Rioja sales rise 15 per cent
nearly 15 per cent in the first 11 months of 2001, driven by both
domestic and export sales increases.
Sales of wine by the Rioja Denominacion de Origen (DO) rose by nearly 15 per cent between January and November 2002 comapred to the same period a year earlier, according to the latest figures from the Consejo Regulador, the body which regulates wine production in the Rioja region.
Volumes reached 227.04 million litres, compared to 197.7 million in the same eleven-month period of 2001. Of the 227 million litres produced, some 162 million litres (71 per cent) were sold within Spain, while exports totalled nearly 65 million litres.
Export sales growth was higher than that for Rioja wines sold within Spain itself: domestic sales were up 13.5 per cent compared to 2001, while export volumes increased by 18.29 per cent.
Unaged wines were the most popular, accounting for almost half of the total volumes sold during the period with 121.5 million litres, up 13.15 per cent on 2001. The next most popular were crianzas, wines which are at least in their third year, having spent a minimum of one year in casks and a few months in the bottle, which accounted for 74. 9 million litres, up 17.12 per cent.
Sales of reservas, selected wines of the best vintages that have been aged for a minimum of three years and with at least one year in casks, reached 25.9 million litres during the period, up 16.99 per cent. Sales of grandes reservas, selected wines from exceptional vintages which have spent at least two years in oak casks and three years in the bottle, reached 4.6 million litres, up 12.09 per cent.
In Spain, growth was led by crianzas, which saw a 21. 46 per cent rise, followed by reservas with 17.62 per cent, unaged wines with 8.45 per cent and grandes reservas with just 5.44 per cent. Outside Spain, however, the situation was very different, with growth being driven by demand for young wines (up 27.64 per cent), followed by grandes reservas with 17.65 per cent, reservas (16.14 per cent) and crianzas with just 5.07 per cent.
Red wine was by far the most popular, accounting for 203 million litres, with white accounting for just 14.3 million litres and rosé for 9.2 million. However, rosé showed the fastest growth during the period, increasing volumes by 21.69 per cent compared to 15. 01 for red and 8.61 per cent for white wines.
