The director of the UNIA summer course on wines from the Condado, Manuel de la Cruz Infante, warns that the Huelva wine sector is facing a profitability crisis. He calls for more support for winemakers against the wineries.
The price of grapes does not cover production costs. This is how bluntly Manuel de la Cruz Infante expressed himself on Tuesday, director of the summer course 'Wines and Vinegars of the Condado de Huelva: Culture, Territory and Gastronomy' organised by the International University of Andalusia (UNIA) at its La Rábida campus in Palos de la Frontera. The former president of the Regulatory Council of the Denominations of Origin Condado de Huelva and Vino Naranja del Condado has issued a warning about the situation in the sector: "At the price grapes are sold for, wine is currently not profitable."
A fundamental problem: the winemaker, the weakest link
De la Cruz Infante has been clear in pointing out where the problem lies. "If there is no raw material, that is, if there are no grapes, there is no wine," he argued. Therefore, he has demanded that public administrations get involved to "reverse the trend and above all help the winemaker more than the winery owner." In his opinion, the value chain of the sector is at risk: "If there is no wine, there is no winery; if there is no winery, the sector disappears." A direct message to the Huelva Provincial Council and the Junta de Andalucía, which consider wine one of the star products of the province.
The expert has emphasised that the Condado de Huelva has a particular business structure. "Here, except for two companies, we are all cooperatives," he specified. And cooperatives, he added, "have a different investment system than a private company," which makes profitability difficult in an increasingly competitive market.
The wine route, a project that is resurging
One of De la Cruz Infante's ongoing battles has always been the tourist promotion of Huelva wine. "Since time immemorial," he has advocated for boosting the wine route in the province, an initiative that "has not yet been successfully launched." However, he remains optimistic: "Fortunately, it is receiving support from the community, local councils, businesses, etc.".
The project is currently in the design phase and "is almost ready for legalisation." But the responsible party warns that "to create a wine route, a lot of involvement is needed and it requires the participation of multiple sectors such as businesses unrelated to viticulture, the restaurant sector, or travel agencies." Additionally, it needs "huge financial support" for its development and consolidation. As a preview, this Wednesday an activity will take place that "could be part of that route": a visit to the Ganadería Acosta in San Juan del Puerto, where course students will learn about the connection between the bullfighting world and wine.
Training for young entrepreneurs
The UNIA summer course not only aims to raise awareness of the wines of the Condado but also to train new professionals. De la Cruz Infante has highlighted that the teaching staff is made up of active specialists, such as technical engineer Víctor Núñez, who will join as a lecturer. "I would like to produce young entrepreneurs from this course, which is the true objective," he stated.
Indeed, the lack of generational change is another major problem in the Huelva countryside. "Young entrepreneurs are ideal to continue the work that has been done," he insisted. The course includes lectures on contemporary Huelva cuisine and on Jabugo Ibérico Ham with Protected Designation of Origin, two products that, along with wine, form the gastronomic trilogy of the province.
According to UNIA, the objectives of the course are "to showcase the gastronomic riches of Huelva, enhance understanding of the differential value of its quality products, and highlight the associated opportunities such as gastronomic tourism, rural dynamisation, entrepreneurship, and improvement of the hospitality and commercial offer." Achieving these goals could help reverse the profitability crisis that the course director is highlighting.
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