Unió de Pagesos laments the "pressure" that cava winegrowers are experiencing
The organization points out that the price of base wine has not recovered and that the increase in production costs compromises farms
BarcelonaUnió de Pagesos regrets the "pressure" that cava winegrowers are suffering despite the announcement made yesterday by the Cava Designation of Origin (DO) Cava, where it assured that it will maintain the price of grapes during the 2026 harvest. After the DO Cava published its estimates on remuneration to farmers – based on information provided by 70% of the market – the agricultural union points out that the data "only reflect a part of the market reality" and that the economic situation of the sector "cannot be assessed solely on the price of grapes".
According to the statement published this Thursday by the national head of the vineyard and wine sector of the farmer organization, David Sendra, the price of base cava wine experienced a "significant" drop during the first months of 2026, a situation that, as the union points out, has not yet recovered.
The decline, as the text continues, was directly transferred to the price of grapes. While the DO Cava intends to maintain prices, other producers have modified their orders. The purchase of grapes is uneven and, although some companies have prices similar to the previous campaign, Unió de Pagesos maintains that others "have reduced prices or contracted volumes". This drop has caused a "significant" part of the harvest to find no outlet within the DO Cava and must be destined for other designations of origin or for table wine, markets where prices are lower.
As a consequence, many winegrowers have received payments of around 30 cents per kilogram, a figure "far below production costs and insufficient to guarantee the economic viability of the farms", they denounce. To this situation must be added the increase in production costs, a fact that "further compromises the profitability and economic viability of many wine-growing farms".
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For all these reasons, Unió de Pagesos considers that the economic situation of winegrowers cannot be assessed solely on the basis of the price of grapes or the base wine intended for cava. "The evolution of the base wine market throughout the campaign, the prices actually received by producers, the contracted volumes, the destination of production outside the cava circuit, and the increase in production costs must be taken into account," summarizes the organization.
In this regard, Sendra – who precisely holds a seat on the DO's regulatory council representing Unió de Pagesos, and is its vice-president – demands an assessment of the campaign that incorporates "all elements" to offer a "complete" vision of the market.
Regarding these words, the DO Cava assures in a statement that it has "no fundamental disagreement" with the union and claims the need to work with winegrowers to face challenges such as the decrease in demand or climate change. "The environment demands supportive and transformative measures to guarantee the future of a crucial segment for the vineyard, viticulture, and the entire agricultural sector of the territory," it defends.