La Rioja
La Rioja shows single-product branding power: DOCa Rioja holds 30.44% of Spanish wine market by value, growing exports 4.42% while global wine fell 11%.
La Rioja demonstrates single-product territorial branding where one appellation defines regional identity. DOCa Rioja—celebrating its centenary in 2025—commands 26.8% of Spain's domestic wine market by volume and 30.44% by value, selling 328 million bottles (240 million liters) across 135 countries in 2024. While global wine consumption declined and Spanish DO exports fell 11.46%, Rioja grew exports 4.42%. The UK market increased 12%, US 17%, and Netherlands 18%—defying trends that challenge other wine regions.
Agri-food products represent 36.1% of regional exports (€2.4 billion total in 2024), with wine followed by fruit, pulses, and processed foods. This concentration creates both strength and vulnerability. US tariff uncertainty threatens a market that grew 17% in 2024; China and Russia collapsed 32% and 30% respectively, demonstrating geopolitical exposure. The Regulatory Council approved a €15.7 million budget for 2025 and continues its Balance Recovery Plan, which reduced 90 million liters of wine over two years to adjust supply to demand.
GDP grew 3.1% in 2024, with 2.4% forecast for 2025 (matching the national average). Spain's smallest autonomous community by population and territory has built prosperity on reputation as much as volume—the strategic plan focuses on "growing value" rather than sales volume. La Rioja exemplifies how geographic branding creates market power that single-product regions rarely achieve, though concentration exposes the entire economy to wine market fluctuations.