News

Rueda DO toasts strongest sales figures in history

10 January 2023 By Dani Clarke

Rueda DO broke its all-time sales record in 2022. The DO issued nearly 110 million back labels, reflecting the best performance in its history.

The Rueda Designation of Origin for wines refers to wines from the Castile and León area in Spain. Its sales figures showed 8% year-on-year growth compared to 2021, and 32.34% compared to 2020.

White wines from Rueda are made using the Designation of Origin’s native grape, the Verdejo. The grape allows for versatility, enabling local winemakers to produce a range of young, fermented and aged wines.

Out of the total 109,972,921 back labels issued by the Designation of Origin last year, 99.74% were for white wine. These were broken down into “Vino Tranquilo” (still wine), “Espumoso” (sparkling wine), “Vino de Licor” (fortified wine) and “Gran Vino de Rueda” or GVR (Great Rueda wine).

The upward trend in Rueda DO sales establishes it as the most widely consumed Designation of Origin in Spain in the quality white wine market, according to the latest report by consultancy firm Nielsen.

Carlos Yllera, chair of the Rueda DO Regulatory Board, said he was “thrilled” with the region’s sales figures in 2022. “That both the hospitality industry and the end consumer continue to support the quality of our wines is a source of enormous pride,” he said.

Quality is of the utmost importance to Rueda DO winegrowers and winemakers, who aim to uphold their high standard again this year.

“We realise that the economic situation is complicated right now,” said Yllera. “But we’re confident that together we can continue to grow, especially at an international level, and offer the very best of products.”