The year 2020 has been an extremely difficult year for the Catalan wine sector. The closure of restaurants caused by the pandemic has sunk sales in a channel that is absolutely a priority for wineries, but, in addition, the proliferation of the downy mildew fungus was very damaging to vineyards, with a record incidence that has caused a 27.6% decrease in the volume of harvested grapes. Organic vineyards have suffered especially, with a 40% reduction in production. In total, 311.2 million kilos of grapes were harvested in the 2020 vintage, a figure well below the average for the last five years (400 million kilos).
This drop in production has coincided with a year in which there has also been a significant fall in wine sales due to the coronavirus crisis. It is estimated that across Spain, 11.7% less wine has been sold, a percentage that in the case of Catalonia is slightly lower, with a decrease of 10.5%, according to data released by the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine (Incavi). Sales of wine without designation of origin have fallen especially (-15%), while wines certified by a DO, that is, of higher quality, have shown more resilience, with a decrease of 8%. Imported wine has registered more stable behavior (-1.8%). In total, Catalans have consumed 85.5 million liters of wine, of which 52.5 million are DO wines.
The Horeca channel, that is, wines sold to the hospitality sector, has been the most affected by the pandemic, with a fall of 46.1%. This impact has been mitigated, albeit very partially, by the 12.2% increase experienced by wine sales in supermarkets. It should be noted that wineries have focused on serving this channel, since with restaurants closed, wine consumption had to be limited to homes. If only DO wines are taken into account, the fall in Horeca has been 40% and the increase in supermarkets 13.3%. Consequently, the weight of the Horeca channel has gone from 40% to 26% in Catalonia this last year.
In global terms of turnover, the wine business consumed in Catalonia has moved 362.2 million euros, 9.5% less. Of this figure, 81% corresponds to income generated by DO wines sold in Catalonia, 292.7 million, which represents an 8% fall.
The impact of Covid on Catalan wine
All these data to which we have referred so far include the commercialization of both Catalan wines and wines produced in the rest of Spain or abroad. But, what has been the behavior of still Catalan wine (without taking into account cava and other sparkling wines) in Catalonia during the pandemic? Despite the difficulties, according to Incavi, "the positive trend of Catalan wine with DO is consolidated, with an increase in its consumption, both in volume and in value". Thus, all Catalan wines with DO add up, in Catalonia, a joint market share in volume of bottles consumed of 41.5%, 0.3 points more than in 2019 and almost 14 points more than ten years ago (the share was 27.8% in 2010). The evolution has also been positive in terms of value, that is, market share in euros billed: Catalan DOs account for 32.1% of the market, 1.7% more.
This 41.5% share is distributed among the eleven denominations of origin that coexist in Catalonia. This great fragmentation is a sample of the richness and geographical diversity of Catalan wine, but it prevents no Catalan DO by itself from having been able to surpass the Rioja DO yet, which continues to lead wine consumption in Catalonia, with a market share in volume of 21% and in value of 20%. The second most consumed DO is DO Catalunya, with a volume share of 15.6%, followed by DO Penedès (8.4%) and Terra Alta (6.3%). They are followed by Costers del Segre, Montsant, Empordà, Priorat, Pla de Bages, Conca de Barberà, Tarragona and Alella.
According to Incavi, during 2020, all Catalan DOs increased their market share compared to the total number of wine bottles sold, except for DO Catalunya, DO Empordà, DOQ Priorat and DO Tarragona. The one that grew the most, both in supermarkets and restaurants, was DO Penedès by increasing its volume share from 7.2% to 8.4%.
To help wineries and winegrowers cope with the impact of the pandemic and the decline in grape production, an emergency plan endowed with 15 million euros has been activated, of which 9.73 million have been contributed by the Departament d'Agricultura de la Generalitat and 5.3 million by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Returning to the vineyard, of the 311 million kilos of grapes harvested in 2020 (-27.6%), 47.8% (148.6 million kilos) have been allocated to cava production and the rest to still wines with or without designation of origin. Those that consume the most grapes, behind DO Cava, are DO Catalunya (13.88% of the total), DO Penedès (10%) and DO Terra Alta (6.5%). By varieties, 84% of the production corresponds to native varieties ---led by Xarel·lo, Macabeo and Parellada---, and 16% to foreign varieties (mainly Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon).
In Catalonia, more than twenty different grape varieties are produced. In 2020, the production of all of them decreased, except in the case of Garnacha blanca, which grew by 2.78%, and Trepat (+3.3%). On the contrary, Merlot and Tempranillo production plummeted by 49%, and Chardonnay by 38%.