A DO Cava in low hours prepares to choose a new president

BarcelonaThe Designation of Origin (DO) Cava faces decisive hours for its future after eight years of Javier Pagés's presidency. This Thursday, June 11, the twelve members who form the plenary of the Regulatory Council, the body representing the different agents in the sector, will meet at the Vilafranca del Penedès headquarters to elect who will be the maximum head of the DO that exports the most from Spain, but which at the same time is not going through its best moment.

Before the period for submitting candidacies officially closes – the deadline is this Wednesday – a total of six people have announced that they have put themselves forward as candidates, more than on any other occasion. The first to do so were the CEO of Vallformosa, Marta Vidal; the founder of the Pere Ventura Family Wine Estates group, Pere Ventura, and the owner of the Pagès Entrena winery, Marc Pagès. They were joined by the president of the Alt Penedès Regional Council, Xavier Lluch; the president of the Cevipe cooperative group, Joan Pons, and finally the wine broker Josep Raventós.

In recent days, all have announced their intention to take on the role with a common message: the DO Cava urgently needs fresh air. The open fronts are multiple: various farmer associations are demanding more protection for the figure of the winegrower and more compensation for the grapes, in a context where the price of some bottles in the supermarket barely exceeds three euros.

Despite being a DO of Catalan origin – 95% of production is concentrated in Catalonia – it also covers territories in areas such as the Ebro Valley in Zaragoza, La Rioja, Extremadura, and the Valencian Community. For various reasons, the designation of origin has suffered, in recent years,

a trickle of wineries leaving

that have joined other brands, such as Corpinnat and Clàssic Penedès, or have decided to go it alone. The most significant loss has been that of Juvé & Camps in 2026, as it is a winery that produced two and a half million bottles a year.

All this, in a context where the two major groups within the DO, Freixenet and Codorníu, are under foreign control. German Henkell increased its stake in Freixenet in March to gain 100% control

of the cava company, and the majority shareholder of Codorníu – the North American fund Carlyle, which controls 60% of the company – is working to sell its stake in the near future.