Tribute to Joan Juvé, a gran reserva cava producer

The cava sector has paid tribute this week to Joan Juvé Santacana, president of Juvé & Camps and precursor of long-aged cavas. Within the framework of the first Cava Meeting congress, held this Monday and Tuesday in Barcelona, the Cava Regulatory Council wanted to distinguish a figure who has been key to boosting the prestige of the cava brand and to preserving the legacy of a family of winegrowers that dates back four generations.

"Joan Juvé is one of the most beloved people in the sector, for his great generosity and for being approachable, humble, with a lot of common sense and very balanced," highlighted the president of the Regulatory Council, Javier Pagés, during a dinner served by El Celler de Can Roca at the Juvé & Camps winery in Espiells, in Alt Penedès. According to Pagés, he is an entrepreneur "who has done a lot for the cava sector" thanks to his great work capacity and because he has always "had very clear ideas," very "strong principles" and a great "love for the land" that he has managed to reflect in the products made by his winery.

"He has always opted for quality cava, not quantity, and has always been clear that the price had to be defended, because a good product is not given away," stressed Pagés, who added that Joan Juvé was also a precursor in considering from the first moment the restaurant and gastronomy sector as the brand's greatest ally to boost sales. "He has had this strategy very clear and has followed it all his life," said the president of the DO Cava, who also highlighted the care with which Juvé has always treated his clients. "Therefore, it is not surprising the success of Juvé & Camps, a company that is unparalleled in gran reserva cavas and that has turned its iconic Reserva de la Familia into one of the 50 best wines in the world," Pagés pointed out.

"Joan Juvé rightly took the reins of the family's legacy and has managed to multiply the talents he received many times over, and which he has now bequeathed to his daughter Meritxell, who I am convinced will be able to take the company even further," concluded Pagés, who ended his plea with this emotional phrase: "Joan, you are a single-vineyard cava, you are a gran reserva cava."

Visibly moved, Joan Juvé, 81, "heartily" thanked Pagés' words, which he interpreted as a recognition from the sector "of the contribution my family has made to the world of cava after four generations." The businessman, who did not expect the dinner organized in his winery and attended by the wine experts who participated in the Cava Meeting to become a tribute to him, said he had "dedicated his entire professional and personal life to the love he feels for the family lands in the Penedès" and was proud to have "defended his criteria in favor of cava" during the 20 years he was part of the Regulatory Council.

"I have had the privilege of participating in a key decision that is very good for the sector: the new regulation that zones and segments the different types of cava, as it represents a unique opportunity to reach the consumer," highlighted Juvé, without forgetting the relevance that the DO Cava has also created the category of integral producer to distinguish companies that can "guarantee the integrity of the entire production process."

During the evening, Joan Juvé received praise from other renowned cavistas, such as Jaume Vial, from Cavas Mestres, who showed "his deep admiration" for the veteran businessman, who also received affection from Josep Maria Pujol Busquets (Alta Alella): "thank you for your mastery, we owe you a lot, Joan."

Finally, Meritxell Juvé, CEO of Juvé & Camps, said that her father is perfectly represented by the single-vineyard cava La Capella, a single-varietal xarel·lo that is the highest-end product made by the wine group. "This wine represents my father's love for the Penedès and for the care of the vineyard. He has always believed in the potential of xarel·lo and has been a great promoter of brut nature and long aging, and for that reason, I believe that La Capella, with 160 months of aging, fully explains what my father has been like as a winemaker and wine maker," concluded Meritxell Juvé.

At the dinner served by El Celler de Can Roca, classics of the house such as the dish Toda la gamba and the dessert Cromatismo de naranja were not missing and, in addition to La Capella, other oenological jewels that make up the pinnacle of cava were served, such as Mas Via 2006 (Mestres), Mirgin Opus 2019 (Alta Alella), Rosa Cusiné (Parés Baltà) and Milesimé Chardonnay Magnum Gran Reserva (Juvé & Camps).