CAVA on the rocks
A new way of enjoying Cava and Champagne has come into our lives, and it is here to stay. It is the concept that suggests serving these delightful glasses of bubbly with plenty of ice in a balloon glass, to refresh yourself on the hottest of summer days and nights.
Traditionally speaking, as any Cava or Champagne drinker will confirm, putting ice in your glass of bubbles is simply not the done thing. However, attitudes towards wine, whether with or without bubbles, have shifted somewhat as a younger audience embraces this classic drink as a drink for all occasions, not just for special occasions.
With all of that said, it doesn’t mean that you should put ice into any Cava or Champagne. All wines are carefully blended to achieve the perfect balance, and adding ice dilutes it and changes the flavors. So what is needed is a special blend of Cava and Champagne that not only will survive the addition of ice to the glass, but will actually thrive on the addition. The result is the “ice” selection.
So where did the idea of the “ice’ brand start and who was the first to create this new trend? Well, after spending his summers in France observing even the most elegant travelers putting ice in his perfectly blended Champagne, Moët & Chandon’s Chef de Cave, Benoît Gouez, decided to create a cuvée, the first in the world, specifically designed to be drunk on the rocks. Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial and Ice Impérial Rosé are more concentrated than traditional Champagne and have a higher dosage (sugar content). The result is more aromatic and sweeter than Brut Champagne. This means it doesn’t just stand up to being diluted by ice, it was actually designed with melting ice as an ingredient.
A few years later, Veuve Clicquot introduced Veuve Clicquot Rich, which is also designed for ice dilution, but goes a step further and can be used in cocktails or garnished with fruit.
Not to be outdone by their French counterparts, the Cava creators have also blended ice editions with the very same results in mind. One of the moire popular is the Freixenet Ice. This particular Cava has been created not only to be enjoyed with ice in a balloon glass, but it can also be mixed with other flavors like raspberry, kiwi, lime, or lemon. This cava is elaborated through a blend of Macabeo, Xarel.lo, and Parellada wines, with a touch of Chardonnay, and has a fine and elegant bubble in addition to a fruity aroma.
Another cava brand that has joined the cava on ice trend is Codorniu. It does so with the ‘Anna Codorniu Sweet Edition’ line, a sweeter version of its product that allows for different combinations. Among them, one of the most successful and recommended ones is serving cava in a wide glass with plenty of ice.
As for me, well, to be perfectly honest, the idea of putting ice in my glass of Cava did take a little time to get used to, especially as I prefer my Cava and Champagne to be very dry and the ice editions are sweeter by design. However, there is a certain charm to the concept and on a hot summers day it is a perfectly enjoyable drink.
My only note about ice in Cava and Champagne is that it is better if the ice is made from filtered or bottled water because, when the ice melts, it will impart the flavors of the ice into the wine.