in Catalonia, the impact of persistent drought on wine production

The cava producer Freixenet has announced the partial unemployment of 80% of its workforce due to the drought.

This is a very concrete consequence of the drought affecting Barcelona and its region. The wine company Freixenet, famous producer of cava, this Catalan sparkling wine which often replaces champagne in Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom, will temporarily lay off 80% of its workforce – 600 people – due to drought.

Under intense sun, half-dead vines, less developed foliage… In Penedès, the region where cava is produced, the vineyards are suffering. Soisig Darnay is a landscaper, specializing in viticulture. She has been working in Penedès for 20 years : “Here, we have vines that are around 20-25 years old. You would think that they are deep enough to withstand the drought. Except that, as it is three years of drought, the roots which go down to 2-3 meters have also dried up and they are dying. About 30% of this field is dead or will be unable to produce this year.

“The impact is enormous”

Freixenet, world leader in sparkling wine, whose name appears everywhere here, evokes a case of force majeure to put 80% of its workforce on partial unemployment. A blow for Josep Marugat, responsible for the vine sector for the Unio de Pagesos union : “A lot of people work at Freixenet. The impact is enormous. We’re talking about a company that produces 40% of all Cava bottles. It’s very worrying because we can see that it’s increasingly difficult to maintain the viability of this activity.”

Himself a producer of organic cava in Penedès, Josep Marugat expects another very difficult year : “My vines are suffering as much as the others, if not more. They are half-dry, they are having difficulty germinating and growing. The panorama is distressing.” The drought is disrupting the daily lives of Catalan wine growers.

It also has other, more unexpected consequences, explains Soisig Darnay: “It’s the drought that makes the fauna also hungry. We have wild boars and deer who are looking for food and who primarily attack isolated vines in the middle of the forest. For example, the deer eat the shoots young plants in spring. They can completely eliminate the production of an entire plot.” Beyond Freixenet, the entire Catalan cava industry is in distress. Vines will have to be pulled out. Unions fear a cascade of layoffs.