A champagne Cuvée Prestige (or Prestige Cuvée) is considered to be the very best product of each producer. One of the first Cuvée was Moët & Chandon Dom Pérignon, launched in 1935 thanks to the idea of Robert-Jean de Vogüe. As the Great Depression was striking he thought that only a luxury champagne could bring comfort to his privileged consumers.

The progressive internationalization of the brand cava is a fact for some years. This sparkling wine is growing in popularity around the world and many global entrepreneurs in the world of hotels and restaurants include it in the wine lists of its restaurants, recommend it in different wine culture broadcasting channels, and even, as in the case of Richard Bigg, owner of Spanish restaurant group Camino, dare to open specialized establishments in the very heart of the British capital.

The most important brands of Sparkling wines crown it all right now. It is time to consume their wines, toast with them and make a few splurges as those we cannot afford so often during the rest of the year. Joy and happiness among consumers, but just the opposite among producers. The reason of it: to make public the date of disgorgement.

The reason for this concern is purely economic and logistic: in only one vintage you may need to print 3 or 4 different back labels which would reflect the different disgorgement dates on the bottles.

In the UK any excuse is perfect for socializing. The aperitivo hour fashion has come strongly to pubs and cafes that let themselves and their customers get inspired by one of the best moments of the Mediterranean culture. If Bridget Jones would had known this, she would have sung a different story.

Spain and Italy, both are pioneers in this healthy tradition that is actually the after work precursor but at a different time. It consists in going out for a drink before lunch time. Generally it is a beer or a wine accompanied by a small tapa. In the most chic version it is a cocktail and some canapés, while the most traditional side comes out when you ask for a vermouth and a plate of olives. But what, how and where they are not important, the main thing here is that it really becomes a meeting point, a place in time to relax and to unwind in the middle of the day.

Cava, champagne, lambrusco and counting. Most of us have spent half of our lives living in complete ignorance regarding sparkling wine. I have to confess that I was the first committing that error but my visits to Scandinavian supermarkets have opened my eyes to the universe of the other side of sparkling wines.

Yes, there are a lot more apart from the ultra famous that I mentioned on the first line of this post, and we were very close to them (we could find them in Uvinum without going further) but we had not noticed them until now.

It's one of the most international Spanish drinks. Everyone has sometimes drunk sangria, that drink that comes always by the summer thanks to its refreshing powers.

Although there are many ways to make sangria, the most traditional is really simple and inexpensive, since you have just to mix wine with portions of various fruits and ice. The secret of its flavor depends on the quality of the fruit and wine used.

A popular sangria which you can get at a lot of places in our country, puts together peaches, lemon and orange, sugar, gin, macerated red wine, a glass of lemon soda and lemon slices. Add a lot of ice, shake and serve in a large jar, since it will be usually consumed by several people.

I was asked about my opinion on the competition between cava and champagne, and the truth is that I dare not say.

First, because it is more than a debate about taste, since there is plenty of politics in all. On the other hand, because there is cavas and champagnes for everyone, so it is difficult to generalize.

Let's say, I am not particularly inclined to cavas or champagnes, the same way I am not inclined to white or red wines. Depends on the occasion, the desire, the money...

Both cava and champagne are elaborated equal, following the “champenoise” or traditional method, although there is some cellar on both sides which uses any of the other existing methods.

There are many sparkling wines, but the most famous in Spain is called cava. The cava must be served cold, because summer temperatures of the Spanish coast make us feel like for something cooler, it tastes so delicious! On the beach in Barcelona, toasting with cava is the best. Going down a little to the South to the Fallas capital, we can try the best cocktail with cava: water of Valencia (“Agua de Valencia”), which mixes cava, orange juice, gin and vodka.

Few people know that the word cava to refer to this type of sparkling wine did not appear until the mid 70's. And it was a century earlier, in 1872, when Codorníu production following the champenoise method began to be documented, after a trip in which Josep Raventos i Fatjó visited the Champagne region in France, although his family has been linked to the history of wine in Spain since many years before that: on the sixteenth century.

Bottles of cava were popped all over Spain last night to celebrate  the winners of the 2010 World Cup, echoing the fireworks, horns, and shouts that could be heard until late in the night. If you want to join in the spirit you can salute the Spanish team with a glass of Segura Viudas Brut Reserva.

However, if you are Dutch, you might well be contemplating what kind of wine goes well with octopus. A white with good acidity would be a strong partner, for example a Garganega from Italy or a German Riesling. A Spanish Albariño would also be a great choice; if you cannot forgive the football victory at least you can concede the Spanish make good wine!