The governing body for sherry has rebranded as Sherry Wines and launched a new website in an effort to grow the drink’s global appeal and turn around a long-term decline in sales.
According to data from the regulatory council of the Denominación de Origen Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, worldwide sherry sales almost halved between 2002 and 2014 from 70 million litres to just 37 million.
The decline was steepest in the two largest markets, the UK and Netherlands, which each lost more than half of their sales in the period. The only country bucking the trend was Spain, which overtook the UK as the biggest market for sherry in 2013.
The new global Sherry Wines strategy, designed by Spanish digital agency ESOES, is focused on reminding consumers sherry is a versatile wine suited to a range of uses and occasions. The website features sections that detail food pairings, sherry cocktail recipes, a guide to sherry spots around the world and information about events. It is initially available in Spanish and English, with Dutch and German versions arriving later.
“The new website combines deep roots with a projection towards the future,” said Cesar Saldaña, director general of the regulatory council. “We are appealing to a new generation of sherry drinkers. Sherry is integrally tied up with the culture of this region, of Andalusia. There’s lots of passion here, and we want that to be a part of our identity.”
Jerez became the first ‘denominación’ of Spain to receive DO protection when the regulatory council was founded in 1935. The wine can only be produced in the ‘Sherry Triangle’ between the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlúcar de Barrameda in the province of Cadiz.
Jerez, Xéres and Sherry are the names for the wine, and municipality, in Spanish, French and English respectively.
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