Seth's Humidor

Bottle of Semi-Seco Rondel Cava

I know, it has been a while since I talked about wine but I just haven't been drinking much lately. Why you may ask? That is a good question and I ask myself that everyday as well.


Cava, the word, came about as a result of a legal conflict between France and Spain over Champagne. The Spanish translation of Champagne is Champagn, and the French weren't to happy with them using it so they decided to use the word cava. Cava is the Spanish word for "cellar" so it seems fitting that the Spanish would use that word for their version of Champagne. Most of the Spanish Cava's are made in the Catalan region of Spain and are made by the Methode Champenois in order to qualify with that name. Macabeo, Parellanda and Xarel-lo grapes are often used for Cava but there are some made with Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir. The winery Rondel, which is where my Cava is from, was created in the 1950's and has been successful ever since. Semi-Seco is a term used to determine the amount of sugar in the wine. Semi-Seco is one of the sweetest of Cava's and has between 33 and 50 grams per liter.

The wine has a lovely aroma of flowers and citrus fruit  and is very light in color, almost a clear hay. The Cava has hints of wood, lemon and melon in the taste while being very smooth. It is made in an extra-dry style but has a nice sweetness to it as well. It finishes very smooth and is a very balanced wine and great for the summer time.

I would give this cava an 89, and though it is not one of my favorite it is still very enjoyable. I was hesitant at first to see how sweet it would be but it was actually really balanced and very enjoyable. Cava's are one of my favorite sparkling wines followed by Prosecco and are great all year round. I know a lot of people are lovers of Champagne but for such great prices Cava's are hard to not pick up. I always leave a couple bottles of Prosecco and Cava on the wine-rack and more importantly keep a couple bottles in the fridge also.