Peanuts and Cava for breakfast; doesn’t get much better right? Well, if that Cava happens to be from Canals i Munné, then it does. This was our first visit to a Cava house and as members of the Wine Pleasures tasting panel, so we were super excited to jump in and see what Spain's sparkling wines were all about. Even though we were all a little weary from our tasting of 11 Cavas the night before (I told you we work hard),but the up-beat Spanish music and equally up-beat Enologist and great-grandson of the founder, Oscar Medina Canals, greeted us with such enthusiasm that we instantly perked up. 

Oscar proudly explained that his ancestors were pioneering winemakers in Sant Sadurní, and planted their first vines way back in 1850. They opened their bodega 25 years later, in 1915, and from then on have been winning medals for both their still and sparkling wines.

Sufficiently intrigued, we followed him through the cellar, bottling line and barrel room, as he explained in a mixture of Spanish and English how everything worked. We were impressed to discover that they age 90% of their Cavas for more than 30 months, but most are closer to 4 or 5 years old before they’re offered to the public.

After the tour, we opted to taste some of these hallmark bubbles, and while they were all enjoyable, the one that truly sparkled (pun intended) was their 2006 Grand Duc. Not just for its age, unique bottle shape or elegant label, but for its delicate, fairy-like effervescence. The slight toast on the nose and palate added just the right amount of complexity and complimented the peanuts that I mentioned earlier.

To see how they scored, check out our e-book, 50 Great Cavas!