Las ventas de Rioja crecen más de un 8% en 2021 rozando ya niveles previos a la pandemia

Rioja ended 2021 recovering the commercial momentum that the pandemic had halted, with growth that brought it back to figures close to those before the health crisis.

A recovery that was expected

After a 2020 marked by the closure of the hospitality sector and by restrictions, the appellation grew strongly again. Sales rose by around 8% compared with the previous year, a figure that returned Rioja to a level of sales very similar to that of 2019. This is no minor rebound: it confirms that demand was still there, simply waiting for circumstances to fall into place.

Exports lead the way

Much of this improvement rested on foreign markets. The appellation consolidated the progress of its exports and also managed to add value to its offer, that is, to sell at a better average price. That double movement -more volume and more value- is exactly what any region seeking to grow sustainably, rather than by cutting margins, aims for.

Which styles drove growth

Growth was not uniform, and that is where it gets interesting. Segments that reflect a more demanding consumer gained ground:

• High-end ageing wines, which reinforce the region's prestige image.
• The whites, increasingly valued and with a quality clearly on the rise.
• The rosés, which have managed to reinvent themselves and gain credibility.

This diversification is good news: Rioja is no longer dependent on a single wine profile and is broadening its audience.

More than numbers

Behind these figures are thousands of grape growers, family wineries and large houses that weathered a very difficult period. The recovery in sales translated into jobs, investment and confidence to keep betting on quality. For a region where wine is an economic and cultural driving force, every point of growth counts.

From data to a visit

The numbers explain the health of an appellation, but wine is best understood on the ground. Touring the region's wineries, talking to those who make the wine and tasting at source is the most honest way to appreciate why Rioja remains a benchmark both in Spain and abroad.

If you feel like discovering it first-hand, you can check out the wineries of the D.O.Ca. Rioja and plan a wine-tourism getaway that goes far beyond the label.