Crisis in Spain's DO Rioja

In an interview with the press, Victor Pascual Artacho, president of the DO Rioja said: "These results take us behind the sales numbers of 2005. However, the DO Rioja still has an excellent reputation in Spain and also in the rest of the world." He added: "We have noticed that we did in fact not lose our market share to the competition. I still believe that we will be able to get over this crisis on short notice and that we will still be able to strengthen our position in the market." In the year 2008, 36 percent of the production from the DO Rioja went to Britain. This made the United Kingdom the largest buyer.

Other regions in Spain, however, report an increase in sales. For example the DO La Manche (Castile) managed an increase in exports of 19 percent. The DO Rias Baixas (Galicia) also reported an increase in sales for their most important markets like the United States, Britain, Germany and Mexico. Upon request other Spanish wine-growing regions also reported a continuing increase in exports since 2005.

Alfredo Suarez Canal, regional environment minister, recently was optimistic in a press interview: "Even if the DO Rioja has to deal with a decrease in sales, I am still optimistic that there will be good times again for this widely known region. Furthermore, the sales and export numbers of the other Spanish wine-growing regions prove our potential on the markets and let us look into the future with a lot of hope." (aw.yoopress)