Wine consumption to rebound in 2015

Declining wine consumption in the UK is set to reverse this year, led by the continued rise of sparkling and a slow recovery in still wine demand.

According to a Vinexpo/IWSR study released this morning, UK per capita wine consumption is forecast to increase by 3.3% between 2014 and 2018 to reach 24.6 litres per head, having fallen from 25l to 23.9l between 2009 and 2013 – a drop of 10.4%.

A significant contributor to the forecast growth in UK wine consumption is sparkling wine, particularly Prosecco, according to the Vinexpo study.

While still wine is set for a 1.1% increase in UK per capita consumption, sparkling is expected to grow by 12.2%, a step up from a 10% growth rate between 2009 and 2013 (see below).

Commenting on the findings, a press statement from Vinexpo noted, “The outstanding success since 2008 is the rise of sparkling wine. Its popularity with UK drinkers shows no sign of slowing. In the ten years from 2008 to 2018 UK drinkers are forecast to increase consumption per person from 1.6 litres to 2.2 litres a year.”

Considering overall volumes, the amount of sparkling wine drunk in the UK rose from 8.68 million cases in 2008 to 11.23m in 2014, and is forecast to reach 11.56m cases this year.

Driving the category is Prosecco, with Italian sparkling wine imports to the UK experiencing 43% volume growth in 2013 alone, and a doubling over the five years from 2008 to 2013 from 1.38m nine-litre cases to 3.57m cases.

Of the top five exporters of sparkling wine to the UK, Italy, Spain and the much-smaller USA showed growth last year, while Champagne and Australia fell.

UK wine consumption per capita. Source: Vinexpo/IWSR. Although wine consumption per capita is set to rebound this year, it is not expected to recover to its 2008 peak of 25 litres per capita, but hit 24.6 litres by 2018.

UK wine consumption in volume. Source: Vinexpo/IWSR