Catalan cava takes on French champagne

Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, Spain

AFTER decades of rising exports, producers of Catalan cava are brimming with confidence and have their eyes set on taking on the "king" of sparkling wine - French champagne.

Cava, which is produced in the Alt Penedes region of north-eastern Spain, an area of rolling hills about a half hour's drive south of Barcelona, began seeking new markets three decades ago by offering good value for money.