Exports of Penedès wine up by 8%
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Due to low demand at home, the appellation is to focus on the international markets
Designation of Origin Penedés, Catalonia’s largest wine appellation, has decided to target the overseas market, due to lagging demand for its wines at home. According to the organisation’s figures, sales in Spain dropped from 22.1 million bottles sold over the 2004/05 season to 21.2 million the following year, the equivalent to 4 percent. On the other hand, exports grew by 8.2 percent over the same period, from 11 to 11.9 million bottles. In addition, the export market has allowed the appellation to raise the average price per bottle, from €2.25 to €2.30.
The United Kingdom is one of the appellation’s major export markets. Overall, British orders from all Catalonian wineries jointly increased by one million bottles in 2005.
For Penedès Regulating Council Chairman Jaume Cañellas, the appellation’s future lies in a firm commitment to quality, in ensuring companies’ competitive advantage and in focusing on their products’ singularity. Wine tourism is an excellent avenue for promoting wine consumption. Torres, Codorniù and Freixenet alone are receiving over 300,000 visits a year. Joan Aguado, Director of the Catalan Vine and Wine Agency (INCAVI), believes current initiatives in this fields are “well guided”, though “a much greater effort” is still required.
Meanwhile, Penedès Wine Union (UVIPE) Chairman, Miguel Ángel Torres, forecasts an excellent future as long as “we continue on a path towards ever better quality, we ensure greater international penetration for our wines and we promote consumption”.
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