Neither the war in Ukraine nor the notable increase in energy costs, transport and supplies or runaway inflation seem to stop the progress of the sparkling wines protected by the DO Cava. Despite the geopolitical and economic turmoil, the Regulatory Council, chaired by Javier Pagés, is optimistic about the Christmas campaign and highlights the good sales performance during the first nine months of the year, with growth of 3.36% compared to the same period of the previous year.
After a 2021 full recovery of sales after the covid pandemic, the sales increases this 2022, in the absence of knowing the significant data for the final stretch of the year (between 30 and 40% of total sales registered during the last three months of the year), the record figures of last year could be exceeded. It is expected to close the year with 245 million bottles sold (238 million in 2021).
The recovery of tourism in Spain and the good performance of exports have aroused optimism. In the national market, sales have grown by 14.54% after years of stagnation. Of the total sales, 28% corresponds to the national market. The ten main international markets account for 82% of exports. Of these, Germany (7.26% more), Sweden, the Netherlands, Russia and Switzerland have grown in the first nine months of the year. And sales have stagnated or declined in the United States, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Japan and France.
The sector, according to Javier Pagés, "has continued to grow, demonstrating outstanding resilience in the face of adversity. And all this makes us think of a very good Christmas campaign, with figures even higher than those before the pandemic. The commitment of the DO Cava to ecology, sustainability and higher value products with long aging have achieved unprecedented growth. Organic cavas have already grown by a spectacular 65.43% in 2021. Guarda Superior cavas (Reserva, Gran Reserva and Paraje Calificado) grew by 20.41% in the first three quarters of 2022. This good dynamics of the most aged products has been recorded notably both in the national market (22.98%) and in the international markets (17.79%).
For years, the Regulatory Council, as Javier Pagés affirms, has been working to seasonally adjust consumption beyond Christmas and celebrations. Pagés, who yesterday made a new appeal to the unity of the sparkling wine producers of the Penedès, also assures that, with the aim of generating greater value, new elaborations are being promoted, which want to attract new consumers.
