Disclosure: The author was invited to a paid press trip to DO Montsant in Spain. The contents of this article were not influenced by DO Montsant.
Though it has been just over 6 months since the symbolic Catalan declaration of independence from Spain was made, the issue of Catalonian independence has troubled the region for many years.
Photo copyright R. Yeamans-Irwin 2018
One potential fall-out from the Catalan independence movement are boycotts and the reduction of income for Catalan businesses and residents. Specifically, calls for boycotts on such products as Catalan wine, with Cava as a specific target, have been made in past controversies related to Catalan independence.
CAVA
For example, in 2004, controversial statements made by a Catalan leader led to a boycott on Catalan products, specifically Cava. According to a 2006 NY Times article, that year Cava’s market share grew only 2% compared to double-digit growth the year prior. Then, in 2005, sales of Cava dropped a further 7%, indicating that the call for a Cava boycott was effective. Fast forward to this most recent call for independence in 2017: according to a recent article by Wine on VI, from sales data, one can see “a massive drop off in terms of domestic Cava sales to the point where Cava is truly an export-driven wine now”.
OTHER CATALAN WINES, CASE STUDY: DO MONTSANT
IMPACT ON INDIVIDUAL WINERIES
CONCLUSION
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