You know Freixenet – of course you do! With production over 200 million bottles a year, it’s America’s favorite Cava (sparkling wine) for dinner parties, birthdays, and special events. Yet the story of why Freixenet controls market share and how it was able to hold on to it for so long is a story that goes back over a hundred years . More specifically, it centers on the strong roots of this family-owned company, its obsession for quality, and the forward-looking vision of its CEO.Today I’m standing outside the quaint, old-fashioned looking Freixenet winery on a sunny October day in the tiny town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia in the region of Catalunya, where 95% of the total production of Cava is made. In Spain, Cava production is less a “region” than a production area that is spread through 160 municipalities that also include the Basque country, Navarra, La Rioja, Aragon, Valencia, and Extremadura.The parking lot lot appears empty save for a classic car in the shape of a sparkling wine bottle, and inside the cool reception area, employees and the few visiting guests appear calm and relaxed. In the foyer one can see ancient black and white pictures of the founders, Pedro Ferrer and his wife Dolores Sala, along with photographs of the winery in its first incarnation as a small-scale operation. How amazed they would be to see the result of their energy and hard work.Cava creates happiness with its joyous bubbles and delicious taste. By law, it is produced in the “traditional method” like Champagne, a process that takes many parts.Grapes of CavaThe primary grapes for making sparkling wine (Cava) are Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada. Like champagne, each of the grapes give the wine a different characteristic. Macabeo adds acidity and finesse, Xarel-lo adds body and structure, as well as alcohol. And Parallada produces a low alcohol wine that also adds aroma. 1st FermentationGrapes are whole-bunched pressed in a vary gentle pneumatic press, with the first and second press juice clearly defined.They are inoculated with yeast from Freixenet’s famed “yeast” collection with the result being the lower alcohol “base wine.” It is usually a rapid fermentation as fruit and fermentation esters are not desired.Its All About the YeastProducing 200 bottles of sparkling wine a year means that quality control is key. An individual who buys and loves a certain Freixenet wine needs to know it will taste exactly the same way when he purchases another bottle.One of the key ways that the experts at Freixenet maintain quality is through the scientific creation of specific indigenous yeast that will ensure a complete fermentation and also help the sparkling wine achieve the characteristics favorable for flavor, safety and stability.It is also important to realize that the strain of yeast used for the first fermentation will usually be different than the yeast used from the second fermentation, as different outcomes are desired.Yeast 101Yeast is a hot topic today in the news (at least, among wine geeks). As you may suspect, there are two camps. One camp believes in natural or indigenous yeast. Since yeast is present on the bloom (or skin) of the grape, it is naturally present in the winery. The challenge is that indigenous yeast often needs “help” to bring the grapes to a complete dry fermentation. Wild yeast can mean “uncertain” and “unpredictable” yeast that can stop for any number of reasons.Pilar Urpi Bonell, the chemist who holds the title of “Jefe de Laboratorio” at Freixenet, leads the white-coated team responsible for sourcing the indigenous yeast of the area and using the magic of modern science to make it more stable. The indigenous yeast is selected from the local Penedes Region, isolated, and then processed to have specific desirable characteristics.BlendingThe next step is to blend the varieties, and age the base wine. By law it is 9 months for Cava, 30 months for a Gran Riserva Cava.RiddlingA century ago, an individual would deftly twist each bottle each day to move the yeast towards the neck of the bottle, so it can be removed upon disgorgement. Today this task is handled by riddling machines (sometimes called a gyropalette) that shorten the process.DiscorgingAfter the allotted time of maturation, a machine takes each bottle, freezes the neck, and allows the internal pressure to push the yeast plug out. Dosage (wine, yeast, and the desired level of sugar) tops it off to the required sweetness level.Freixenet’s success allowed it to build up the kind of reserves that enabled the company to purchase other properties to add to its crown of jewels, most specifically Sigura Viudas nearby, which was named for the founder of the famous brand.A very interesting visit to the leading Cava producer in the world.
