Pinot Grigio Continues UK Rise

The proportion of UK wine drinkers buying Pinot Grigio has increased by 30 percent over the past three years, according to new research.

More than 1,000 regular wine drinkers were polled by research group Wine Intelligence for the survey (on behalf of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association), which compared drinking habits over a three-year period, between March 2007 and March this year.

From the proportion of those who said they drink at least once a month, preference of white wine fell from 45 percent to 37 percent, with rosé the main beneficiary, rising from 10 percent to 18 percent. Red wine was up slightly, showing a 1 percent rise to 45 percent.

The two big gainers by country were South Africa, up from 46 percent to 50 percent, and New Zealand, up from 22 percent to 27 percent.

The leading country, Australia, fell from 70 percent to 65 percent, while the biggest losers were France – down from 66 percent to 53 percent – and Germany, which saw a 7 percent drop to 18 percent. Chardonnay continued its fall from grace, dropping 8 percent to 63 percent, while Sauvignon Blanc rose slightly from 56 percent to 57 percent, but Pinot Grigio saw the biggest rise, from 43 percent to 56 percent.

Among the reds, there were modest gains for Tempranillo, Malbec, Merlot and Shiraz, with Gamay (and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon) showing decreases.

And promotions are still the top priority for consumers, with 70 percent (up from 61 percent) declaring it the key factor when choosing a bottle of wine, followed by country of origin (64 percent, up from 53 percent), then region (54 percent, from 40 percent).

Lower-alcohol wines have gained greater acceptance, too with those would who ‘consider’ choosing a 9 percent–10.5 percent abv wine growing from 54 percent to 59 percent. (DECANTER)