Cava sector expects to sell 36 million bottles this Christmas

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia (ACN).- Cava sales for this year are predicted to be better than last year. According to the Cava Regulatory Board, the sector expects to sell 36 million bottles of cava this Christmas season. The president of cava employers, Gustau Garcia Guillamet, affirmed that during the first 9 months of the year there has been “very positive development”, with an almost 10% growth. According to Guillamet, if this trend continues, this year’s total sales will be “very positive”. Christmas is a very important season for the industry. 39% of cava sales take place during the holiday, though it made up 50% just a few years ago.

Guillamet explained that cava sales during the Christmas season are primarily carried out internally within Spain and that they represent an “important force” in the yearly sales. But he added that in recent years, this trend has “been changing”. Just a few years ago “50% of total sales were made during Christmas and now they only make up 39%”.

The communications director of Freixenet, Pere Bonet, said that he expects a “normal” amount of sales this year, but hopes it is “better than last year”. He explained that the multinational Catalan company has brought down their prices to promote consumption in these times of economic crisis.

During the Christmas season in Catalonia, it’s hard to find a Catalan household without a bottle of cava on the table. For this reason, many cava producers see the season as a good time to promote new products. Xavier Roig of the speciality shop Cal Fero in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, explained that Christmas is “a good time” to try out new products because “its high season for sales”. This year, rose cava is experiencing an increase in sales.

Roig added that buyers are usually looking for something “special” for the Christmas season. Cava prices range from 3 to 100 euros and depending on the planned meal, “clients look for one type of cava or another”. Pere Bonet said that there is a tendency to “step it up a level” and buy a higher quality cava for Christmas.

Cava, not only for dessert

Traditionally, cava has been served during celebratory moments as a toast, though this is changing. The president of the Cava Regulatory Board stressed that it is wrong to think that cava should only be served with dessert. According to Guillamet, when dessert is served, “we have normally already drunken other wines, so the palette becomes a bit confused…and the cava doesn’t taste as good”. He believes that cava is also very good for snacks.

Tradition of giving gift baskets continues to decline

Since the start of the crisis, the tradition of giving employees gift baskets for the Christmas season began to decline. Companies no longer want to spend the money, a decision that is affecting the cava sector. But Guillamet explained that while sales during Christmas are decreasing, overall consumption of cava is increasing.

Cava sector exports 60% of its production

The cava sector currently exports 60% of its production. The majority of cava goes to Germany. According to Guillamet, “there has been a 20% growth” in cava sales in Germany in the first 9 months of the year compared to last year. After Germany, the two other countries that consume the most cava are England and Belgium. In 2001, the cava sector exported “700,000 bottles of cava and in 2009, 15 million”. The 4th and 5th countries that consume the most cava are the United States and France.