The DO Cava assures that it will maintain the price of grapes with the delivery of 100 M€ to the winegrowers

BarcelonaThe Cava Designation of Origin (DO) begins the 2026 harvest, ensuring that grape prices will be maintained despite initial forecasts of production surplus. In a statement released this Wednesday, the organization indicated that it will inject nearly one hundred million euros to winegrowers in the territory, comprising 6,200 families and around 200 wineries.

"The sector will, for the most part, maintain its grape purchase prices for Cava de Guarda and Cava de Guarda Superior," specifies the DO Cava. In any case, the designation of origin only provides specific data on the price for the 18 integral producers, which are those that carry out the entire production process on their own premises. In these cases, the sparkling wine brand indicates that up to one euro per kilogram of hand-picked organic grapes will be paid. For the rest, DO sources consulted by ARA point out that the aggregated average of the different grape categories is not entirely representative. In any case, it is indicated that grapes for Cava de Guarda Superior – the segment with longer aging periods and selected vineyards – are paid, on average, 27% more than those for Cava de Guarda.

Prices are achieved after initial forecasts, which pointed to a production surplus of around 30%, have been tempered by the lack of rain in the last month and a half. Meteorological phenomena, explains the DO, have reduced vineyard yields and led wineries to end up acquiring more grapes than initially planned.

Fight against climate change

Also coinciding with the 2026 grape harvest, the denomination's regulatory council has approved this year's campaign rules with new measures to adapt the sector to the effects of climate change.

The rules are summarized in two main points. On the one hand, a maximum yield of 10,000 kilograms per hectare is established for the immediate production of aged cava, a measure intended not to overload the vineyards. On the other hand, and inspired by the French region of Champagne, no production surplus – in this case, not immediate – of aged cavas above 10,000 kilograms per hectare and up to 12,000 kilograms per hectare will be discarded or sold instantly. In this case, the surplus will be stored with the aim of absorbing production fluctuations resulting from drought or exceptional years.

For Marta Vidal, the new president of the DO Cava regulatory council appointed last June, both the maintenance of investment and the measures against climate change aim to "protect the interests of winegrowers and producers". "We are working to achieve a value pact for the vineyard, with clear information and transparent contracts for winegrowers," she points out, adding that climate fluctuations "should not end up being paid by those who can least afford them".

With giants like Codorniu or Freixenet at the forefront – both in the hands of foreign investors – the DO asserts itself as the largest winegrowing project in Spain with more than 190 million bottles sold last year, a global turnover of more than 2 billion euros, and a presence in more than 150 countries.