Food & Occasion

What pairs with Cava? In Catalonia, a whole table full of small dishes. Pa amb tomàquet, toasted bread with crushed tomato, olive oil, and salt, pairs with sausages like Botifarra or Fuet, and the acidity and bubbles of the Cava cut right through the richness.

Fried croquetas work too, since the carbonation dissolves fat. In the Penedès, people also eat Xató, a salad of endive with salt cod and a sauce of nuts and dried peppers, robust enough to stand up to a Brut Nature.

Escalivada, vegetables like eggplant, pepper, and onion grilled over embers, also pairs well with Brut, since the acidity balances the sweetness of the vegetables. In winter, there are Calçots, young spring onions grilled over an open fire and eaten with romesco sauce. The smokiness works well with a robust Cava Reserva.

Rosé Cava made from Garnacha or Trepat pairs with grilled fish and tomato dishes, since the red fruit and acidity act like a light sauce.

With sweet dishes like Crema catalana, the vanilla custard with a caramelized crust, choose a Cava with more dosage, Semi Seco or Dulce, so the wine doesn't taste thin. A rule of thumb for home: the drier the Cava, the saltier the food can be, and the more dosage, the sweeter the dessert should be.

In Catalonia, Cava is the drink of celebrations. People toast with it at Christmas and New Year's Eve, and on the night of June 24, the Revetlla de Sant Joan, it's served alongside Coca de Sant Joan, a sweet flatbread topped with candied fruit and pine nuts.