38% of Brits ‘extremely knowledgeable’ about wine

Thirty-eight per cent of Brits believe themselves to be fully-fledged wine buffs, describing themselves as ‘extremely knowledgeable’ about wine, a new Co-op study claims.

The average Brit now spends almost £1,000 a year on wine

Revealing that the UK a nation of self-proclaimed wine buffs, the supermarket chain’s research revealed that the average Brit now spends £19 on wine every week – or £988 a year – and is prepared to pay up to £11 on a decent bottle.

The research also showed that almost almost half (41%) of customers surveyed said they spend more on a bottle to take to a friend’s house in a bid to impress them with their wine knowledge.

The study concluded that interest in wine has dramatically increased over the last 10 years – 70% of those polled said they were more interested in the subject now than they were a decade ago.

Co-op has seen demand for fine wines surge in the last year, with sales of top claret Château Sénéjac Cru Bourgeois soaring by 45% on a like-for-like basis.

Champagne has followed a similar trend, with sales of Co-op’s own-label Champagne increasing by 36% in the last 12 months.

When asked which countries produce the best wine, 33% of Brits still think the French make the best, followed by Italy and Australia (both 13%) and Spain (8%).

Rosé emerged as Brits favourite style of wine (11%), followed by Prosecco (10%), Merlot (9%), and Chardonnay (8%).

“The survey has produced some really interesting insights into how we’ve become more interested in wine as a nation,” said Co-op wine buyer Ben Cahill.

“We’re certainly seeing this in store as shoppers take more time to choose their wine purchases, with price not always being the top factor. Instead where the wine comes from, quality, grape varieties and label design are just as important.

Sales of Château Sénéjac Bordeaux have jumped by 45% in the past 12 months (Photo: Co-op)

“Figures show that more wine aficionados are making the switch to Co-op for their purchases than ever before, with figures highlighting that we are the top destination for last-minute purchases – thanks to an increased availability of high-end wines and the introduction of more diverse and interesting bottles from some of the best winemakers from across the world.”

The study further revealed that 34% of respondents said their love of wine started after trying new wines on holiday, while nearly one-third (27%) learnt from friends – and a further 21 percent from TV cooking shows.

“Our love for good food has made wine pairing a crucial element of dinner party planning – especially if you want to impress, so it’s unsurprising Brits are embracing the concept of quality wines,” Cahill continued.

Londoners are most likely to consider themselves wine buffs (32%), followed by the people of Birmingham and Edinburgh (both 27%), and Leeds (26%), the study said.

Liverpudlians are the least likely to consider themselves knowledgeable about wine with just 18% describing themselves as wine lovers.