The Catalan cava industry sold a record number of 244 million bottles last year

Barcelona (ACN).- The Catalan cava industry is in good health. It ended 2010 with its best results ever, selling 244.8 million bottles. This figure is 11.5% higher than 2009. Almost 150 million bottles correspond to sales outside Spain. These sales increased by 13.38% in comparison to 2009. Exports are thus the key element for the 2010 record. The Spanish market consumed 95 million bottles, 8.37% more than in 2009. However, the figure is far from the 101 million bottles sold in 2006. The industry’s total revenues reached 1.031.1 million euros, which is 10.8% more than in 2009, when they got 929 millions.

The Cava’s Regulation Council, which controls the Cava Guarantee of Origin and groups the producers of this fizzy wine made along with the “méthode champagnoise”, issued the 2010 results. The difference between the increase of sales and revenues is due to a 2.5% price decrease in the foreign market. This decrease did not compensate the 1.2% price increase in the interior market.

Exports reached an historic record

In 2010, the Catalan cava industry sold 149.1 million bottles abroad. The figure represents 13.68% more than in 2009. It is already quite far from the 2008 results, when 138 million bottles were sold abroad and it was the previous historic record. 74% of the foreign sales were within the European Union. Germany was the best client with 41 million of bottles, a 17% more than in 2009. However, the main increase was in Belgium, with 21 million of bottles sold, a 34% more than in 2009. According to the Cava’s Regulation Council, the Belgian case is quite significant, as previously it mainly consumed Champagne. Nevertheless, when cava increased its quality, the sales also increased. In fact, 15% more cava bottles were sold in France than those sold in 2009. The most negative result comes from the United Kingdom, which is the second best foreign consumer with 32 million bottles. In 2010, the Brits bought 2.06% less bottles than in 2009.

Smaller growth in the interior market

Within Spain, 95.6 million bottles were sold in 2010, 8.37% more than in 2009. However, the figure is still far from the historic record number of 101 million bottles. 23.4% of the sales were in Catalonia and Aragon. The Valencian Community and Andalusia followed with 15%.

The cellars received 318 million kilos of grapes

Another record figure is the number of grapes the cellars received: 318 million kilos. This volume generated 190 million litres of cava, 21 millions more than in 2009.