Canarian wine producers are hoping that a mission to the Far East will bring rewards in the form of export contracts.
A delegation of the main wineries from the islands took the opportunity offered by the Canarian government’s external promotions department (Proexca) to take their wines to Japan last week to woo the country’s market.
The delegation was led by regional agriculture minister Narvay Quintero, who explained that the visit was part of the government’s strategy to open new markets for wines that form part of the Canarian denomination of origin label.
During the week, Proexca organised tasting sessions, talks, interviews with specialist publications such as the Japan Food Journal, and contacts with well-known Japanese influencers KOZE Wine Beginner Advisor, Nichi Wine Lover, Yui Chiyoda, Haruna Takahash and Mami T Wine, who posted content on their widely-followed social media sites using hashtags such as #CanaryWines, #VolcanicWines, #DiscoverCanaryWines and #CanariasWines.
World exports of Canarian wines reached 321,000 litres in 2023, with the United States the biggest market, accounting for a third of all sales. However, the prospects for continued success on the US market have receded considerably in the light of the trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which have prompted exploration of alternative markets in high-income countries such as Japan, where wine is the second most popular drink after beer.
Proexca and the wineries who made the trip to show their wares are hoping to increase the share of Canarian wines in the approximately 46 million euros of Spanish wine exports to Japan.
