On the contrary, the area actually planted with vineyards improved slightly by 0.14% and by 1,292 ha to 945,770 hectares.
96.37% of the vineyard potential is area planted with vineyards, while the remaining 3.63% corresponds to planting rights in force and in the power of the winegrowers, not yet converted into planting authorizations (0.7% of the potential total viticulture and 6,862 ha), an area that is decreasing every year; to start-up resolutions granted that as of July 31, which had not yet been converted into authorizations (1.09% of the total viticultural potential and 10,782 ha, as well as to planting authorizations granted and not exercised on that date (equivalent to 1.82% of the remaining viticultural potential and 17,898 hectares.
According to the MAPA, the wine production potential in our country has been experiencing a gradual decline since the 2000/2001 campaign, decreasing by 234,694 hectares. Most of the Autonomous Communities have reduced their wine-growing potential, with the exceptions of Cantabria, the Balearic Islands, La Rioja, Galicia and the Basque Country.
In 2020/21 and in relation to the previous season, Castilla-La Mancha was once again the Community that cut the most hectares in nominal terms, with a decrease of 0.93% and 4,419 ha, to remain at 469,900 ha, which is still equivalent almost 48% of the total viticultural potential of our country.
They also cut Catalonia, with 1.88% and 1,132 ha of wine-growing potential less than in 2019/20, to 58,882 ha (6% of the total); Andalusia, with 2.62% and 817 ha less, up to 30,056 ha (3.06%), the same area (real and theoretical) as that cut by the Valencian Community, with 1.33% less to reach 60,185 ha, etc.
As of July 31, 2021, there were in Spain a total of 945,770 ha of grape vineyards for winemaking actually planted, 0.14% and 1,292 hectares more, due to the execution of the planting authorizations.
Since the 2000/01 season, vineyard plantations have been reduced in our country by 178,663 hectares. Since then, the Autonomous Communities that decreased the most in relative terms or as a percentage were Castilla-La Mancha (-43%); the Valencian Community (-11.7%); Region of Murcia (-11.6%), and Extremadura (-8.7%). There was also a decrease in the viticultural plant mass since the beginning of the century in the Autonomous Communities of Andalusia (-7.1%); Aragon (-6.7%), and the Canary Islands (-6%).
On the contrary, vineyard plantations have increased since then in La Rioja and Castilla y León, with a 3% increase, respectively, as well as the Basque Country (+ 0.97%), according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
In relation to the previous 2019/20 campaign, vineyard plantations had a different evolution, according to the Autonomous Communities. Thus, there was an increase in the plant mass in Castilla y León, with 1,384 ha more (+ 1.72%), up to 81,890 ha (8.66% of the total); in Catalonia, with 1,207 ha more (+ 2.18%), up to 56,659 ha; Extremadura, with 1,139 ha more (+ 1.44%), up to 80,278 ha (8.49%); Aragon, with 249 ha more (+ 0.71%), up to 35,627 ha, and Galicia, with 138 ha more (+ 0.41%), up to 33,405 ha (3.53%), etc.
On the contrary, the decrease in vineyard planted area occurred in Castilla-La Mancha, with 1,085 ha less (-0.24%), up to 451,374 ha (47.73% of the national total); Andalusia, with 976 ha less (-3.36%), up to 28,204 ha (2.98%); Region of Murcia, with 308 ha less (-1.42%), up to 21,452 ha (2.27%); Valencian Community, with 254 ha less (-0.44%), up to 57,380 ha, and so on.
Less rights
Rights not converted into administrative authorizations for vineyard planting as of July 31, 2021 continued to decrease to a total of 6,862 ha, almost 24% and 2,139 less than at the end of the previous season (9,001 ha).
The number of rights to be converted into plantation authorizations was most reduced in Castilla-La Mancha, with 980 ha and 29.4% less than at the end of the 2019/20 season, with 2,356 ha still being held by the viticulturists (34.3% of the national total).
The validity of these rights expires on December 31, 2025.
