Trepat – the Unique Cava Grape!
GREETINGS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Like many of you I have spent the last couple of weeks with friends and family, mostly in various stages of culinary and spirit-al stupor.
Living in Penedés, as would be expected, the drink of choice for the most part is Cava. In all shapes and forms – well, that would be liquid – whites and rosados, with simple or elaborate meals, at all price points, Cava is the go-to drink!!
On New Years Eve I had a dinnerparty for 16 people, and everybody brought Cava, from the expensive Recaredo to their own homemade. Many of them were rosados, which is particularly well matched with food ( the menu covered everything from three kinds of seafood to duck breast with a lingonberry-redwine-chocolate reduction! ) and I was blown away by the high quality and flavors of these gorgeous rosé sparklers.
Whereas sparklers from Champagne can only be produced with three kinds of grapes, Chardonnay is the only white grape, the other two are red, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. In Penedés more varietals are allowed to produce Cava (which is made by the same method as champagne) Trepat being one of them, and it figured prominently in most of the rosados on the table. However, it is a very unusual varietal, an indigenous grape of north east Spain, found particularly in Conca de Barberá and Costers del Segre.
Like Pinot Noir, Trepat is a tricky grape to grow and only about 1,000 ha is planted in Spain. And, you will probably not find it anywhere else in the world. It’s mostly used for Cava, but a few bodegas make medium bodied elegant Trepat still wines as well.
Some of my favorites Trepat Cavas, all from Penedés producers;
Castellroig
Vilarnau
Pere Ventura
Comtes de Subirats
I hope you’re able to find a Cava Rosado in your local wine shop, and discover the wonderful flavors of Penedés!
SALUT!!
Helena
See more about Castellroig here
See more about Castellroig Cava Brut Rosat (made with Trepat)
Read the original article here
