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Rioja exports on the up boosted by the UK and white

Exports increased by 3.21% in the UK alone, with other markets to show significant sales uplifts including Canada (6.75%), the US (5.80%), Switzerland (4.21%), Holland (2.46%), Russia (39.71%), and China (17.31%), according to the latest figures released today by Wines from Rioja - the UK marketing arm of the Rioja Regulatory Council or Consejo Regulador de Rioja DOC.

Rioja whites grew significantly above the market average, up 16%, surpassing growth figures of other regions specialising in whites, with white wines currently making up close to 8% of total Rioja sales, compared to 5% five years ago (Nielsen MAT to 31 December 2017).

Sales of white Rioja grew by 25% in foreign markets, with the UK continuing its upward trend for the third consecutive year as value sales increased 64% on volume up 61%.

Rosé wines saw a total sales increase of 6% from 2016, and positive figures in the UK showed a 42.3% volume increase.

Rioja red wine consumption meanwhile remained stable, said Wines of Rioja. Sales of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva stood close to 157 million litres, accounting for 63% of total red wine sales.

According to the Spanish Wine Market Observatory, Rioja exports amount to 31% of the total Spanish D.O. wine exports. In terms of value, however, they account for 40%, as the average price for Rioja is 49% higher than the average for rest of Spanish D.O. wines and four times as much as the average price of exported Spanish wines.

In the UK, Rioja maintains its dominance as Spain’s flagship wine region accounting for almost half of Spanish value at 48.5% and 37.8% of Spanish volume (Nielsen).

The average price for Rioja now sits at £6.79 per bottle, compared to the still wine market as a whole which stands at £5.64, and the rest of the Spanish category at £5.29.

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