PRADOREY IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

If there is one thing that has defined PRADOREY since its foundation, it is our export-driven vision. And rightly so. Today, we are present in nearly 40 countries, with our sales figures growing in many of them—even in the turbulent year of 2020. We work with almost 100 importers worldwide, some of whom have been with us since the beginning of our journey into international markets over 20 years ago. This fills us with pride and reminds us that the path was not always easy—it had its ups and downs, detours, and sharp turns, especially in the early days.

Back in the 1990s, when we first embarked on our export project, we encountered significant challenges. At that time, Spain’s reputation in the wine industry was somewhat ambiguous. Alongside the perception of our country as a bulk wine producer of low-cost wines, there was another image, carefully cultivated by a handful of pioneering wineries, that dignified and defended Spanish wines without hesitation in international markets. Ribera del Duero, which today is undoubtedly a success story, was still an emerging name. The DO had only been established in 1982, and we were competing against regions like Bordeaux or Burgundy, which boasted over 200 years of winemaking history. Tempranillo grapes, now revered and recognized worldwide, were often considered less prestigious than their French or Italian counterparts, some of which even began to be planted in Spain.

With humility but without hesitation, armed with bottles and a suitcase full of enthusiasm, we gradually introduced our wines to new palates in distant places. We still vividly remember our first Vinexpo, our initial trade missions, and the first private fairs organized by our importers. The excitement we felt when people responded to our first Roble in 1997—a milestone in our region’s history—or the curiosity sparked by Lía, Ribera del Duero’s first pale rosé, at Prowein 2013, remains unforgettable. We will never forget our first large-scale tasting in Shanghai, the thrill of seeing our wine on the menu of a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Tokyo, or the warmth we always received in Latin America. But what fills us with the most pride, what truly gives us goosebumps, is seeing how some of the small importers who first discovered our wines at these events have now become industry leaders in their countries, with PRADOREY not just as a reference brand but as a key player in their growth.

We have always been clear that the only way to build a brand in international markets is to highlight what makes us unique—both in terms of Spain and Ribera del Duero in general and PRADOREY in particular. Our history, dating back to 1503 as a Royal Estate. Our estate, with the largest single vineyard in Ribera del Duero, comprising 131 parcels and a philosophy of exclusively using our own grapes. The family story behind our project, led by Javier Cremades de Adaro, the “madman of Ventosilla” (because one had to be a little crazy to bet on Ribera del Duero when he did). Our relentless drive to innovate and push boundaries. And all of this, framed by a sustainable project with a 100-year legacy of environmental responsibility.

Step by step, we built our presence. Today, times have changed. Thanks to globalization, wine consumption has expanded into markets where selling a bottle was once nearly impossible. Spain and Ribera del Duero are cementing their reputations as top-tier wine regions. Through wine tourism, we are attracting a younger audience who engage with our industry in a more relaxed way, later becoming ambassadors of our wines in their home countries. However, competition has never been fiercer—never in history have so many exceptional wines been produced in so many places around the world.

Given this reality, it’s clear that we cannot afford to relax. Many markets remain to be conquered. PRADOREY’s journey in international expansion is only beginning. That is why, in recent years, we have significantly strengthened our export sales department. Their efforts have helped us foster loyalty among both long-standing and new distributors/importers while expanding into new markets across the globe. In some of these countries, our distributors act as an extension of PRADOREY, carrying out promotional activities in line with our winery’s commercial strategy.

Additionally, in the most recent fiscal year, we secured funding from the European Union’s FEDER program, providing crucial support for our international expansion and commercial strategies.

File Number: 08/18/BU/0099
Line: Internationalization Projects
Project Title: International Expansion Strategy RSV 2019
Execution Period: 05/31/2019 – 03/31/2020