"Today cava is an ambassador of excellence for the Spanish agri-food sector", says Isabel García Tejerina

In this regard, she highlighted the dynamic effect and dedication of the Regulatory Council, which has contributed to cava becoming the leading Spanish denomination of origin in volume of exports, and furthermore, the leading denomination around the world for sparkling wines prepared according to the traditional method.

Isabel García Tejerina, who took part in the award ceremony of the 2nd Cava Excellence Prizes held in Villafranca del Penedés in Barcelona, pointed out that wine is one of the most significant categories of agri-food foreign trade, with exports increasingly based on the quality of production, as can be seen by the gradual increase in wine with a denomination of origin.

"Qualified Status" cava

To that end, she stressed the importance of those actions designed to offer a greater value to productions, as is the case of the initiative backed by the Cava Regulatory Council by proposing a new denominated category of cava to be known as "Qualified Status".

This proposal, explained Isabel García Tejerina, which is supported by her ministerial department, will be included in the Supra-Regional Denominations of Origin Act. This new figure, underlined the minister, is yet another step in upgrading an already excellent Spanish wine.

She also highlighted the speed with which applications for the recognition of this category were sent, and announced that 12 wines will receive this new status under a ministerial order to be published shortly, specifically: "Vinyes de Can Martí", "Turó d'en Mota", "Serral del Vell", "Vallcirera", "La Capella", "Can Sala", "La Pleta", "El Tros Nou", "La Fideuera", "Can Prats", "Terroja" and "Font de Jui".

Isabel García Tejerina valued the strength of the Cava Denomination of Origin, based on the availability of excellent quality grapes, with an average annual harvest of more than 300 million kilos, with a significant production of traditional cava, and the significant expansion over the last three years of Premium Cava, with close on 30 million bottles, which represents almost 12% of the total.

This offer is complemented by ecological production which, while still small-scale, represents a new direction that is well appreciated by consumers, in addition to traditional cava, reserva cava and gran reserva cava and the new category of "Paraje Calificado" [Qualified Status]".

Isabel García Tejerina ended her speech by congratulating the winners of the Excellence Prizes, which recognise the value of knowledge and good work on such importance issues as viticulture, oenology, the expansion of cava and the professional path it is taking. She also sent out a message of optimism to producers of cava, and stressed that by working through consensus and union on initiatives that seek excellence as their primary goal, success is guaranteed.