cava
/ˈkaba/
cava is the Spanish term for a Spanish sparkling wine produced primarily in the Catalonia region.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, and specifically in Catalonia, you may hear the phrase copa de cava used to refer to a glass of this sparkling wine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkaba/
Did you know?
- The word cava is derived from the verb cavar, which means 'to dig'. This refers to the traditional practice of storing the wine in cool underground cellars.
- In Spain, cava is often served as a welcoming drink at weddings and celebrations, regardless of the time of day.
- A bottle of cava is produced using the método tradicional, the same labor-intensive process used for Champagne where the second fermentation happens inside the bottle.
Examples in context
- ¿Has probado el nuevo espumoso que salió al mercado?Have you tried the new sparkling wine that came out on the market?
- Quiero brindar con una copa de cava en mi cumpleaños.I want to toast with a glass of cava on my birthday.
- Me gusta mucho el cava.I like cava very much.
- Compré una botella de cava para la fiesta.I bought a bottle of cava for the party.
- ¿Quieres una copa de cava?Do you want a glass of cava?
Example conversation
A couple is celebrating an anniversary at home.
- Alejandro¡Feliz aniversario, Elena!Happy anniversary, Elena!
- ElenaGracias, Alejandro. ¿Sacamos el cava?Thank you, Alejandro. Shall we open the cava?
- AlejandroSí, es una buena idea.Yes, that is a good idea.
- ElenaEste cava está muy frío y delicioso.This cava is very cold and delicious.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cava, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cava, CC BY-SA 4.0.
