Asia drives sales growth for Santa Carolina

One of Chile’s leading wine companies, Carolina Wine Brands, reported sales increases in 2016, driven by strong performances in its key Asian markets.

The company sold three million cases of wines last year, while its sales in Asia and Oceania jumped to US$26.1 million, making it the third largest exporter to the region, the company said.

China, the largest export destination for Chilean wines by volume, has proven to be a lucrative market for its flagship wine brand, Santa Carolina. It hit a sales record in the country last year with 60,000 cases sold leading to double-digit growth for its ‘Reserva’ and ‘Reserva de Familia’ ranges (of 43.9% and 18.2% respectively).

Japan meanwhile is the company’s leading market for value growth with sales up by 65% from 2015, driven for the most part by its ‘Santa’ range. The wine range was hailed by the company as one of its most successful market launches, with sales over half a million cases in less than two years.

Sales in Canada also increased by 18% over the course of 2016, thanks to the double-digit growth posted by Santa Carolina’s premium wines, which was considerably higher than the total 9% increase shown by all Chilean labels combined, the company said.

Although all Chilean and Argentine shipments to the US declined in 2016, Santa Carolina’s sales climbed by 5.5.% including a remarkable 11% growth by the Reserva range, while shipments of Finca el Origen grew by 5.7%. The company also signed new distribution agreements for the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut.

Its sales in Latin America also picked up with 13.37% growth in Brazil and 6% in Mexico compared with 2015.

In 2017, the company is looking to expand its wine production capacity to 127,000 litres compared to the 75,000 litres produced in 2016.