The marketing results for Rioja wines in April alleviate the setback after the terrible month of March, when the year-on-year figures fell even below the level of the year of the pandemic. In this sense, sales grew 23% in the fourth … month of the year compared to the same month in 2023, with which the interannual rate (so far this year) once again recovers 238 million liters, although the volume is still clearly below the productive capacity of the designation of origin even with a 90% reduction of the wine covered for red varieties as agreed, at least for the moment, in the harvest regulations.
There is still no recovery, but at least the poor results with which the first quarter ended are compensated. Thus, in the calculation of the first four months of the year, sales decreased by 0.62% (3.51% drop in the case of the interannual rate).
The increases in the month of April are general in all wine categories, although in the balance of the first four months the great reserves lose 20% compared to the same period in 2023 and the generics also drop 3%. The Crianzas (2.5%) and the Reservas (5.5%) do improve.
By color, red wine remains negative, but recovers a lot of ground compared to March, to close the quarter with a drop of 0.89% compared to the same period of the previous one, while whites (0.26%) and rosés ( 1.5%) return to positive territory.
As for the main destinations, the national market improved by 26% in April, although in the accumulated value of the first four months it remains negative, with a loss of 3.43% compared to the first four months of last year. In the foreign market, April was also very positive and accumulated sales so far this year improved by 3.7%.
Buyers
By country, the United Kingdom maintains the positive tone (6% increase), while Germany, the second market in volume, recovers part of what was lost, although it continues to decrease by 2.47%. Ireland (20% more) and the Netherlands (12%) register the highest growth rates, while the US (6.4%) and Canada (5.6%) recover ground. Switzerland is flat and Belgium (-18%) and to a lesser extent Russia (-4.25%) and Sweden (-1.8%) are down.
As for the main Spanish competitors, Ribera del Duero and Rueda, also with data from the first quarter, in both cases had a good month of April, although for the whole quarter Ribera lost 2.1% and Rueda 4.5%. %, although they come from much better figures than those of Rioja.
The average year-on-year export price of Rioja is practically flat (5.17 euros per liter), but the accumulated price (from January to April) drops almost 3% (5.10 euros/liter), so there does not seem to be any a downward price adjustment.
#Argentina
