DO CAVA presents ambitious second Cava Meeting with a strong focus on internationalisation

More than 90 leading professionals from around the world will gather in Penedès on 10 and 11 November for this landmark event.

Vilafranca del Penedès – 23rd September 2025. Under the title El Territorio del Cava (The Territory of Cava), the second edition of Cava Meeting will take place in Penedès on 10 and 11 November. Organised by DO CAVA, this major international forum will bring together over 90 leading wine professionals from around the world. Attendees will enjoy a unique programme of tastings and discussions, featuring content of exceptional quality and relevance.

“In the first edition, held in Barcelona and in several cellars across Penedès and Alella, we laid the groundwork for redefining perceptions of Cava,” said Javier Pagés, president of DO CAVA. “This year, we aim to build on that momentum, showcasing excellence and reinforcing the international profile of one of the world’s most exported quality sparkling wines.” Pagés also emphasised the importance of “consolidating the sector’s most qualitative segments, clearly differentiating them from younger, higher-volume Cavas.

The event is coordinated by communications and PR agency Mahala Wine&, with support from an Advisory Expert Committee formed by five renowned professionals with deep knowledge of the Cava region: Sarah Jane Evans MW, contributing editor at Decanter World Wine Awards and president of the Gran Orden de los Caballeros del Vino; Ferran Centelles, drinks director at elBulliFoundation and Spanish correspondent for Jancis Robinson; Pedro Ballesteros MW, Spain’s first Master of Wine and a leading authority on the world’s great wine regions; María Naranjo, agri-food director at ICEX; and Cava expert, journalist and sommelier Ramon Francàs.

Panels will feature prominent Cava producers, representatives from prestigious international estates, and experts from leading universities. A central theme will be long ageing in traditional method sparkling wines, with global specialists presenting the latest research and production challenges. Confirmed speakers include Charles Zuker, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and Neuroscience at Columbia University; Gabriel Lepousez, researcher at the Pasteur Institute; and Cristina Mercuri, one of Italy’s leading wine educators and founder of the Mercuri Wine Club and Pere Pons Mercadé, professor at Rovira i Virgili University and oenologist at Cava Miquel Pons.

The tastings programme promises to be equally ambitious. Essi Avellan MW, alongside Ramon Francàs and an international sommelier, will lead an unprecedented tasting of Cavas aged over 100 months on the lees. Ferran Centelles will also host a major session connecting DO Cava with DO Jerez, exploring the role of autolysis and oxidation in both wines, and testing whether the best pairing for ham is Cava or Sherry. He will be joined by Robert Tetas, sommelier at Sobretablas in Seville, and Enrique and Albert Tomás, founder and CEO respectively of Enrique
Tomás ham shops.

Pedro Ballesteros MW will moderate a panel exploring whether DO Cava is merely a business or also a responsibility, addressing its future outlook, its duty to the territory, and the need for collective action to safeguard the vineyards of Penedès.

Sarah Jane Evans MW and Roberto Durán MS, head sommelier at 67 Pall Mall Singapore, will lead a tasting of great Cavas born in the vineyard, focusing on the terroir.

Another high-level debate, moderated by María Naranjo of ICEX, will bring together Xavier Ybargüengoitia, former Chief Executive Officer of Estates & Wines, The Moët-Hennessy Wine Division; vice-president of UES Anna Vicens, head of Wine Palace stores; Pierre Mansour, director of Wine at The Wine Society; and Laura Williamson MS-CWE, owner of Unlock Your Palate Inc. and partner at RingIT Inc, and Antonio Menéndez, Chief Executive Officer The Library. The session will address the current challenges and future opportunities for the Cava business.

Beyond tastings and debates, the second Cava Meeting will also celebrate Cava’s gastronomic versatility. A gala dinner, featuring renowned chefs, will pair exceptional Cavas with international cuisines, while another session will explore the growing role of Cava in mixology. A major showroom will showcase more than 100 Cavas de Guarda Superior from over 50 DO CAVA wineries. Among them will be Cavas de Elaborador Integral, a distinctive category
recognising producers who oversee the entire winemaking process on their own estates —from pressing to vinifying 100% of their grapes.

To conclude, participants will have the opportunity to experience the Cava region first-hand through a day of winery visits.

DO CAVA: Committed to origin, land and sustainability

With over 70% of its sales abroad, Cava is one of Spain’s most internationally recognised designations of origin. Its area under vine covers more than 38,000 hectares, tended by over 6,200 winegrowers. Its 349 associated wineries have a presence in more than 100 countries. Produced using the traditional method, Cava is a universal gastronomic companion, crafted with a firm commitment to origin, land, and sustainability.

Find full details of Cava Meeting 2025 at cavameeting.com