There is no sign of the bubble bursting over the Brits love for sparkling wine and champagne with combined sales in the UK set to break the £2bn mark. The Wine & Spirit Trade Association's end of year Market Report reveals that 114m/litres of sparkling wine and champagne, the equivalent of 152m bottles, were sold in the UK last year. This compares to 99m/litres the previous year. The Lion's share of the fizz flying off shelves is sparkling wine, which in the off trade in 12 weeks (to 5th November 2016) sold the equivalent of 24m/bottles - up 25% on the same period a year earlier. Champagne sold just short of 3m bottles in the off trade, +7% more in the 12 weeks (to 5th November 2016) than in the same period 2015. This last quarter has seen the best sparkling wine and Champagne posted all year in UK shops, supermarkets and off licences. Trends in government data show that the UK has been drinking ever more responsibly over the last 10 years, with consumption dropping by a fifth - but sparkling wine has become the popular choice.
