Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine continues to blossom in the UK. Industry insiders don’t see that changing any time soon, and with Brexit looming, English fizz could steal a march on its sparkling rivals on home soil.
Sales of sparkling wine in the UK totalled 35.8 million gallons last year, though there are warnings that we may have reached ‘peak Prosecco’, as the rise in total sales hit its lowest level in Britain since 2011.
In the interests of diversification, retailers have bolstered their fizz offerings. Exports of Crémant de Loire wine rose by 34% last year, with 3.7 million bottles sold.
Marks & Spencer meanwhile, reported a 15% rise in sales of English fizz last year. Over 120 million bottles of bubbly, worth upwards of £850 million, were sold in British shops and supermarkets last year, and that figure is predicted to grow.
Pol Roger Champagne enjoyed a boost in sales after news broke that the family-owned fizz was served at Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
