Sparkling Wine Sales up 15% to £541 million in past year

Sparkling wine is the fastest growing alcohol in Great Britain, with sales up 15% to £541 million in the past year.

Over 115 million bottles of Champagne and sparkling wine were consumed in Britain last year.

Consumers are enjoying more and more bubbly and that doesn’t have to just mean Champagne. 70% of the sparkling wine market is controlled by Champagne, Prosecco and Cava. The trade of Australian and New Zealand sparkling wine in the UK has declined by 20% and US sparkling wines by 21% in the UK market.

Champagne sales rose by 1% in volume in 2014, to around 308m bottles, according to provisional figures meaning Champagne exports ‘will overtake’ French sales for first time this year.

English sparkling wine is predicted to reach £100 million this year. Since March 2014 there have been nearly 50 new English vineyards set up and with the better weather and beneficial tax breaks for small companies which has boosted the wine business.