Alex Trelinski
SALES of Spain’s Cava sparkling wine fell overall by 13% last year as vineyards in the main producing area of Catalunya suffered from the ongoing drought.
Export sales figures dropped further by 18%.
There are fears that the proposed Trump tariffs will have a major impact on the important US market.
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Cava prices rose by 11% due to inflation and reduced supply caused by the drought.
The Cava Designation of Origin, which includes the country’s main producers like Codorniu and Freixenet said on Tuesday that domestic sales were only down by 3.56%.
The group represents 349 wineries and 38,000 hectares of vineyards.
Turnover fell by €100 million, standing at €2.2 billion- a 4.26% reduction on the 2023 total.
Spain is the main consumer of cava, followed by Belgium, but America is third in line, with around 17.8 million bottles exported there in 2024- accounting for 12.7% of total foreign sales.
Cava Origin president, Javier Pages, said he was worried about the Trump threat of 200% tariffs on all EU alcohol imports but added that people would need to wait and see what actually happens.
Total sales of DO Cava last year were 218 million bottles, with around 30% sold in Spain.
With the drought receding, DO Cava is optimistic that it will maintain sales levels at those recorded in 2024 as a minimum.
