Cava sales 2005

The Spanish national newspaper El País published an article on Monday about the 2005 sales results for Cava, both within Spain and in the export markets.

Last year just over 222 million bottles were sold, a 0.46% increase from 2004. 58% of sales were for export, with Germany (56 million bottles) , the UK (29 million) , the US (12 million) and Japan (3.7 million) as the top four markets for Cava. These four countries accounted for 78% of all Cava exports, which rose 6.6% from 2004, helping to offset a drop of 6.6% in sales within Spain.

The main challenge facing Cava sales within Spain last year was a politically motivated boycott of Catalan products in the rest of Spain, of which Cava bore the brunt. Because the Cava D.O. region extends to areas outside of Catalunya, such as La Rioja, Valencia, Extramadura and others, sales of non-Catalan Cava shot up 93% in Spain last year.

Another factor slowing domestic sales of Cava was increased imports of Champagne, which were up by 36% in Spain to 916,000 bottles. Cava exports of 128.9 million bottles was just short of the 2005 export mark for Champagne at 129 million bottles; testament to the growing popularity of Cava around the world. Cava exports have grown by 112% from 60 million bottles in 1995.

The Cava industry continues to focus on two objectives: gaining more ground in export markets and increasing sales through the year, not just at during the holiday season.