Freixenet, S.A.

Spanish sparkling wine empire with headquarters in the city of Sant Sadurni d'Anoia in the DO area of Penedès (Catalonia). The company is the largest producer of cava, ahead of its major competitor Codorníu, with over 100 million bottles a year. It was founded in 1889 by Pedro Ferrer Bosch and today covers around 420 hectares of vineyards. It was named Freixenet after the estate "La Freixeneda" (ash grove) in Medonia-Penedès, which has been owned by the family since the 13th century. The giant enterprise includes the wineries René Barbier, Castellblanch and Segura Viudas (all Penedès), Gloria Ferrer (California), the champagne house Henri Abelé (Reims), a sparkling wine cellar in Mexico (50 hectares) and a winery built in the 1980s in Yan Tai on the east coast of China. The standard cavas are Carta Nevada and (in black bottles) Cordón Negro. The top product is the Reserva Real, which is only produced in the best vintages. It is blended from the varieties Xarel-Lo, Macabeo, Parellada, Chardonnay and a top vintage wine matured in oak barrels and received its name on the occasion of a visit of the Spanish Majesties in 1987, to whom it was first served. In 1996 a cava made of Monastrell (red) and Xarel-Lo (white) was launched. Still wines are also produced.