Cava and Catalonia suffer worst drought in 1200 years

Cava and Catalonia experiencing the worst drought in 1200 years, leading to radical changes in the Cava DO.

Last year, some growers lost nearly 70% of their Cava harvests and if the drought continues, vines are at risk of dying of thirst.

The weather has become increasingly drier since the Industrial Revolution. The weather effect is known as the Azores High and results in dry conditions across the western Mediterranean, including the Iberian Peninsula. The region receives on average 732 mm per year, roughly 40% of this during winter months. But rain levels have been dropping by 5-10mm per decade, throughout the second half of the last century. A further 10–20% drop in winter precipitation expected by the end of the 21st century.

To help combat the dry weather, new rules are being considered. Cava’s regulatory council are currently studying measures that would allow wineries to keep reserves of base wine over three years, from which they could make new Cava in so-called ‘bad years’. These exemptions would only apply to Cava de Guarda, the category with the shortest ageing and the highest volume.

Freixenet is one of the largest producers in Cava and is in the process of producing tank method wines from other countries to meet demand while supply is restrained by drought. They are owned by Freixenet Copestick, which has subsidiaries producing wines from elsewhere in Europe, including Prosecco in Italy, Henkell Freixenet in Germany and in the UK, Bolney Wine Estate. They are looking to add wines from Germany, Switzerland and Austria to help meet short term demand.