Prodeca promotes Catalan Food Brazil to strengthen the presence of Catalan wines in the Latin American market

Barcelona, July 3, 2024 – Prodeca, the promoter of Catalan food, organized a series of events from July 1 to 4 as part of Catalan Food Brazil. The goal was to enhance the value and improve the positioning of Catalan wines in the Latin American market, introduce and delve into the Catalan wine sector, and showcase these products in specialized stores and restaurants in the country. The events this week took place in São Paulo, a major financial center in Latin America and one of the most populous cities in the world.

One of the highlights of these four days was the Master Class on Catalan wines for industry professionals, held on Tuesday, July 2. It was attended by 35 professionals, including distributors, importers, specialty stores, sommeliers, restaurant managers, content creators, and media representatives. Prodeca facilitated this Master Class, which provided an opportunity to explore the quality and tradition that make these wines unique. Through guided and free tastings, participants gained deeper knowledge of the Catalan wine industry.

This Master Class was led by renowned sommelier Felipe Smid, who has significant knowledge of grape varieties, soils, producers in the region, territories, and specific climates. He introduced participants to the different Denominations of Origin of Catalonia. Twelve wine and sparkling wine references from the following Catalan companies were represented:

– Sumarroca

– Portell

– Bardinet Wines

– Alta Alella

– Bodegas Aessir

– Roqueta Origen

Regarding On Trade actions, where customers can directly consume and purchase the product, two events were also held. On July 3, the Wine Dinner Catalonia where wine is culture took place at the prestigious Figueira Rubaiyat restaurant in São Paulo. It was aimed at high-end consumers with high purchasing power and interest in exclusive and quality products. Sommelier Kezia Giugni and chef Francisco Gameleira guided the tasting to offer a journey of flavors through the selected Catalan wines. Additionally, during the week of Catalan wines in Brazil, the Vicky Barcelona restaurant in São Paulo, a renowned Mediterranean cuisine establishment, offered a special menu with recommendations and mentions of Catalan wines.

Catalan wine companies make inroads into Brazil, a growing market

In recent months, following the launch of Catalan Food at the end of 2023 by Prodeca, various actions have been developed in Brazil, one of the most strategic markets for the Catalan wine sector.

Last April, Prodeca reached an agreement with Mistral, one of the most relevant wine import companies in Brazil, to promote the Catalan wine industry, boost the sales of Catalan wines, and consider adding new Catalan wines to its product portfolio. Catalan wineries Álvaro Palacios, Clos Mogador, Clos Figueres, Tomàs Cusiné, and Castell del Remei participated in different actions and are in the spotlight of the major wine import company in Brazil.

As a result of this agreement, a series of actions were developed to highlight Catalan wines in the specialty stores Mistral works with. In April, Prodeca promoted a Master Class for Mistral’s specialized staff and clients, led by Anna Vicens, president of the Catalan Sommelier Association. This session presented the Denominations of Origin of wine as a sales and positioning argument.

In May, a Catalan wine tasting was also organized at the Wine Bar Shopping Iguatemi in São Paulo, led by sommeliers Kezia Giugni and Thiago Fakury. This event was attended by digital content creators specializing in wine and sommeliers from renowned hospitality establishments. Additionally, Catalan wines from wineries marketed by Mistral were highlighted in specialty stores in Brazil.

The last action was a Catalan wine tasting in Brasília, led by a prominent Mistral sommelier, attended by ten purchasing managers from the area (restaurants, hotels, and specialty stores). A guided explanation and tasting of Catalan wine denominations of origin were conducted to enhance Mistral’s Catalan wine offerings.

Brazil, a growing market for Catalan wine companies

In 2023, a total of 172 Catalan agri-food companies exported products to Brazil, 60 of which were in the wine sector. Brazil is a very stable market in terms of wine volume consumption, maintaining around 1,900 million liters worth approximately €11.5 billion. Regarding the evolution of the country’s wine imports, there is a clear trend towards diversifying its portfolio of European suppliers, specifically from regions with a winemaking tradition. Catalan wines have increased by over 50% during 2023. As for cava, it has doubled (+100%) in both volume and value.

The volume of wine imported globally by Brazil has grown at an average annual rate of 8.5% over the past 20 years, with an annual value increase of 15%. For Catalonia, Brazil is a very strategic market, offering a great opportunity to consolidate and increase its presence in Latin America. This market consumes more than 50% of the wine imported by this region, reinforcing its image of quality and unique wines by covering still unsaturated segments.

Catalan Food, an initiative to consolidate the presence of Catalan products in strategic markets

This initiative in Brazil this week is part of Prodeca’s Catalan Food commercial projection project, which aims to boost the international commercial presence of Catalan products. Launched at the end of 2023, the project has been active until now, with activities directed towards the United States, China, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Japan, among other markets. The main objective of this project is to increase the value of Catalan foods through visibility and promotion of companies and products in these international markets.

The actions are primarily aimed at influencers and industry professionals in the distribution and hospitality sectors to increase the visibility and positioning of Catalan products in these markets. However, actions aimed at the end consumer, such as Promotions in Points of Sale (PPV) or Catalan Food Street Shows, where Catalan products are showcased in commercial establishments to encourage purchases and increase visibility among consumers in these markets, have also been organized.

About Prodeca

Prodeca is a public company attached to the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Its purpose is the promotion of Catalan agri-food products and the support of Catalan companies in the sector in their commercialization and internationalization. It facilitates the participation of Catalan companies in major international and national agri-food fairs, organizes meetings with buyers and importers in the sector, offers support programs in commercialization and export initiation, develops and implements product positioning and promotion strategies for the Catalan agri-food brand, provides advice on diversification and commercial consolidation in third countries, prepares market and trend reports, and offers self-diagnosis and opportunity analysis tools in commercialization and internationalization for companies in the sector, among other activities.

Prodeca works in coordination with professional associations, entities, and agents involved in agri-food promotion, commercialization, and internationalization. It participates in initiatives related to Catalan gastronomy and the Mediterranean Diet as tools for enhancing and improving the positioning of our products and companies in Catalonia and worldwide.