In the late 19th century, several wineries in the province of Barcelona began producing sparkling wine using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle. These bottles were aged in underground cellars called "cava". Over time, the term "cava" came to refer not only to these aging cellars but also to the sparkling wine itself, and in 1986, it was officially recognized as a Denominación de Origen (DO).
The production area is mainly in Cataluña and additionally includes the regions of Aragón, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, La Rioja, Navarra, and País Vasco.