Current News UK | January 13, 2009 | 7 comments

Britons now world's biggest wine drinkers

source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1114147/Brits-worlds-biggest-wine-drinkers-12...

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Britain has overtaken Germany to become the world's biggest wine importer, according to new data. More than 1.62billion bottles were shipped into the UK in 2007, the latest year for which confirmed figures are available.

This represents a 12 per cent rise since 2003.

Britain's growing thirst for wine - almost all of it foreign - has given it a unique status among hard-pressed wine producers who are increasingly desperate to 'crack' the world's most valuable export market, now worth £3.3billion.

In contrast, many traditional wine growing countries will barely tolerate the foreign version.

Although the recession and the strength of the euro has hit imports of expensive vintages from areas such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, the wine drinking habit is not expected to fade, according to the study.

Wine consumption is forecast to grow a further four per cent by 2012.

The VINEXPO research shows that British tastes are almost equally split between red and white, with 45 per cent of the market each. But the growing taste for rosé is forecast to push red wine's share down below 40 per cent over the next few years.

Australia remains Britain's favourite wine-producing country, while France was the biggest loser with an 18 per cent fall in exports.
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