If there is one sector that represents our region, that would be the wine sector. Years of tradition and culture guarantee the expertise and know-how of wineries and wine cooperatives in Castilla-La Mancha, as well as the quality of their wines of course.
The wine sector currently accounts for 5% of GDP in the region, with many customs and festivals and much cultural and natural heritage in the region heavily based on the culture of wine. Its importance to the local economic fabric is unquestionable, with the tourism and gastronomy sectors offering a fine example of this as business sectors that are tightly intertwined with the wine sector.
The cultivation and production of wine forms an integral part of the character of this region and its people. Winemaking is the main economic activity for many towns and villages in the region and some 80,000 families currently make a living from this sector. 484 wineries (205 of which son cooperativas) make up this sector in Castilla-La Mancha, with approximately 43,000 employees working on cultivation alone.
Castilla-La Mancha lives and breathes wine culture, making it come as no surprise that the region is known as the vineyard and winery of the world.
DATA ON THE SECTOR IN CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
Castilla-La Mancha is currently considered to be the vineyard and winery of the world. You might think this is something of an exaggeration. If you were to ask an American, Castilla-La Mancha would probably not be the first region to come to mind.
The most recent available data reflect a total vineyard surface area in Spain of over 941,000 hectares and Castilla-La Mancha accounts for 49% of that total – 458,952 hectares. Far behind in second place is Extremadura with 85,872 hectares.
ALMOST 50% OF NATIONAL PRODUCTION VOLUME
COMES FROM CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
Worldwide, Castilla-La Mancha accounts for 8% of the total planted vineyard surface area. The vineyard surface area in the entire countries of France and China each account for 11% of the global total. This is what makes us the largest vineyard in the world.
In terms of production, a new all-time record was set in 2021 for grape and must production in Castilla-La Mancha – more than 25 million hectolitres, of which more than 17 million were exported. This comes a year after what was undoubtedly the worst year for global wine sales.
EXPORT GROWTH FROM 2020 TO 2021 IN CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST FIGURES SET
NATIONWIDE, AT 25.9%
Quality wines from Castilla-La Mancha can be found in every corner of the world, but two major markets stood out last year as the top consumers: Japan and Canada.
23% OF THE SPANISH WINE SOLD OVERSEAS
COMES FROM CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
Wine exports from Castilla-La Mancha in 2021 were worth in excess of 678 million euros. This upward trend has been maintained in 2022 according to early data on this year.
CULTURE, QUALITY AND INNOVATION
Wine in Castilla-La Mancha and the modernisation of cultivation methods have undergone significant developments in recent years. We are shifting away from our status as the largest suppliers worldwide in terms of volume and bulk sales to realising the value and extremely high quality of what we were giving away.
We said before that Castilla-La Mancha is the vineyard and winery of the world. This is nothing new. Historically speaking, this region has always been a major exporter due its enormous production. For years, producers have been forced to sell their surpluses in bulk to avoid economic losses.
This meant that for a long time both the price of the product and the perception of quality in wines from Castilla-La Mancha were undervalued both nationally and internationally.
The wine sector has focused its efforts on reversing this situation and ensuring that the world knows about the special character, flavour and quality of wines from Castilla-La Mancha. Producers got to work innovating and improving facilities and production processes, modernising commercialisation efforts and reassessing the value of their wines.
EXPORTS OF BOTTLED QUALITY WINES AND BULK WINES ARE STARTING
TO BALANCE OUT, ALTHOUGH THERE IS STILL A LONG ROAD AHEAD
To speak of the quality and flavour of wines from Castilla-La Mancha is to speak of a unique region of Spain with characteristics and a climate that make it one of the best places in the world to grow grape vines.
Its dry micro-climate, the limestone soil and the long hours of sunshine lead to outstanding grape development and maturation, which in turn leads to an excellent balance of flavours and an ability to prevent the proliferation of bacteria that damage grape quality. That said, it would all be for nothing without the incredible dedication and care applied by producers when obtaining the grapes. That said, it would all be for nothing without the incredible dedication and care applied by producers when obtaining the grapes. The result is quality over quantity and some very aromatic and full-bodied intense wines.
A wide variety of grapes are grown in Castilla-La Mancha. However, the white Airén and red Bobal and Tempranillo (or Cencibel as it is known here) are the most characteristic of this region. Furthermore, the quality of the wines from Castilla-La Mancha is guaranteed by its nine Designations of Origin (Manchuela, Valdepeñas, La Mancha, Almansa, Uclés, Méntrida, Jumilla, Mondéjar and Ribera del Júcar), Estate Wines (a classification applied to individual wineries or wine estates rather than an entire wine region) and the Vinos de Tierra de Castilla Protected Geographic Indication.
WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE WINE SECTOR OF CASTILLA-LA MANCHA?
The “2022-2027 Strategic Plan for the Wine Sector”, was published recently and presented by the OIVE (the International Organisation of Vine and Wine in Spain). The main goal is for wine to recover the value of its exports in 2013 by modernising and enriching the sector based on sustainability in production and responsible consumption, lending greater significance to wine tourism.
The five overarching priorities on which the actions will focus are: quality, diversity, history, tradition and sustainability and innovation.
It is a highly ambitious plan that seeks the following by 2027: 1) 1) an annual domestic consumption increase of 3% to reach some 12.6 million hectolitres; 2) 26% of national vineyards to be environmentally friendly and reach zero net emissions by 2035 and 3) wine tourism growth of 5.7% with a special focus on the most depopulated parts of the country.
For Castilla-La Mancha, these targets and measures are nothing new. In fact, it can be said that this is one of the regions that has been working hardest on this issue for many years.
As we said at the beginning, the entire region is underpinned by the culture of wine. Dozens and dozens of wine trails can be found winding through the various villages, towns and cities of Castilla-La Mancha, revealing lesser known parts of the region, its history and its gastronomy to visitors.
Castilla-La Mancha is also a national and international leader in organic farming, standing as one of the first organic farming productive regions in the world.
ALMOST HALF OF ALL THE ECO-FRIENDLY VINEYARDS
IN SPAIN CAN BE FOUND IN CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
The land and production methods at vineyards in Castilla-La Mancha are perfect for organic farming. At present, we have nearly 63,000 hectares of eco-friendly vineyards and 239 wineries registered as such. However, these figures continue to grow year after year.
Furthermore, the entry into force of the new PAC in 2023 seeks to allocate 17% of the funds for the rural development programme to this purpose alone, which will ensure that Castilla-La Mancha remains an organic farming leader in Europe and a global benchmark.
