Rioja Wine: 328 Million Bottles Sold in 2024

The Regulatory Council of the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) Rioja published its 2024 Annual Report on Wednesday, May 27, outlining a comprehensive review of the region's performance in a challenging year for the global wine industry. The report details institutional operations, quality initiatives, sustainability projects, tourism development, educational activities, and extensive statistical data on production and sales.

In the opening letter, Fernando Ezquerro, President of the Consejo Regulador de la DOCa Rioja, described 2024 as a difficult year, influenced by ongoing economic instability, geopolitical tensions, and a continued global decline in wine consumption. He praised the resilience and coordination of Rioja's wine sector, which responded with discipline and innovation. Ezquerro highlighted the advancement of quality control measures, including a revised sensory evaluation plan for the Tasting Panel and the use of new technologies for vineyard oversight. He emphasized Rioja's strong wine tourism performance, including record-breaking visitor numbers and national recognition as Spain's leading wine tourism destination. Promotional campaigns were executed in both domestic and international markets to maintain brand value. With his term nearing its end in the first half of 2025, Ezquerro reflected on the achievements made during his presidency, noting the strength and cohesion of the Rioja sector.

The DOCa Rioja report recorded 189,399,773 liters of wine qualified for protection in 2024, a 27.02% drop from 2023. However, commercialized wine volumes rose by 0.63% to 240,046,448 liters, equivalent to 328,461,466 bottles. The vineyard surface area remained at 66,638 hectares, cultivated with 14 authorized grape varieties (5 red and 9 white) across 144 municipalities in La Rioja, Álava, and Navarra. The region had 751 registered wineries, 586 with bottling capability, and 13,078 winegrowers. There were 162 officially recognized Singular Vineyards owned by 97 proprietors, covering 265.92 hectares. Rioja maintained its status as home to the world's largest barrel stock with 1,296,298 barrels. Its wines were exported to 135 countries, with top markets being the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Throughout 2024, Rioja marked key events and recognitions. In January, it participated in The Wine Edition at Madrid Fusión. In February, Rioja wines were spotlighted in La Vanguardia's Wine Guide and saw notable representation in Tim Atkin's rankings. March featured Rioja as the official wine of the 39th Goya Awards and hosted 2,000 visitors at ProWein. April brought accolades in the "Parker List 2024" and Michelin-starred restaurants participated in "In Residence by Rioja." In May, promotional efforts targeted Mexico, and Rioja was recognized by Club Oenologique for wine tourism. June launched the Rioja Camp educational program and delivered award wins at Decanter World Wine Awards and Concours Mondial de Bruxelles. July saw the launch of an AI-based vineyard yield estimation app. August added 14 Singular Vineyards. The final stage of the #PonmeOtroRioja campaign continued in October, and the "Rioja Paired" series attracted nearly six million viewers in the U.S. November focused on planning for 2025 promotions and Rioja was named one of the world's top wine tourism destinations. In December, the Consejo launched "Rioja Tasting Essentials," an online tasting course, and strengthened its global promotional activities.

The Consejo Regulador is responsible for managing, protecting, and promoting the DOCa Rioja. Its governance structure includes 32 representatives from winery and winegrower associations, under the Interprofessional Wine Organization of Rioja. Although MAPA and regional governments from La Rioja, the Basque Country, and Navarra attend meetings, they do not hold voting rights. The Plenary body directs policy regarding marketing, production, quality control, and strategic development. Operations are divided among several commissions focusing on promotion, administration, control, regulation, strategic planning, and vineyard heritage.

Among the key agreements in 2024 was the approval of an operating budget of €15,721,698.45 in January. In February, changes were made to the labeling and designation conditions for zone wines, allowing up to 15% of grapes from adjacent municipalities and clarifying terms like "Vino de" or "Viñedo en" for origin labeling. The "Vino de Municipio" designation was renamed "Vino de Pueblo." In March, the Consejo approved an income budget of €6,706,242.45 and authorized the financing of a €9,015,456 Extraordinary Promotion Expense Budget. June brought the signing of a collective labor agreement covering 2023-2025 and rated the 2023 harvest as 'Very Good.' Harvest rules for 2024 were defined, including yield limits—5,850 kg/ha for red grapes and 9,000 kg/ha for white—and transformation yields of 69% and 70% respectively. AI tools were used for yield control. In July, the governing body revised its equilibrium plan to reduce grape input, manage stocks, and improve sales. In September, EUDITA AUDITEBRO S.A. was appointed for the 2024 audit and a co-financing application for €5,529,793 was submitted for international promotion in 2025.

The 2024 budget represented a 5.12% increase from the previous year. It was funded 58.2% by wineries and 41.8% by winegrowers. Promotional efforts received €9,315,456, or 59% of total funding. Major events were held in cities including Mexico City, Chicago, Toronto, Edinburgh, Shanghai, and Madrid, alongside a continued presence at ProWein. Investments were also made in digital education via the Rioja Wine Academy, AI vineyard control tools, and sustainability initiatives.

Institutional partnerships and educational engagements continued, with representation in organizations such as the Spanish Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, CECRV, EFOW, and the Spanish Wine Market Observatory. The Consejo collaborated with universities and culinary institutions, processed 293 export certificates, 2,841 transfer authorizations for 169 million liters, and issued 326,878,940 back labels and seals.

The legal department processed 3,975 non-sanctioning and 26 sanctioning administrative cases. It managed 2,416 label communications and initiated 13 legal actions to defend the 'Rioja' trademark. Fourteen new Singular Vineyards were approved. A significant legal decision came on November 5, 2024, when the Basque Country Superior Court of Justice annulled a regional ruling favoring the creation of the DOP Arabako Mahastiak/Viñedos de Álava. ABRA has appealed this ruling to the Supreme Court.

Control Body activities included 82,439 inspections: 5.27% in vineyards, 4.23% in wineries, 6.52% for wine verification, and 83.98% for harvest control. AI tools monitored 66,890 hectares, identifying 1,208 non-compliant vineyards. For the 2023 vintage, 5,373 wine samples representing 272.04 million liters were tested, with 5,329 samples (99.18%) passing quality standards. The vintage received a 'VERY GOOD' rating.

In the domestic market, DOCa Rioja held a 26.8% volume and 30.5% value share, though Spanish sales dropped by 1.87% to 141,218,785 liters. White wines grew 1.9% and Reservas increased 7% by volume. Exports rose 4.42% to 98,827,453 liters, representing 41.5% of Spanish DOP bottled wine exports. Notable growth was seen in the UK (12%) and U.S. (17%). Promotional efforts included campaigns in key global markets such as the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Canada, China, and Mexico.

Since its launch in 2020, the Rioja Wine Academy has enrolled over 28,000 students and certified 21,575. In 2024, it launched the "Rioja Tasting Essentials" course and the "Rioja Camp" program for 72 international professionals. It operates in three languages with 7 programs and 200 official trainers. Collaborations included the Wine Scholar Guild and WSET, and 1,975 digital certificates were issued through Accredible.

Wine tourism reached record levels in 2024. A total of 912,438 visitors were welcomed at 214 wineries, a 3.54% increase from 2023. International tourists made up 36.27% of visits, nearly returning to pre-pandemic levels. Average visitor spend rose to €40.05 and the average cost of a basic visit reached €22.29, both record highs. The sector's total economic impact was €197,225,483, up 6.07%. Wineries invested over €3.5 million in tourism, a 70.48% increase.

The 2024 harvest started on August 21 and ended on October 7, though later harvesting was permitted with notice. The total grape production under protection was 275,139,649 kilograms, resulting in 189,399,773 liters of wine: 152,386,394 red, 12,580,006 rosé, and 24,433,373 white. Quality assessment involved 3,239 blind tastings by 127 professionals, rating whites and rosés as 'Very Good' and the overall harvest as 'Good.'

Strategic planning emphasized quality and sustainability. The Council revised the 'Plan for the Recovery of Equilibrium' to adjust to market demands and introduced stricter controls. Sustainability efforts included landscape protection under Law 1/2024 in La Rioja and the DATADOC climate change monitoring project. Conservation of old, centenary, and Singular Vineyards remained a priority. Social responsibility was addressed through initiatives such as the 'Amunt Valencia-Catas Solidarias en Rioja' campaign, which raised €20,000 for flood relief efforts in Valencia.