The vineyards grow in a stony land and the grapes are produced by organic agriculture. The small and young company aims to kick off its third vintage, which is expected to produce 50,000 bottles of organically certified wine.
45 cellars from Priorat, one of Catalonia’s most famous and prestigious geographical indications, participated in a two day workshop for international wine distributors and specialised journalists from 10 different countries, such as China, the United States, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan.
According to a study released by the Spanish Observatory of the Wine Market, Catalan wine exports increased by 8.8% in 2010 in terms of revenue, but at a lower rate than other wine producing areas in Spain, with an average increase of 10%. However, foreign customers seem to appreciate the quality of Catalan wine, as its price increased by 3.6%, while the average Spanish wine price dropped by 4.9%.
Torres is one of Catalonia's most globally recognised wine houses, with vineyards and wineries in places such as Chile and California. Company President Miguel A. Torres believes that innovation in every step of the process of wine production is necessary. He also stressed the importance of exports to get over the crisis.
PIMECAVA is the Association of Small and Medium-sized Cava Producers. It is chaired by Mercè Rosell, who claims in a video interview that the only way to compete against French champagne is by marketing cava as a quality and prestigious product. In order to do that it is fundamental to have the support of big cava companies like Freixenet and Codorniu and a good relationship with exporters.
Work on historic building in Sant Sadurní will finish soon. The museum will be dedicated to the history of cava and the home town of Catalonia’s most renowned drink.
Thanks to exports, 2010 was a great year for the Catalan cava industry. The total revenue reached 1,031 million euros, 10.87% more than 2009.
The well-known Catalan wine brand Torres that is available in supermarkets all over Europe exported 72% of its production in 2010. The company registered a turn-over of 205 million euros, 11.5% more than in 2009.
The Christmas season makes up 39% of sales for the cava sector. The sector exports 60% of its production to countries such as Germany, England, Belgium, the United States and France.
The new centre was inaugurated this morning in Montblanc, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the DO’s Regulatory Board. The centre will be used for the promotion of DO Conca de Barberà wines.
At the start of the new season, the wine sector hopes to win over restaurateurs and advisers in order to attract consumers and promote growth in domestic consumption.
The restaurants ‘B44’ of San Francisco and ‘Casa Mono’ of New York were recognised for the strong presence of Catalan wine on their menus.
Both small and large companies united to present their high quality cava. The event was a great success, bringing in thousands of professionals.
Catalan wine cellars sell their products abroad in order to compensate the large difficulties they find in Catalonia. However, it is not always easy for small wine producers to make their way onto the big market. So how can they do it?
Wine culture has taken roots in Catalonia. The Harvest Celebration and the Wine Museum of l'Espluga de Francolí (in Tarragona, south of Catalonia) are just 2 examples of this phenomenon.