Freixenet: Cava rules should be relaxed

Published: 17 November, 2011

A leading figure in Cava has called for regulations to be relaxed, claiming they are stifling the region's producers.

Pedro Ferrer, head of Cava house Freixenet claimed the rules for producing Cava were too restrictive. "We have a big book of rules how to make Cava. There are a lot of things that are limiting the ability of our winemakers to make the best wine," he told delegates at the Wine Future conference in Hong Kong.

The traditional grape varieties: Parelleda, Xarel-lo and Macabeo, should remain but Tempranillo should be permitted to make rosado.

Yield restrictions "are no good", Ferrer later explained to Harpers and rules proscribing the total acidity "should be left to the winemaker."

"The worst enemy that Cava has is Cava", he warned. "If we take the wrong direction with the category by being more restrictive it would be a huge mistake."

In 2009-10, global Cava sales increased 11.5% to 1.03 billion euro. The sparkling wine producer exported more than 32 million bottles to the UK in 2010, a slight drop compared to 2009 but its major export market, Germany recorded a 17.6% increase in shipments to 41m bottles.

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