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DO Cava announces all-time record sales for 2023

Sales in Spain were up by 4% YOY, contributing to an overall sales figure of 252m bottles worldwide, a 2.7m increase on 2022 – in total, sales grew by 1.9%.

Cava was also the sparkling wine that grew the most in Spain during 2023, both in volume (3.9%, representing 87.7% of the total) and in value (10.6%, reaching 78.8% of the total).

• Read more: Spanish government to reduce restaurant opening hours
  

“The increase in quality sparkling wines in Spain reflects the fact that the appreciation of consumers is constantly growing, and they are looking for higher quality Cavas,” said Javier Pagés, president of the DO Cava Regulatory Council.

Germany led the export market for Cava last year, with a growth of 4.14% (31.1m bottles). The US remained in second place with 21.6m bottles, despite a slight decline in sales of 13.48%. The third-best-performing market was Belgium, where sales grew by 5.44% and reached 22m bottles. 

2023 also saw Brazil emerge as a growing market for Cava with a sales increase of 75.82%, although only 1.9m bottles were sold in total.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Cava sold 16.8m bottles last year and experienced a growth of 5.38%.

One category that stands out, in particular, is organic Cavas, aided by new regulations that set the year 2025 for the entire category of Guarda Superior to become 100% organic. While sales of conventionally grown products fell by 1.65%, organic Cavas grew by 24.59%. 

Another notable trend in 2023 was rosé Cavas, moving up the rankings with an increase of 3.31% YOY, reaching 23.5m bottles sold. 

With more than 70% of international sales, Cava is the Spanish DO with the highest exports. The Cava industry has over 38,000ha of vineyards and more than 6,200 winegrowers, and its 349 associated wineries are present in more than 100 countries. 

Reflecting on the annual results, Pagés added: “Despite the economic and geopolitical turbulence, our products continue to recover ground in the domestic market and consolidate their positions, while our main global competitors have experienced a significant decline.”

• Sparkling Wine
• DO Cava
• Wines of Spain
• Javier Pagés
• guarda superior