Rioja sales hit all time high

Sales of wine from the Rioja Denomination of Origin in Spain reached 250 million litres, worth some €1 billion, up 13.48 per cent in volume terms on the previous year.

Angel de Jaime Baró, president of the Rioja Consejo Regulador (the body which both regulates and promotes Rioja wine sales) said that the figures represented an "all time high" for Rioja.

Sales within Spain itself were up 19.3 per cent to 178 million litres (around 357 million bottles), while export sales rose 11.3 per cent to 72 million litres. In value terms, exports reached €306 million despite an 8 per cent drop in the average price per litre (which was the main driver of sales in volume terms, of course), and accounted for 30 per cent of total sales during the year.

Unaged wines were the most popular variety, accounting for 53 per cent of total volumes with sales of 133 million litres. 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 82 million litres.

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 29 million litres during the year, while volumes 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 5.2 million litres.

In growth terms, however, it was crianzas​ which topped the market, rising 16.9 per cent compared to 2001, closely followed by reservas​ with 15.4 per cent. Unaged wines lifted their volumes by 11.2 per cent during the year, while the grandes reservas​ showed a 10.8 per cent increase.

Red wine was by far the most popular Rioja variety during 2002, accounting for nine out every ten bottles sold and reaching total volumes of 225 million litres. White wine sales reached 15.3 million litres, while rosé accounted for 9.7 million litres. Rosé showed the fastest growth, however, rising 20.8 per cent, followed by red with 13.6 per cent and white with 8.3 per cent.

In export terms, the UK remained the leading market for Rioja wines, taking 20.7 million litres in 2002, up 20 per cent on the previous year. Germany was some way behind in second place with 14.7 million litres, but growth there was more than twice that of the UK at 47 per cent.

Switzerland, Sweden and the US round out the top five markets for Rioja, with sales of 5-6 million litres each. Sales to North America in particular improved in 2002, rising 22 per cent.

Angel de Jaime Baró said that he was very pleased with the performance during the year, with sales rising to record levels despite fierce competition. The double digit increases for the more expensive aged wines was particularly pleasing, he said, as was the continued rise in popularity of white and rosé wines as consumers become more aware of the range of wines Rioja has to offer.