_ Spain.
Take Cava from Spain, for instance. Cavas are growing in popularity due in part to actress Penelope Cruz and today's vogue for Spanish culture, and because more and more Spanish wines are reaching our shores.
Until recently, Spanish sparklers were called "champan," the Spanish translation of champagne. But after legal conflicts with the French over the use of the term, the term Cava was adopted.
According to New York-based wine educator Rose O'Dell King, you can't get a better sparkling wine for your money. "Today Spain is producing better and better wines and the Cavas are no exceptions. You may think you've never tried it, but in all likelihood the Mimosa you had for brunch last weekend was made with it," she said.
About 90 percent of Cavas are produced mainly in Spain's northern provinces, in the Penedes portion of Catalonia near Barcelona.
The wine is made using a combination of grapes - Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo - but the best usually include chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir grapes. Like French champagne, the wine is made according to what is known as methode champenoise, or Traditional Method, which requires a second fermentation in the bottle. Typically, Cavas are aged anywhere from nine months to two years.
The most popular and widely available brands are Freixenet and Codorniu, a great value at less than $10 a bottle. And Freixenet's Cordon Negro NV (Black Ribbon) is both sleek and elegant in its black bottle. Segura Vuidas, another Cava producer, makes excellent slightly higher-priced wines. Cristalino brand Cava made exclusively from the Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes is an amazing value at only $7 a bottle. The wine was recently praised by Wine and Spirits Magazine for its high quality and great taste.
