Spanish wine export data: doubtful figures for cava sales to Italy undermines credibility

In their most recent press release, the Spanish Wine Federation (FEV in Spanish) released glowing numbers for Spanish wine exports for the first quarter 2008. The data, based on figures declared to Spanish customs, showed that the value of wine exports rose by roughly 16% in value and volume terms (454 million Euros on 411 million liters).

However, as had happened last year, the sales data of Cava to Italy is blatantly unbelievable. The total Euro amount of wines and cava alledged to have been shipped to Italy in 1Q 2008 had increased by 511% to 42 million euros. Of this 31 million was supposedly spent on Cava with the volume indicated at 684,000 liters or roughly 100,000 cases. At these numbers the export price per bottle would be over 25 euros. Subtracting this result would put the value of Spanish exports up by on ly 6% for the period. Requests to the FEV to clarify this data have gone without response.

Aside from this, Germany retook top value destintation on 81 million Euros, followed by the UK (56 m€) and the demand in Russia seems to have eased significantly (down 26% in volume) with France as the largest volume market for Spanish wines to 82 million liters (86% of this in bulk wine).