16 Oct 2007


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Rioja number one wine region for UK wine consumers

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Source : Wines from Rioja
Rioja is the wine region most likely to convert UK consumer awareness into sales, according to the recently released results of a Wine Intelligence Vinitrac survey.

Recognised as a wine region by two-thirds of UK wine drinkers, nearly half of respondents who had heard of Rioja said they had purchased wines from the region in the last three months – placing it firmly in pole position, ahead of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

These results are backed up by recent Nielsen statistics showing a 7% increase in volume and 11% increase in value of sales of Rioja wines over the past two years, outperforming Spain as a whole.

Rioja wines also command a higher price than many others in the UK market, with an average off-trade price of £5.19 per 75cl, far greater than the UK average of £3.96 for still light wines.

Statistics from the Rioja Growers and Exporters Group (to August 2007) show particularly strong growth in the high quality Reserva (+57%), Gran Reserva (+48%) and Crianza wines (+18%) over the past two years.

Of the two other key export markets identified in the Strategic Plan for Rioja 2005: Germany and the USA, Rioja is performing well in Germany, with around half of regular wine drinkers aware of the region.

Of these, 43% are regular buyers, putting Rioja in Germany’s top four most consumed nations.

In the USA, Rioja is lagging behind local, French and Italian regions, with an awareness of 18%. Despite this relatively low level of recognition the region generates a similar sales conversion rate to most other non-US regions of 23%.

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