Cava Cava

On a visit to Catalonia in Spain, Vikram Achanta takes a train to Cordorníu winery, the world’s oldest and second-largest producer of bottle-fermented sparkling wine

- Vikram Achanta

As I roll through the Catalan countryside by train with the Pyrenees in the far distance, the town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia announces itself via grape-laden vineyards. As the train slides into the station, I can’t help but notice Freixenet, a major cava producer’s facilities on one side of the platform. But it is to Codorníu that I am heading for my induction into the world of Cava, which is two kilometres from the station. I arrive a good 90 minutes before my 10am tour. So I have enough time for a croissant and a coffee in a café in the sleepy city centre with a mournful looking dog outside and a startlingly pretty waitress. Today is also one of the biggest days in Christianity, Easter Sunday, marking the end of Lent, a period in which Christians fast or give up a popular food or vice.

With still time to kill I decide to walk to Codorníu guided by Google maps. Cava producers dot every corner of the town, inviting you in for a tasting, which is not surprising, given that cava, is one of the most popular types of sparkling wine in the world, along with prosecco from Italy. Soon enough, I’m crossing a busy highway to head down Avenida Jaume de Codorníu, a pretty country lane, with vineyards on both sides named Raventós, a name I was soon to become familiar with. The lane leads to an impressive gate bearing the name of Codorníu and across the road is the Raventós winery.