Cava consumption abroad rises while the local market sees stagnation
The Regulatory Council admits expectations were "too optimistic" and a boycott from the political situation in 2017 also hampered sales
The regulatory council of cava, Catalan sparkling wine, closed 2018 with an increase in consumption in the foreign market, in contrast to the stability and lack of growth at home.
According to the data presented this Tuesday, last year the Denomination of Origin of Cava produced 244.5 million bottles, down 3.2%. Of these, 165 million were sold abroad, an increase of 1.8% compared to the previous year.
Regarding the bottles that remained in the national market, the figure fell 12% but the consumption grew by 0.3%.
The cava regulatory council points to a single reason to explain the fall of production of bottles for the internal market: wineries had accumulated a large quantity of stock in 2017, when there were “expectations too optimistic” that by the end of the year the boycott that came from the political situation would turn around.
As the independence push came to a head in the autumn of 2017, some in Spain decided to stop buying Catalan products in reaction to the referendum and unilateral declaration of independence.