It’s traditional to raise a glass of Champagne over Christmas and New Year. New evidence shows that consequently, British sparkling wine sales are set to rise dramatically over the Christmas season.
National love
‘Sparkling wine’ is the name given to any type of carbonated wine. However there are various types of sparkling wine, such as Champagne, Prosecco and Cava. The differences between sparkling wines concern their production methods, which are governed by legal guidelines. Champagnes, for example, see carbonisation take place within the bottle, while for prosecco, this happens in steel tanks.
We Brits have a fondness for sparkling wine, especially Champagne. The UK is the Champagne industry’s biggest export market. Our Champagne market expanded at three times the rate of the global sector as a whole last year. But Prosecco is also becoming increasingly popular, due to its sweeter taste and lower price, showing just how large the appetite for sparkling wine is in this country.
Christmas tipple
Many people love sparkling wines, because they have long-been viewed as the ultimate luxury tipples. Historically these wines, especially Champagne, were reserved for rich aristocrats while in the modern era, they have been associated with Hollywood, so when we drink Champagne, we feel like stars. A lot of people quaff Champagne at Christmas, when they want to treat themselves to a luxury item.
This means that we weren’t surprised when we learned that sparkling wine sales are expected to increase by around 500% on the Friday before Christmas, according to Sainsbury’s. In a new report, the supermarket chain dubbed this occasion ‘Fizz Friday,’ citing it as the biggest day of the year for sparkling wine sales. In contrast on a ‘normal’ Friday, roughly 500,000 bottles are sold on average.
Stiff competition
Sainsbury’s research also sheds light on Christmas demand for the different types of sparkling wine, according to The Drinks Business, an industry publication. Consumers are more likely to plan ahead to buy Champagne, the supermarket found. On average, consumers search for Champagne online up to three weeks in advance, a week earlier than they do for Proseccos and other sparkling wines.
But the most widely-searched alcoholic item on the Sainsbury’s website is Prosecco. Consumers are projected to spend £9m on the Italian product before Christmas. The supermarket also discovered that 57% of Prosecco sales happen at Christmas, while that number was 28% for other sparkling wines and 15% for Champagnes. Meanwhile, 35% of those polled said they were more likely to buy sparkling wine at Christmas, with 14% admitting that they are more likely to give Champagne as a gift.
Buy Champagne
It’s clear that wine enthusiasts across the country will raise a glass of sparkling wine this Christmas, to ring in this beloved national holiday. If you want to join them, why don’t you buy a premium product from Ideal Wine Company? Just visit our website and browse our Champagnes list, where you can find iconic brands like Veuve Clicquot and Dom Perignon, securing the perfect bottle for the holidays!
