United Kingdom: here there is consumption and also production

The United Kingdom is not only one of the leading world markets for wine, but also a producing country. Last year wine production indeed reached its historic maximum with 6.3 million of bottles, thus around 47,333 hectolitres. The increase over the year 2013, when 4.45 million bottles were produced, was about 42%.

These and the following data, collected by the Wine Standards Branch (Food Standards Agency) according to the declaration of vine-growers’ production, were released at the beginning of May by the “English Wine Producers” trade association.

Not only production is growing, but also the number of wineries and the vine-grown surface, which, according to the official data for 2014, reached its maximum extension, doubling over the last seven years (+140% over ten years). Today, the vine-grown surface extends for 1884 hectares, whereas that in production amounts to about 1571 hectares.

With regard to typologies, 66% of the wine produced in the United Kingdom, is sparkling wine; 24% is still white wine; the remaining 10% is red or rosé. From 2010 onwards the sparkling category has outpaced that of still wine, year after year. The new plants are indeed mostly destined expressly for the production of sparkling wine, in particular Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which together account for 50% of the new varietal plantations.

Source: Simei-Corriere vinicolo

Olio Officina