Threatened European vineyards (Part 2)
New World attacks
Wine is not sold. European wines languish on shelves while buyers will rather taste wines from the New World - Chile, the USA, Southern Africa, etc. Ireland, for example, imports 70 % from New World. And Australia recently even has left behind France by the amount of wines exported to the Great Britain.
Spain possessing approximately 3 million acres of vineyards, feels these changes as any other country. But Spanish wine makers have quite good chances to overcome the crisis. In the recent report Standard & Poors rating agency has noted, that Spanish wines, alongside with Australian and Chilean, are the main competitors of US wine-making companies.
Red Rioja wines have been popular in the USA for a long time. The same can be told about Toro and Jumilla premium wines. Strict EU rules concerning wine production help manufacturers to emphasize exclusiveness, the top notch of their product.
Spain has good chances to increase demand for its wine. In spite of the most extensive grape areas, Spain has hold only the third place on production volume among all EU countries. Within this limits Spanish manufacturers and distributors are aimed at expansion of their share of the market.