparkling, Video, wine, wines

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  • Anonymous

    Comment below was directed to dinojr…this system would drive ANYONE to Lurkerville…

  • Anonymous

    Well said – and true.

  • Anonymous

    I’m afraid you’ll still be looking this time next year; they just don’t produce them anymore; ironic, as a little over 100 years ago you couldn’t find a Brut to save your life – almost all champagnes were sweet (to some degree).

  • Anonymous

    You nailed it! All the way up to the final sentence. Thank you ,winelou! agree on the huge range in U.S. quality sparklers (Argyle, to Dr. Frank), French cremants de Loire, Alsace, and Bordeaux, etc., Franciacortas kill Prosecco (It is a sin that noone knows who BellaVista is, though it’s not a cheapie), and those good lambruscos are way better than good! Finally, I’d hadthe priveledge of getting some of that Moutard, this past year, to sell, and highly recommend it.

  • Anonymous

    Your taste today, too, is impeccable! I love Louise, as perhaps the very finest bottle of bubbles (’89), hat I’d sprung for. I poured to 2000 Mountadon, from the etched 3L bottle, in ’06, and it was (maturing), assertive, and astoundingly complex. This was their comp. ‘welcome’ taste to an ultra premium function I was hosting.

  • Anonymous

    ’96 Gimonet Fleuron , I remember , 5 years ago, when they offered it to me. I thought ‘ clearly underpriced for what it is – that was around $60, if I recall correctly. It was lemony, creamy, andreally fresh, at the time. Really smart wine! Really good call, audiofan!

  • Louis del Valle

    Great show. QOD: Having some Mimosas tomorrow with friends. I will go with Cava. Happy holidays to WL. QUESTION: What wines would you use to make minosas?

  • Louis del Valle

    PS Watched on droid. You got to get a cinderellawine and winelibrary apps!

  • Wonderful to see WL building and the main floor…thanks Gary it was a little like being there!!

  • I really enjoyed when you said NO after the 3rd wine…

  • QOTD: I am seriously considering to give CRUASE’ a chance… It’s a rosè sparkling from the region I come from (Oltrepò Pavese), 100% Pinot Noir..

    This has become DOCG in 2007 and in northern Italy they are pushing it hard, quite good price point as well…

    You probably already know all this, would be great to see a Cruasè in your show! Would be like bring a little of where I come from in the WL world…

  • Anonymous

    cv

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: I will be drinking Nyetimber – one of the increasing number of increasingly good English Sparkling wines. Sussex has the same geology as Champagne, and thanks to global warming, has the same climate as Champagne had in the 1980s. It is expensive, but in the context of wine, one of the few ways I can be patriotic !

  • Anonymous

    If a value cava or any wine has a short finish, then take another sip before it falls off the cliff!

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: No sparkling for me, gives me a headache.

  • *does her best impression of Stephen Colbert/Captain Kirk with her fist in the air*

    Rannnndal!

  • Gv
    Thanks for Cava Tasting.
    You didNOT note if you were drinking those Sparkers at room Temp or slightly chilled.

    Happy Holidays to You and the entire WL Team.

    QOTD
    Gonna be drinking the Schramsburg Bkanc De Blanc

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Being part of the CKC I was going to search out some nice Prosecco for NYE but I’ll see if I can find some Cava because even though the wines weren’t showing today I trust you, GV. Thanks for telling it like it is.

  • Easier for me as I’m italian…;)
    I know who Bellavista is, they make very good wines but they fall more in the 20 to 30 euros price point…

  • QOTD: Miolo Sparkling Wine Brut (Brazil), And Saint Hilaire Sparkling Wine (France) Oldest French Sparkling wine, Yes Older than Champagne it self. GO BEARS!!!!!

  • Gangsters Paradise was the name of the song you were looking for Gary.

    On the Winelibrary website you give Cavas Hill Brut (click on the video if you were to buy it) a lot better review. Was that a different year or just a sales pitch????

  • Anonymous

    Always love when you take a “Walk About”. Gives us a little more umph to the operations that is “The Wine Library”. Would definately like to make it out one day to visit. The Store from what we saw looks amazing, Thanks! Enjoyed the show and the nerd aspect to it. The little “Fun Facts” are great. Sorry you had some clunkers, it brings you down and we love that excitment you bring to the show when the bottles are good. All in All Good show, Love when “THE THUNDER” peeks out.

    QOTD: Probably won’t have the bubbles. Will probably go with a Bordeaux.

  • de nada, mention nerdy beers and I’ll be there readin..

  • Marques De Gelida – extremely nice for the price…cheery looking bottle as well.

  • last couple of years I’ve had some Macabeo / Chard blends as still wines and found them pretty tasty.

    QOTD: we’ll have an assortment of inexpensive bubblies for the clementine cocktails, but the home-made bubbly (Louise Swenson, NY76, Vignoles, ES-6-16-30) from 2009 will be served unadulterated.

    How about a Germain/Austrian Sekt show at some point?

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Laurent Perrier or a German Riesling Sekt. Not sure yet.

  • ALLAN

    Can I just say: YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW !!!!!!!!!!!

    IIIII WAAAAAAAANTTTSSSSSS MEEEEEEEE CHRRIIIISSSSTTTTTMAAAAASSSSSSSS THHHHUUUUNNNNNDDDDRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😛

  • Soon my lovely new girlfriend & I will be sipping 1993 Taittinger Comtes Champagne.

    As part of my Champagne Campaign, I’m arranging a prestige cuvée tasting in January with Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill, Cristal, Dom P, Nicolas Feuillatte Palmes d?Or, Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame, Henriot Cuvée Des Enchanteleurs & more! Can’t freaking wait!

  • Anonymous

    Champagne and more champagne. We have 6 bottles of Pierre Peters and 6 of Delamotte for New Years. Also one bottle of Billecart Salmon Rose for us only. Am a big fan of Cava but could have predicted at least 2 of these would have been bad just from previous experience. Can’t believe you pulled out a bottle of Cordinu and expected better. Always tasted like soap to me.

  • Anonymous

    Oh and Weird Al Yankovic did a great takeoff of Gangsters Paradise called Amish Paradise.

  • Globex

    Perfect timing Gary, thanks for introducing this 07 Gramona Gran Cuvee to me. I’m glad I only bought a few bottles of Jean Vesselle Brut Reserve 100% Grand Cru and watched this episode before completing my beverage order today, in time for me to get this Gramona for New Years. A vintage sparkler with a GV 89+ rating for only $16??!!! You saved me $$. Graci!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Nice show GV!!! You should do more shows showing the Store, is awesome!!!

    You almost killed Mott running up the stairs, there is some very heavy breathing on the audio.

    QOTD: I think I?m going to have a yellow label Clicquot, this new-year, for the first time in many years. Last year I had a Cava, Segura Viudas, nice sparkling e awesome bottle design.

  • Anonymous

    To be honest, I find most Cava to be serviceable at best and there’s nothing wrong with serviceable when you’re talking about a 8-10? sparkler. Just don’t very often know what the extra ??? brings to the table when you’re talking about a 15-20? Cava. Had a very nice gran reserva from Pere Ventura recently though

  • Paul Sheridan

    Sorry it was 1 for 4 on the Cava, but great show!

    Especially great since I was able to swing by the b&m wine library for the first time ever yesterday! Being from Washington State, we’re shut out from winelibrary.com, but yesterday I had to drive from Newark to Hammond, NY for the big family Christmas, having flown into Newark late the night before. On the way decided to stop by WL to stare in awe and stock up. Amazing store, truly. I could have spent hours, but had to hit the road, so settled on some Vayniac Cab, Amavi Cab, a St. Chinian, a Beaujolais Cru, a Finger Lakes Riesling, and some blue cheese. Don’t get to NJ much, but every time I do, I’ll be stopping by WL.

    Plus I caught a glimpse of Sasha, and it’s amazing to turn on the old WLTV the next day and get a virtual store tour.

    QOTD: Haven’t given it a lot of thought, honestly, since our NYE plans are low key.

  • Anonymous

    Cava does not come from any Barcelona region,you can find Cava in six different regions: Cataluña,Aragón,Navarra,Rioja,Extremadura and Valencia.

  • Anonymous

    Gary V.
    What a BEAUTIFUL store! Would love to make a road trip from MI to see it (and buy some things of course)! Maybe you will even ship to mi someday!?!?!
    MS

  • My first post here but I just wanted to say that I Love the show and was glad to see the store. I wish PS wasn’t as monopolistic on their wine. If the new Governor sells of the Wine and Spirit stores to private parties I would love to see Gary open one in central PA just like the one he has in Jersey.

  • Anonymous

    You got me hooked in episode(had to look it up) 151. Thanks for all you do.

  • Anonymous

    very warm I suspect.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, please switch it up for the big day.

  • Anonymous

    Maybe soapy cava would pair well w/ cilantro. People new to cilantro often say that they taste soap! And Pierre Peters RULES! As usual, you’re on your game. Through, and through. Just had some Billecart Salmon, at a large throwdown tasting, and as it winds down, while everyone went gaga for a bunch of cali cabs, I cleaned up w/ some B-C.

  • Anonymous

    Nice, new info. Thanks!

  • Anonymous

    Thank you for showing the store Gary. As a New Yorker I’ve always been tempted to come down and check it out. Next time I have a big wine budget I’ll probably go, cause I’ll want to spend a large amount of time in there.

    QOTD: For New Years I know I’ll want to start the evening with some whites. Maybe a Riesling and some Sauterne. But I might actually get some Cava and make some fresh salsa and beans. New Years plans are still up in the air so hard to say about the bubbles and food.

    In case there is no episode today, Gary I hope you have a relaxed holiday(slow down for a bit and get some sleep). I’m sure all the other Vanieyaks are going to have steller celebrations. I myself can’t wait to start tearing into the wines…think I’m more excited about that then the gift exchanges.

  • Glad there was consensus about airing a Cava show, though it’s a shame they didn’t all perform as some others might. During my honeymoon, I consistently had good Cava…my wife had a Rose Cava in Barcelona at La Dama which was phenomenal.

    QOTD: Cava or Prosecco, likely for the value play. Once I (hopefully) have income post-school, I will be ringing in 2012 with some quality Champagne.

  • Nice tour of the facilities G.V., that was a high point of the episode (for me).

    QOTD: We have Freixenet and Bollinger chilling in the wine fridge, we’ll have both.

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: my neighbor has a bubbly from Loire valley that we’ll share (PA purchase)

  • Anonymous

    That was fun- we haven’t been downstairs in a while!

  • Anonymous

    QOTD: Haven’t got there yet, but likely looking at sparkling as opposed to champagne.

  • Anonymous

    I LOVE SITE!!! GREAT STORY IN SUCCESS JUNE 2010 MY BIRTHDATE MONTH!!! WOW!!! He wants to buy the New York Jets. His Brand, Yes BRAND! The Bravado Brand. Thanks for the inspiration!!! Terence

  • Anonymous

    we’ll be having cava! 06 Marques de Gelida

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