What is the wine sector like in Spain?

The Spanish Wine Interprofessional Organization has published the report “Economic and Social Importance of the Wine Sector in Spain,” prepared by the consultancy AFI (Analistas Financieros Internacionales). The study highlights the key role that the national sector plays worldwide, being the global leader in vineyard area with more than 950,000 hectares dedicated to vine cultivation.

Spain is also the world leader in organic vineyard area, which represents 13% of total cultivation. These figures place our country as the third-largest wine producer in the world, with nearly 38 million hectoliters per year. In addition, part of this production is distributed among around one hundred protected designations of origin, which help increase the perceived value of the product.

In terms of the number of companies involved in its value chain, Spanish wine involves more than 4,000 companies, including growers, producers, distributors and marketers. To these activities we must add the positive impact that the wine sector has not only on hospitality, but also on tourism, which is a key driver in enhancing the value of Spanish wine. Not for nothing does wine tourism bring together some thirty official Wine Routes of Spain.

Thanks to this international exposure of the national product, Spanish wine is exported to 189 countries. The sector’s global reach is also reflected in the 800 million euros of foreign investment it has attracted over the last decade. In terms of research and innovation, the sector invested more than 570 million euros last year in environmental initiatives and in modernizing processes and facilities.

If we look at GVA (gross value added), the wine sector generates 23.7 billion euros a year, equivalent to 2.2% of national GVA. Almost half of this added value comes from Castilla-La Mancha, the leading autonomous community in production. The wine sector, for its part, makes a direct contribution to the state coffers of more than 3.8 billion euros a year.

It is also worth highlighting the role the wine sector plays as an economic and social driver in rural areas, helping to combat depopulation, thanks to the strong link between wine and the land. It is therefore a sector that contributes to the demographic challenge and must continue to strive for sustainable development, especially given the impact that climate change may have on production. All of this should help increase the perceived value of Spanish wine.