The price for a kilo of grapes continues to rise. Ten years ago it was 0.90 euros. Depending on variety and quality, it is now 1.30 euros. The increase is attributed to high demand, which the supply can't adequately match, and to the number of bodegas: there are now seventy.
This has led to prices for grapes that are much more expensive than those in leading wine-producing regions on the mainland. A consequence is that bodegas are increasingly producing their own vineyards rather than having to depend on the market.
The wine producers agree that the high price will have an impact on the sale of wine. While vines are the most profitable crop for Majorca's agricultural sector, the additional cost of wine itself reduces its attractiveness for export.
José Luis Roses, president of the Binissalem Designation of Origin council, says that the price depends on the type of contract as well as the type of grape and wine, but that Majorca can't compete with the mainland. For example, the price in Majorca is almost three times what it is in La Rioja. Last year's drought and the high demand this year have pushed the price up ever more. In the Pla i Llevant DO the price is typically between 1.15 and 1.30 euros, though it has been up to 1.40.
While the island's wine industry is buoyant at present, the increase in the price of grapes and in the number of bodegas is causing some uncertainty as to what will be the impact.
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