Why I Paired Cava With Football

Uncork Your Mind

My team the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs. I was so excited for game 1. I was thinking chicken wings and beer. But, quite frankly, beer fills me up and I wanted something I could drink and celebrate with, or drown my sorrows. I though bubbles in keeping with the carbonated beverage and Vilarnau Cava because even if they lost, their beautiful labels would keep me in a decent mood. I could sip cava, eat chicken wings and watch the game. Or so I thought.

I did ask Google what time the game began and I swear it said 4:25pm. About 4:15 I head to the TV and turned on the game to find out that there was 27 seconds left in the Bills game. I popped the cork and stood in front of the tv for the exciting last 27 seconds of the game. Yes, I was screaming and holding my glass of Cava. My dog thought I had gone nuts. Afterward, I sat down and #sampled the Cava and made my chicken wings. All was good!

Why Cava? Cava is a beautiful sparkling wine from the Penedes region in Spain made in the Methode Champenoise where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Vilarnau Cava is exciting, beautiful and delicate and rich with history and so reasonably priced.

Vilarnau

The first Cava with the Vilarnau name was produced in 1949 with grapes grown on the “Can Petit I Les Planes de Vilarnau” estate. This vineyard is 20 hectares with beautiful views of the Montserrat mountains, while only 30 kilometers away from the Mediterranean sea.

A little background, the Vilarnau family was of Spanish nobility and settled on this estate in the 12th century. Albert de Vilarnau was the single person responsible for increasing the family’s power in the 14th century. In 1982 Vilarnau was acquired by the Gonzalez Byass family of wineries.

The label which is a bottle wrap reflects the avant-garde imagery of Antoni Gaudi. Antoni was a famous Catalan architect known for his style that reflect freedom of form, voluptuous color and texture. His quote “ Color in certain places has the great value of making the outlines and structural planes seem more energetic.” As beautifully shown on the Vilarnau bottle.

The Cava

Vilarnau Brut Reserva NV SRP $14.99 - A blend of 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel.lo. The wine is aged for 15 to 24 months in the bottle. The Cave featured elegant fine bubbles shooting their way up the glass. Nice acidity and fresh with notes of green apple and a hint of orange rind.

Vilarnau Brut Reserva Rose NV SRP $15.99 - This wine is a blend of 85% Garnacha and 15% Pinot Noir. The grapes come from the vineyards their Vilarneau d’Espiell” winery. The Pinot Noir was planted in 1991 and was one of the first vineyards in the Penedes planted with Pinot Noir. A beautiful pink color and fine bubbles. Notes of red fruit on the palate that shows freshness, yet elegance.

One note I do want to say is don’t save sparkling wine for a special occasion. Wines like Vilarnau Cava are wine that can be poured every day. Remember, there is always something to celebrate.