Spanish Drinks Industry to ask government for state aid to turn unsold quality wine into cheap table plonk

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 23 May 2020 • 8:12

Millions of litres of unsold wine could be saved from the drain if plans by winemakers in Spain are accepted by the government.

THE idea to save the large unsold wine stocks came from the Swiss, their wine producers had asked the government to hand over almost £10m in state aid so they could turn unsold quality appellation wine into cheap plonk.

The package was agreed upon, Swiss wineries will receive 10 million Swiss francs (£8.5m) of government funds to repackage thousands of quality bottles unsold after restaurants and bars remained shut for two months in the Alpine nation, leading to a 40 per cent drop in sales, according to a producer and this system would save millions of litres of unsold wine in Spain.

In what is seen as a boon for wine buffs, wines that have received the coveted ‘controlled designation of origin’ (appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC)) designation – some of which can sell for hundreds of pounds – will now be on sale for a fraction of that price starting from June 1. A worrying trend for the global wine industry is that Millenials are turning to liqueurs and the new generation of drinkers are favouring cocktails and shots.