cava

noun

ca·​va ˈkä-və 

variants or Cava

plural cavas or Cavas

: a sparkling wine produced in Catalonia

Offer one bubbly, be it Cava, Champagne or Prosecco …

—Mike DeSimone et al.

Spanish cava makers are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the bubbly this year …

—Al Goodman

Examples of cava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Combine equal parts orange juice with a dry sparkling wine, like cava, and you’re done. —Gia Yetikyel, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2023

Enjoy unlimited Movida classic dishes, tapas and bowls for 75 minutes, plus a half bottle of cava sparkling wine upon arrival. —Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2024

But navigating language barriers in Turkey wasn’t quite as simple as figuring out how to order a glass of cava in Madrid or saying ‘excuse me’ while getting on a crowded metro car in Rome. —Kaitlyn McInnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2024

While most cava is produced in Penedès, south and west of Barcelona, wines from several other regions across Spain can be labeled as cava. —Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 7 Dec. 2023

The refreshing Rudolph 74, for example, includes gin, cran-rosemary simple syrup, lemon, cava and cranberries and is garnished with a rosemary sprig. —Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023

Today, in bustling hubs like Barcelona and Bilbao, people gather for grape-eating, counting down, and passing around bottles of cava. —Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 1 Dec. 2023

Prosecco, cava, or any other dry, sparkling white wine will taste just as delicious. —Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2023

Remove the lid and add 6 ounces of Aperol, 2 ounces of sparkling wine (prosecco, cava, Champagne, or pét-nat; take your pick), 2 ounces club soda, the juice from half to one orange, and 2 cups of ice. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Catalan, short for vi de cava, literally, "wine from (a) cave" (referring to the vaults where the wine was stored for secondary fermentation)

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cava

• vena cava
• superior vena cava

Medical Definition

cava

1 of 2 noun

ca·​va ˈkäv-ə  ˈkā-və 

plural cavae ˈkäv-ˌē  -ˌī; ˈkā-ˌvē 

: vena cava

caval

-vəl 

adjective

cava

2 of 2

plural of cavum