UK government wine consumption drops by a third

The consumption of wine by UK government officials fell by a third in 2015/16, with the drop attributed to a lack of events throughout the year, particularly during the General Election period.

The UK government consumed £47,236 worth of wines and spirits in 2015/16

Releasing its fifth annual statements concerning the consumption, purchases and costs of its wine cellar Sir Alan Duncan, The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said that consumption had fallen by 32%, from 5,516 to 3,730 bottles.

In total, the UK government consumed £47,236 worth of wine throughout the year, compared to the £69,433 worth of wine consumed the previous year.

While many top-end Bordeaux, Ports and German wines were consumed, the highest consumption level by volume was of English and Welsh wines, which accounted for 44% of total total wine consumed.

Wines consumed included 1,258 bottles of Chapel Down 2013 Bacchus, 82 bottles of Camel Valley Brut Rosé and 64 bottles of Ancre Hill 2010 Blanc de Noirs.

Among some of the more pricier bottles consumer were five bottles of 1970 Petrus, two bottles of 1988 Château Lafite Rothschild, one bottle of 1988 Château Margaux and 32 bottles of 1989 Haut Brion.

Top drops consumed from the New World includes two bottles of Moss Wood 2008 Chardonnay from Australia’s Margaret River and 15 bottles of 2006 Fromm Clayvin Vineyard Chardonnay from Marlborough, New Zealand.

With regard to spirits, gin proved to be the most popular, with 43 bottles consumed along with, interestingly, a single Martini, and six bottles of vodka.

The government spent £40,177 on wine, a drop of 43% compared to the £70,432 that the government spent in 2014/15.

Sales of stock amounted to £40,390, which was almost half the value of stocks sold the year before which totalled £71,050.

The cellar, located beneath Lancaster House near Buckingham Palace, currently contains over 33,000 bottles of wines and spirits, with a total value of £809,990.