Cava wishes, mojama dreams.

BEVERAGE CONSULTANT AND AUTHOR Steve Olson is passionate about cava--but don't mistake him for a champagne detractor. "I love champagne," he insists. "I would never say in a million years that cava is better, or should replace it in any way." What he will say, and back up with a wealth of information, is that cava occupies a necessary niche in the world of sparkling wines, where moderately priced, well-made offerings stand in for the high priced French king of bubblies. Italian prosecco and the odd Australian or Greek sparkling wine also help to bridge the gap, but most American sparklings do not, says Olson, because while they're "better than ever, they're also getting more expensive than ever."

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Although wine has been produced in Spain since 300 BC, courtesy of vine-planting Roman invaders, it wasn't until 1872 that cava made its commercial debut. Jose Raventos, whose family has run the massive Codorniu vineyards and winery since the 1650's, applied his knowledge of traditional sparkling wine production to the trio of white grapes--Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo--native to Cataluna. Within twenty years, Codorniu was exporting its cava to South America and the Caribbean, and winning gold medals at expositions in Amberes and Bordeaux. The house currently produces several varieties, including blends of the native grapes and wines based on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Codorniu and well-known powerhouse producer Freixenet are responsible for the majority of the cava to reach the international market; their combined high-volume output has made Spain the world's largest exporter of sparkling wines.

The Denominacion de Origen (DO) for cava is unique in that, unlike the DO for any other wine produced in Spain, it refers to the method of production (methode champenoise) rather than the location in which the grapes are grown. Cataluna is the geographic region widely considered "cava country", with over 95% of cava production occurring there. Spain was one of the first to fall in line with EEC demands that all sparkling wine producers outside France's Champagne region cease calling their product by that name. Olson speculates that this gave cava producers throughout Spain greater leeway to continue producing and distributing their product, regardless of region. However, the handful of cava producers outside the region rarely export their products, according to Katrin Naelapaa, director of Wines from Spain, a New York-based trade organization. "There are a few producers each in Rioja and Extremadura, and certainly in other parts of the country, but what they're making is strictly for local consumption," she explains.

The northeastern coastal city of Barcelona is the capital of Cataluna, and what Olson calls "the home and the heart of cava." Xampanerias, or cava bars, line the streets and thirsty locals stand and raise a glass with the same casual frequency as American, German or British beer drinkers do. "In northern Spain, cava is consumed all the time," says Naelapaa. "When you walk into a bar, you have a glass of cava. It's your aperitif, it's served throughout the meal, and sometimes it's served after the meal. It's not viewed as a special occasion beverage." William Summerville, wine director of the Minneapolis tapas restaurant Solera, encourages his sherry-phobic guests to start off and even stick with cava while navigating the restaurant's voluminous menu. "The acidity will refresh your mouth and wake up your palate, which is important if you're tasting many different dishes," he explains. "If you're drinking a white wine, it might get beat up by a heavier dish, but the structure of cava allows it to flow with different items." Summerville says that while he doesn't feel he's "truly eaten" unless he's had a glass of red wine, there are a number of dishes in the tapas idiom that potentially clash with red, making cava an ideal tapas partner.

As Spanish ingredients and techniques continue to find a place on the American table, cava is popping up on wine lists and in home fridges. "People seem to be adopting cava as a casual drink," says Adam Rieger, wine director for Bar Americain and beverage consultant for Bolo, both New York restaurants. "It's great and surprising, because we as Americans have historically had some trouble breaking the champagne tradition, and the marketing campaigns for sparkling beverages are constantly telling us that it's for a special occasion," he says. It doesn't get much more casual than the tapas-style dining that's captured the American imagination over the past five years, so it makes perfect sense that cava drinkers aren't waiting for a special event to fill their glasses. Says Summerville, "Any chef worth his salt is looking to Spain for inspiration right now, so the wine follows suit. With cava, there's the additional benefit of the complexity that comes from bottle aging, as well as from the yeast. It's amazing that it's still at such a low price level, but that's going to change soon." If the trajectory of Italian wine, considered a bargain just 10 years ago, is any indication, value-conscious collectors should start stowing away cava by the case.