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Grape Britain: most popular varieties

26 February 2015 By Lauren Eads

Liverpool is the capital of Prosecco and Cabernet Sauvignon is most popular in Slough, but Sauvignon Blanc rules Great Britain, according to retailer Laithwaite’s Wine.

These are just a handful of conclusions based on a recent study of sales data by Laithewaite’s Wine, the UK’s largest home delivery wine merchant.

Analysing more than 100 grape varieties and wine regions, Laithwaite’s found that Sauvignon Blanc was the most popular wine in almost every British town, city and county, but proved most popular in Birmingham. Only Berkshire bucked the trend where Chardonnay proved more popular than Sauvignon Blanc.

Elsewhere, more Champagne bottles are opened in the City of London and Westminster than anywhere else in the UK, while Glasgow has the greatest penchant for Grenache. Bournemouth purchased the highest percentage of Merlot and Malbec, while residents of Hammersmith and Fulham drank the most Beaujolais Nouveau. Rosé is most popular in Ramsgate, Slough leads the way for Cabernet Sauvignon while Liverpool is home to the highest proportion of Prosecco drinkers.

Beth Willard, wine buyer at Laithwaite’s Wine said: “It’s great to be able to draw up the first ‘Grape Britain’ wine map. What it shows is that, while Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay have a huge nationwide appeal, we are actually a nation of wine connoisseurs, with our own unique tastes and preferences, and a willingness to be adventurous in our selection.

“We’ve seen a slight shift in the nation’s palate over the last few years to wines made from lesser known varieties and from less mainstream regions. Wines from Romania and Hungary are becoming more popular than traditional favourites like Italian Pinot Grigio. Sauvignon Blanc’s dominance at the top of that list might soon be challenged.”

Click through for the UK’s top 10 most popular grape varieties, and where in the country they are most eagerly consumed…