Cava sales down 13% last year due to drought

In 2024, 218.1 million bottles of Cava sparkling wine were sold, marking a 13.4% drop compared to the previous year, according to the latest data from the Regulatory Board of the D.O. Cava.

The main reason for this decline is a lack of stock caused by the "serious and ongoing" drought in Catalonia, as president of the DO Cava body, Javier Pagès, told media outlets on Tuesday.

Despite the drop in sales, profits have not taken the same hit. Since 2023, Cava prices have increased by 12%, meaning that the total revenue has only decreased by 4.2%.

White wine and sparkling wines are seeing an uptrend on consumption worldwide, "but Cava cannot take part in the movement due to the lack of stock," Pagès said before explaining that "winemakers need to properly manage their catalogue as there are not enough bottles."

However, the drought is not the only challenge facing Cava at the moment.

Out of the 218 million bottles sold, around 78 million were sold in Spain, and a third of such in Catalonia. Exports continue to be the main income to Cava producers, but while they used to represent 70% of the annual sales in the past, they just now represent a 64.2%. 

At the moment, Belgium represents the country with the highest Cava consumption with 20.3 million bottles sold, representing a decrease of 7.8% compared to last year. Following, United States with 18 million bottles, around a 4.6% less than in 2023, while the United Kingdom saw a decrease of 11.66% after selling 15.7 million bottles. Germany has recorded the worst drop in sales after falling 19.9% compared to 2023 after selling 11 million bottles.

Despite selling fewer Cava bottles, revenue was of €2.2 billion, around €100 million less than in 2023 due to higher selling prices.

"Sometimes, adversities help us, and the drought has helped us increase our product's value," Pagès said.

Last week, US president Donald Trump announced a 200% retaliatory tariff on all EU alcoholic beverages as part of a potentially escalating trade war with the European Union.

Javier Pagès, expressed “concern” over the threat, as the US is the fourth-largest export market for Catalan Cava.

"Some are proposing a figure that is completely surreal, and announced impulsively," he said despite he believes it will "not become a reality." 

Cava sparkling wine "has a wide range of markets, which will help DO Cava if something happens with the United States [and its tariffs] as we have numerous markets. We export to 150 markets worldwide, some more important than others, but this is something positive for DO Cava," he said before adding that the industry is used to "export and for international affairs to occur with new tariffs or exports restricted to some countries."

Although, Pagès stated that tariffs would have a “big impact”, he remained hopeful that “these are just strong words that will not be followed through on."

Cava was the second most imported sparkling wine in the US in 2024 after Italian prosecco.