The summary for 2014 from Cava’s Consejo Regulador starts on a positive note: sales of Cava in the domestic market recovered by 7.54% to reach 87.6m bottles (approximately a third of total sales) after two years of negative growth. More Cava was enjoyed in Spanish bars and restaurants last year, resulting in a modest rise in overall sales in the home market and export combined.
After that, the good news seems hard to find. Sales dropped off significantly in Germany, and the trend is down in the UK. More encouragingly, Belgium consumers continued to buy more Cava – especially premium Cava – making this market, at 30.4m bottles, almost as important in 2014 as the 30.5m-bottle market of Germany. In the higher premium categories, sales of Reserva wines, at 22.6m bottles, fell by nearly 11% while Gran Reserva showed a more encouraging rise of 6.7% with sales of 4.7m bottles.
In export markets beyond EU countries, Cava sales have grown steadily over the last decade: last year’s growth was just over 2%, led by North America and Japan. The US is one of the best markets for Gran Reserva Cavas.
A look at worldwide figures for sparkling wine in 2014 reveals that Spain did not have a great year, with value sales down by 12.9% while France was up 7.8% and Italy by 14.2%, led by a strong performance from Prosecco. Average prices dropped for Spanish fizz (mostly Cava) by a worrying 15.6%.
Prosecco and image
So where lies the problem? Firstly it’s worth looking at Cava’s rival, the unstoppable Prosecco. In the UK, the Italian fizz has “eaten into Spanish share rather than grow the [sparkling wine] category,” as Codorníu’s brand manager Carolyn d’Aguilar says. Consumers love its easy-going fruity character, generally reliable quality and affordable price. Prosecco is trendy and it’s everywhere: supermarkets, specialists, at banquets and weddings, and throughout the on-trade – it’s even served on tap in some places.
However, a short 2014 harvest could cause a temporary shortage, forcing buyers and consumers to look elsewhere. Cava producers are hoping that this situation presents an opportunity to get their wines into consumers’ glasses and win them over to Cava, at least for those prepared to operate at a similar level to most Prosecco wines (£6.00 to £8.00 or $9.00 to $12.00).
But there is more to it than that. For many UK consumers, for example, Cava is just Cava. It’s widely available in the supermarket aisles and it’s often cheap in the run-up to Christmas. Those consumers seem unaware that bottle-fermented Cava comes in a wide range of styles, from young to longer-aged Reserva and Gran Reserva wines, single varietal Cavas, rosé Cavas and high-end single vineyard wines or special cuvées. Many are also very compatible with food.
In a situation that has dogged Cava’s image for years, supermarket labels – of very varying quality – continue to hold sway over branded Cavas and, as Nielsen figures show, the trend here is also worrying, with a value share ratio of 56% to 44% in favour of private label. Italy, in contrast, has a ratio of 74% to 26% in favour of brands, a far more favourable position for the longer term.
Javier Pagés, CEO at Codorníu Raventos, speaks for many Cava producers when he says: “At Codorníu we have the heritage, the grapes (traditional and international) and the winemaking skills to make great Cavas. We also have a great desire to innovate and to keep the category relevant for consumers.”
Pagés believes that Cava is a “very strong category” that can compete with the best of the world’s sparkling wines. However, he adds: “Somehow we have not managed as a category to communicate all these values to the consumer and consumer perceptions of Cava do not relate to the reality. This is our main challenge and we all have to work towards this goal.”
Codorníu continues to add to its portfolio at the top end. Its Gran Codorníu Gran Reserva Collection offers three single-vineyard Cavas, each featuring a different grape variety (£135.00 in the UK and €120.00 in Spain). There are plans to launch a cuvée which is a blend from the three single-vineyard wines by the end of the year.
Vilarnau, part of the González Byass portfolio, is a smaller producer operating in the premium segment. Nicolas Bertino, international sales director, is encouraged by the brand’s progress, especially in Belgium, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the UK. He attributes this to wine quality and innovation. “At the higher end of the market the secret is to inspire consumers with new ideas and products,” he says.
Cavas made from one varietal are adding rich variety to the Cava offering and Vilarnau has created two of them. One features a much lesser known grape – Subirat Parent – which is planted over only around 70 ha in the Cava DO vineyards. Attracted by the grape’s aromatic qualities, winemaker Damiá Deas has made Vilarnau’s Subirat Parent Reserva Brut Nature. It sits alongside Els Capricis, a single-vineyard wine featuring the better-known Xarel-lo, one of the three main Cava grapes. Els Capricis is matured in chestnut oak, the same kind of oak that was used in Cava production many centuries ago.
Meanwhile the more mainstream Vilarnau Barcelona Brut NV, launched 18 months ago, has also been well received, according to Bertino. The Cava features a presentation inspired by the Gaudí mosaics of Barcelona’s Park Güell and therefore gives the wine a strong link to its place of origin.
The higher end
Conscious of the need to boost Cava’s image, the Consejo Regulador is hosting a number of events in key markets this year. In March, the Düsseldorf Cava Experience took place during ProWein. Several events showcased Cava wines with fine gastronomy and tapas during Germany’s major wine show.
The second, Cava London Experience, followed on May 11th. It was held at the city’s Copa de Cava bar/restaurant where some of the best Cava wines are listed. The event itself featured around 20 Cavas with Reserva (15+ months ageing) or Gran Reserva (30+ months ageing) from producers including Gramona, Parxet, Torelló, Vilarnau and Freixenet. Here too there was the opportunity to try Cava alongside Spanish food prepared by resident chef Nacho Del Campo.
It was then on to Milan for Cava Week at the six-month-long Expo Milano 2015. Cava week, held during the last week of May, comprised the didactic ‘Cava Experience’ to communicate where Cava comes from, as well as daily tastings for the general public and wine professionals.
These events have also offered the opportunity to discuss the forthcoming Cava del Paraje Calificado classification. Recently announced by the Consejo, this classification is being created to recognise outstanding single- vineyard Cavas. The Paraje wines will come from areas that stand out due to the unique character of their terroir and climate and will be produced according to specific criteria. The first wines are expected to arrive in the market in 2015-16.
Can some of this generic activity and the efforts of individual producers turn the tide for Cava? Time will tell. In the meantime there is a lot of work to be done to achieve better recognition for a sparkling wine which can offer very good quality for a fair price.
Cava: Facts and figures
> The main area of production for Cava centres on Sant Sadurní d’Anoia near Barcelona, where most of the 33,352 ha are located. Cava is also produced in a few other Spanish regions including Rioja and Extremadura.
>The main grapes used in Cava production are Macabeo (Viura), Xarel-lo and Parellada. Others include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Garnacha and Subirat Parent.
>Spain also produces sparkling wines with DO classification including DO Chacolí, DO Rueda and DO Rías Baixas, each featuring their own permitted grape varieties. Other Spanish sparkling wines are produced without DO status.
