Spain’s Rías Baixas wine region is considering (in Spanish) measures to limit grape production after a record 2025 harvest coincided with a sharp drop in wine consumption, leaving wineries with surplus stock and putting pressure on prices. Industry leaders are discussing a temporary halt to new vineyard plantings and possible adjustments to the maximum yield allowed per hectare in order to better match supply with weaker demand. The article argues that the downturn is being driven mainly by changing consumer habits and declining global wine consumption rather than tariffs, making production control a key strategy for protecting growers and wineries.
Spain
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Cava’s Highest Tier Adds Five New Paraje Calificado Wines
D.O. Cava says Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has certified five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas, taking the total in the top tier to 15, with new additions including three Sumarroca bottles plus Carles Andreu’s L’Era del Celdoni and Vins El Cep’s MIM Natura Blanc de Noirs. The press release says the wines met strict regulatory requirements and were revalidated by a panel including Masters of Wine and leading sommeliers, and it reiterates that Paraje Calificado is reserved for single estate Cavas with demanding criteria such as hand harvesting, estate vinification, vintage dating and a minimum 36 months ageing, with 100% organic status from the 2025 harvest. Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News adds that four family run wineries are also set to become D.O. Cava “Integral Producers”, meaning they carry out the whole winemaking process on their own property.