Waitrose & Partners said that the demand for English wine has reached an 'all-time high' at the retailer, with sales up 47% year on year and an increase in vine plantings across the UK.
Sparkling wine sales in the retailer's national distribution increased by 45% year-on-year, while still wines and local fizz saw sales up 28% in 2021.
Local red wine sales increased by 70%, local sparkling wines reported growth of 73%, and local sweet wine sales were up 18% in 2021 compared to the previous year.
Wine experts at Waitrose & Partners have predicted that the English wine industry will reach new heights in the coming five to ten years.
The retailer, which claims to hold a market share of over 50% in the category, offers around 105 English and Welsh wine SKUs.
The offering includes fizz, white, red, rosé, sweet and orange wine, with prices beginning at £9.99.
The retailer sources products from small suppliers making wines for local and regional distribution, and also offers award-winning English sparkling wine varieties.
'A Relatively Young Industry'
Alexandra Mawson, sparkling wine buyer at Waitrose, said, "While still a relatively young industry compared to the rest of the world, the winemaking passion and expertise in this country is proving itself to be deserving of the world stage time and time again.
"We’re seeing the culmination of the hard work of our viticulturists and winemakers paying off in customer recognition and this, coupled with the expansion of vineyards makes it an incredibly exciting time for English wine. Our customers love supporting homegrown, local produce and English wine is a shining example of this."
Waitrose & Partners launched its first English wine in 2001, from Denbies in Surrey, and has since expanded its range.
Its latest addition is a sparkling rosé from the English vineyard, Chapel Down in Kent, which is set to launch in 265 stores and on Waitrose Cellar in August of this year.
The company also has a vineyard at the Leckford Estate in Hampshire, which produces Brut and Blanc de Blanc from vines planted in 2009.
In 2017, it expanded the vineyard by 50% to meet the increasing demand for English wine.
Read More: Waitrose Reports Full-Year Sales On A Par With Previous Year
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest drinks news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
