Icex urges the Cava industry to make a greater effort to export.

Cava could do more to boost exports, especially from smaller wineries. "They're not interested in the international market," stated María Naranjo, director of the food industry at ICEX (the Spanish State Foreign Trade Agency), during the 2nd Cava Meeting, an international gathering organized by the Cava Designation of Origin (DO) in Avinyonet del Penedès (Alt Penedès) that brought together more than 100 wineries. Although 64% of Cava production was already destined for export in 2024, Naranjo perceives a "lack of international focus" among smaller wineries. ICEX considers two wines "iconic" in Spain, Sherry and Cava, and has specific projects to increase their visibility. In the case of Cava alone, Naranjo stated that ICEX has had to cancel scheduled activities due to a "lack of business interest" from the wineries invited to participate. These events were to be held in countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, China, and the United States. Regarding the reasons, Naranjo admitted that small wineries "run out of time" trying to keep up with everything, but there are also solutions for developing an export-oriented approach, such as the one implemented in the Rías Baixas DO, where companies with international departments work for several wineries simultaneously. Only Cavas with superior aging potential—at least 18 months—participated in the Cava Meeting, and Naranjo added that, despite the existence of these wine "gems," wineries also "lack the confidence to venture abroad." The two souls of the DO

He president of the DO Cava, Javier PagésHe stated that abroad, "it's unacceptable that people say we haven't visited them," which he described as "unforgivable," and called for seizing the opportunity presented by the growing consumption of sparkling wines, which is bucking the general decline in wine sales. The meeting also highlighted the diverse perspectives within the Cava industry: while Luciano García-Carrión, owner of the group that produces Jaume Serra Cava, argued that selling more bottles is "the best scenario" for everyone in the sector, smaller wineries called for better differentiation between the various regions that make up the state-owned Cava region, as well as for longer aging processes.

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