Comercio exterior y consolidación de las grandes bodegas del jerez, 1840-1877

Abstract

Sherry export was one of the main Spanish trade balance items during the 19th century. Most of the sales were destined for the United Kingdom, where the market was strongly controlled by native distributors. An analysis is presented on the changes in the number of exporters and the export concentration level during one of the greatest and glorious eras. This is possible due to a special source, the list of extractors, which break down the amounts sold by each exporter. The statistical indicators used to measure the concentration show the existence of two different periods, for which the changes are explained by the fact of being a market where heterogeneous providers came together, either due to the cost structure or their marketing strategy.