Freixenet furloughs 80% of employees in Catalonia

The Cava producer cites a 45% drop in yields and introduces a new wine range due to grape scarcity

Freixenet announced this week that it will furlough at least 615 employees starting in May due to a significant drop in sparkling wine yields, down by more than 45%. 

To adapt to the challenging market conditions, the company plans to introduce a new sparkling wine range made from Spanish grapes. However, this range will not qualify as Cava due to potential non-compliance with the DO’s strict requirements, according to the Drinks Business.

The company, Freixenet said: “The furlough, caused by force majeure, is an exceptional measure that has been taken in the current context of a crisis that had been brought about by a lack of raw materials because of the harsh drought that has affected the sector since 2021 – and which hit the El Penedès area particularly hard in 2023.”

Vanessa Lehmann, head of communications, Freixenet, said: “The new range is a Cuvée de España using varieties such as Macabeo – one of the grape varieties that characterise Cava – and Chardonnay.

“With this grape scarcity the industry faces a gap of 80 million bottles just in 2024 and it is impossible to meet the global customer demand that is rising steadily.”