2006 cava sales hit domestic record

Sales of cava within Spain hit a record of 101.3 million bottles, up by over 8% from 2005, evidence that the "cava boycott" in the rest of Spain is completely over. However, the inroads made by cavas not produced in Catalunya, which had benefited from the boycott, continued their growth in sales: up by 53% in 2006, on the heels of 2005's unprecedented 93% growth.

On the less positive side, exports of cava, which had grown over the past decade from 153 million to 224 million bottles, dropped by over 4% last year. Most likely responsible for this was the 18.5% drop in cava's main foriegn market, Germany. Major export growth occured in Japan, whose imports rose by 27%.