Wine production increases by nine million bottles
By Bryony Moore
The number of UK wineries opening every year reached a record high in 2018 and is expected to continue to rise. Nine more million bottles were produced and sold in the UK in 2018 than in 2017.
Vineyards have been established across Europe for many years, but with more wineries opening in the UK, British wine is becoming a popular choice. It has been found that whilst the weather conditions, bringing lack of rain and higher temperatures may not have been beneficial for farmers, they have improved conditions to grow vines.
Michelle Kerr, a sales coordinator at Milton Sanford Wines, explains why there has been such an increase in demand for British wines: “People are becoming more aware first of all that there is such a growing industry and the UK actually have a large variety of different kinds. A lot of wineries here [in the UK] are better than abroad and there's a big premium range that people no longer mind paying a bit extra for.”
Nine million bottles of 'el vino' were sold in 2018.
The increase in British vineyards has added to the idea that home-grown wine is becoming more fashionable, Kerr explains: “This wine is a new thing and so is quite quickly becoming a new trend as its a lot more easily accessed now with the amount being produced.”
According to The Drinks Business, approximately 80 wineries launched in the UK in 2017, ready for the ‘wine boom’ to start. A considerable amount of businesses within the hospitality industry are taking this on board, increasing the accessibility of British wine. Robert Nichols, Manager at the Oxford Tavern, a gastro-pub in Kentish Town, London, explains how they have noticed the trend: “A lot more companies have been offering us British wine and so we recently added some to our selection, we found that the wines coming from France increasingly expensive in comparison and difficult to get hold of, due to protests over the last year disrupted many imports.”
The future of the British wine industry is looking to be hopeful as more wineries continue to establish themselves across the country. Sales are continuing to rise as the wines are being recognised by domestic consumers and businesses. Nichols predicts, “British producers are perhaps anticipating more demand post-Brexit.”