Cava, where are you headed?

The legacy of Agustí Torelló Mata

Forns Varias, Josep

Cava, where are you headed? has two great protagonists: the main one, which is cava, is omnipresent on every page of this book. The other, equally important, protagonist is the cava producer Agustí Torelló Mata. He also acts as the narrator and it is he who accompanies the reader as he looks back over his passionate biography. From his privileged position within such an important economic sector in Catalunya – Torelló has been on the front line for the last 65 years – he confides in us the inside details to which he has been witness. At the same time he provides us with a critical analysis of the most significant personalities and events from last 150 years. He also provides us with a deep reflection on some of the worrying realities: the low prices that strangle the grape growers and that threaten the viability of the sector, the introduction of “foreign” grape varieties that mean losing our unique character, the trend of leaving the denominació d’origen organisation that unites the cava sector, the pointless fights between certain companies within the industry, the selfish approach some cava producers have that takes away our united strength and that means we struggle to produce united campaigns, the vagueness of the marketing strategies on both a domestic and export level, the lack of a consistent, effective leader, etc, etc. In contrast, Agustí Torelló shows us the strengths of a product that, when made with care and passion and always striving for the highest quality, is unbeatable.