The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food publishes this Friday in the Official State Gazette (BOE) the resolution by which the smaller geographical unit ‘Requena’ is included in the specifications of the protected designation of origin ‘Cava’.
The resolution – dated January 25, 2024 and signed by the general director of Food, José Miguel Herrero – recalls the previous judicial path and, specifically, the ruling of November 30, 2022 of the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid which upheld the contentious-administrative appeal filed by the Requena Cava Producers Association, the Generalitat Valenciana and Dominio de la Vega, SL, against the exclusion of ‘requena’ as an area in the specifications of the Cava Protected Designation of Origin (DOP Cava).
As a consequence of the judicial ruling, the right of the appellants to the creation of said area in the modification of the specifications of the ‘Cava’ PDO was recognized.
The Supreme Court (TS) confirmed the ruling by rejecting the appeal of the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) Cava, which intended that the producing area of ??Requena (Valencia) not be known by the name of Cava de Requena.
Therefore, based on the above, “and in order to give full and due effect once the aforementioned sentence is final”, it is resolved to annul the pronouncements expressed in the favorable resolution of the General Directorate of the Food Industry dated 10 June 2021 to the normal modification of the specifications of the Protected Designation of Origin ‘Cava’ through which it was considered inappropriate to use the term ‘Requena’ with respect to the smaller geographical unit related to said geographical area.
Likewise, ‘Requena’ is included as a minor geographical unit, of the ‘Zone’ type, within the corresponding sections of the specifications of the ‘Cava’ PDO.
After hearing the news, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, José Luis Aguirre, celebrated this Friday the recognition of Requena in the Cava protected designation of origin as a minor geographical unit, because it will provide a boost to the commercialization and economic development of the sector.
For the councilor, today “the injustice” of the Cava DOP and “the obstacles of the central government against Valencian winegrowers” have been recognized, a recognition for the winegrowers who produce the grapes and also for the wineries.
The councilor has indicated that we must make all the necessary efforts in the vineyards, which are the raw material for wine, and in the markets, so that the sector continues to gain positions.
