Tapas trendies make Spanish wine sales soar

Tapas trendies make Spanish wine sales soar

BRITONS in love with all things Spanish have sent sales of the country’s Rioja wine rocketing.

By: Sarah Westcott
Published: Sat, April 6, 2013


 Rioja has become a staple of many British meals

Spanish wine sales have increased by 16 per cent – fuelled mostly by Rioja which is becoming a staple of many British meals.

The rise is twice the sales growth of the next best performing wine-producing countries, New Zealand and Argentina.

It strengthens Spain’s position as Britain’s fifth best-loved wine-producing nation after Australia, Italy, the US and France.

Britons have bought 63 million bottles of Spanish wine over the past year, according to analysts Nielsen.

Experts put its rising popularity down to a growing love of tapas – little plates of food for sharing – which have soared by 50 per cent over the past year.

 Spain is seen as providing excellent value-for-money wines at all levels

Graham Nash, Tesco wine manager

Tesco, the UK’s largest wine retailer, has added more than a dozen new Spanish wines to its range to meet demand.

Tesco wine manager Graham Nash said: “The rising popularity of tapas in restaurants as well as in the home has helped to drive up sales of Spanish wines.

“Spain is seen as providing excellent value-for-money wines at all levels.”

Tesco said all wines at £15-plus a bottle have shown record growth of 49 per cent and it now stocks wines at £1,000 a bottle.

Origin information: Daily and Sunday Express