Wine is looking for a way out of its impasse: it is losing consumers, Catalan wine is stagnating, and it is failing to convince young people.

BarcelonaWine faces major challenges ahead. Added to the challenge posed by climate change for grape cultivation is the decline in wine consumption. While some indicators suggest that Spain is one of the few countries left out of this global trend, the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) has estimated that global consumption will fall to 214.2 million hectoliters in 2024, 3.3% less than the previous year. This figure represents the 9% decline in the 19th century, and the Catalan Institute of Vine and Wine (Incavi) wants to reverse this trend.

From always being at the table to serving to toast

One of the few fully accessible indicators that provide an idea of the evolution of the Catalan wine market is the number of bottles issued for sale by wineries in the 11 appellations of origin (all except Cava). At this point, much of the data for 2024 is already available—only those for the Pla de Bages DO and the fourth quarter of the Terra Alta DO are missing—and they suggest that wine sales have moderated their decline. From what is currently known, although the price per bottle continues to rise, last year the volume was down 3.2%, while in 2023 the drop was 8.1%.

To address the decline in consumption, Incavi—which reports to the Generalitat (Catalan regional government)—is improving its analysis of the sector's evolution. It has just presented a first preview of the 2025 Catalan Consumption Barometer, a perception study based on a survey of 1,000 people. It confirms that the rate of decline has slowed, but not stopped, as shown by the number of Catalans who consume wine—regardless of where it was produced—at least once a week: in 2019, it was 29%, a percentage that had dropped to 21% in 2023 and will reach 21% in 2025. In other words, the tradition of enjoying meals with wine is being replaced by more occasional consumption linked to celebrations.

Incavi's general manager, Joan Gené, says he doesn't have an in-depth analysis of the causes of the decline in consumption, beyond the fact that COVID marked a "before and after," that red wine is more affected by the downward trend than white or sparkling wines, and that, for now, wine hasn't been able to appeal to new generations. The sector also attributes this to the growing pronouncements and policies promoted by governments and organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), which remind us that there is no such thing as alcohol consumption with zero risk to health. At the same time, zero-calorie beverages, including wine, are in vogue.

Catalan wine is prized, but its consumption is stagnating.

Gené emphasizes that we have reached a point where "Catalan wine is at the highest level" and that there are products that "can compete with the best wines in the world," something that is also perceived by consumers. According to Incavi, Catalan wine continues to be valued for its quality, tradition, and proximity, but at the same time there is still a lack of knowledge about its origin: one in five consumers doesn't know where the wine they drink comes from, and among young people, it's one in four.

Furthermore, before COVID-19, the share of Catalan wine consumed in Catalonia grew year after year, exceeding 40% just before the pandemic hit. Now, it seems to have slipped and is only just beginning to recover some of the lost ground. According to the consulting firm Nielsen, which carries out these calculations, in the first half of 2024, Catalan wine accounted for 36.9% of wines consumed in Catalonia, and in the same period in 2025, 37.3%. In any case, Incavi maintains that these figures are not entirely comparable with those prior to the pandemic, because their current calculations take into account only two months—October and November—in the first half of the year and, before COVID-19, only two months—October and November—into account.

Catalonia has its own particular crisis with sparkling wines

In addition to the general decline in consumption, in Catalonia we must also add the confusion that consumers may perceive in the face of the constant reconfiguration of their sparkling wines. The bubbles produced here also saw fewer sales in 2024 overall—13.4% for Cava and 2.4% for Corpinnat—and in recent months, the number of wineries from Cava or non-Cava regions joining Corpinnat, dissatisfied with the Cava DO, has accelerated. Corpinnat now has 19 members, and the last two, AT Roca and Mas Bertran have attracted them from Clàssic Penedès –the sparkling wine division of the DO Penedès–, a move that was unprecedented until now.

One of the recurring demands of Corpinnat, which is an EU collective trademark, has been to demand access to the same aid as the DOs, but Incavi has once again closed the door. Gené assures that they try to help all Catalan grape projects that "sell themselves positively," whether they are called Cava, Corpinnat, Clàssic Penedès, or even natural wine producers. "Whenever we can help Corpinnat, we will help them as a private label," asserts the Incavi general manager, but points out that because it is not a designation of origin, it does not have access to the aid that DOs do. "It's the law," he emphasizes.

The harvest, still below the historical average

The persistent drought that the vineyard has suffered in recent years, a phenomenon that all indications are that it may become more frequent with climate change, has also had its positive effects. Gené emphasizes that in the last year "water management has greatly improved" by winegrowers, while many in the sector have breathed a sigh of relief that the inevitable decline in production has coincided with lower wine consumption.

While this year's harvest is still to be completed in the territories where it is later, Incavi details that thanks to the rainfall of the last year, a substantial improvement has been recorded in Catalonia overall: the volume of grapes entering the winery has increased by 38% in white varieties and 19% in red varieties compared to 20. They note that the 2025 harvest is still below the historical average for the 2013-23 period: 12% less in white varieties and 34% less in red varieties.

Making it easy to reconnect with consumers

The 2025 Barometer of Consumption in Catalonia has identified six opportunities to reverse the decline in consumption. First, strengthen the narrative of wine as a "good, local, and responsible" product, connected to the landscape and the territory, and, according to Gené, "simplify" the messages consumers receive, such as labels, to facilitate wine selection. Furthermore, "normalize" wine beyond special occasions, bearing in mind that six out of ten Catalans find it attractive to drink with tapas or appetizers.

With regard to young people, Gené advocates for "disruptive" options, innovating with smaller wine formats, wine cocktails, or lower-alcohol options—one in four Catalans would drink more wine if it had a lower alcohol content—as well as strengthening their presence on Instagram and TikTok to communicate in a more visual, personal, and experiential way. They should also promote wine tourism as an emotional gateway to Catalan wine, as 72% of Catalans show interest in wine tourism activities and 42% have already participated in one. With all this, the barometer concludes that for wine to regain ground, "less solemnity and greater shared emotion" is needed.