The Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin unveiled its first comprehensive report on the socioeconomic and fiscal contribution of its wine sector in Spain on Wednesday, November 26, in Roa.
Prepared in collaboration with PwC, the study quantifies for the first time the economic, employment, tourism, and tax impact of wine production and wine tourism linked to the prestigious designation.
According to the findings, Ribera del Duero’s production activity generates EUR 1.254 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, with 72% of this (EUR 897 million) retained within Castile and León. Wine tourism adds an additional EUR 79 million, bringing the total contribution to EUR 1.333 billion per year. The report highlights that each euro generated by wine production and processing creates EUR 4.1 for the Spanish economy, and every liter sold contributes EUR 18.4 to national GDP, underscoring the sector’s ripple effect across logistics, distribution, hospitality, and transportation.
The designation supports 19,552 jobs nationwide, including 13,595 in Castile and León, spanning direct employment and related sectors such as agriculture, auxiliary industries, tourism, and commerce. For each direct employee, nearly four additional jobs are created. Over 5,000 winegrowers are part of Ribera del Duero, representing more than 5% of Spain’s total for Protected Designations of Origin.
Wine tourism continues to grow, with the Ribera del Duero Wine Route welcoming 381,083 visitors in 2024. Each visitor spent an average of EUR 179 per day, generating EUR 68 million in direct impact and EUR 79 million including indirect and induced effects. Wine tourism supports an additional 1,364 jobs, 87% of which are located in Castile and León, with each visitor generating an average economic impact of EUR 585.
The designation also plays a major role in regional employment: jobs linked to Ribera del Duero represent 22% of total employment in agriculture, livestock, and fishing in Castile and León, 9% of regional industrial employment, and 1.32% of the total workforce.
From a fiscal perspective, wine-related economic activity generates over EUR 459 million annually in taxes and social security contributions, with EUR 431 million from production and EUR 28 million from wine tourism. For every euro collected directly, an additional EUR 6.20 is created through related economic activity.
Ribera del Duero encompasses 316 registered wineries and 359 facilities, 90% of which are bottling plants, making it the second-largest Spanish designation in terms of wineries. In the last year, over 68 million liters were sold, valued at EUR 808 million, including 12.4 million liters exported (EUR 173 million). The average international price per liter (EUR 13.9) is almost four times higher than the Spanish average for wines with protected designation of origin (EUR 3.6/liter). Key export markets include Switzerland, Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Puerto Rico, China, the Netherlands, and the Dominican Republic.
Between the 2018/19 and 2022/23 vintages, productivity per winegrower increased by 80%, reaching EUR 93,564 per professional—well above the national average. PwC concludes that Ribera del Duero has preserved its strong market position through a focus on quality and internationalization, maintaining high export prices despite a global decline in wine consumption.
The report was officially presented on Wednesday with the presence of institutional representatives and sector stakeholders, who examined PwC’s findings after months of detailed economic and social data collection.
Source: Vinetur