UK wine imports rocket

Britain is now the second largest importer of wine in the world

By the BBC's consumer affairs reporter Elaine Parke

The UK is increasing its intake of wine more rapidly than anywhere else in Europe according to a new survey commissioned by Vinexpo, organiser of the world's biggest wine and spirits exhibition.

Britain is now the second largest importer of wine in the world, after Germany, and is expected to top 1,300 million litres by 2005, doubling the consumption of 15 years ago.

In 1999 the UK trailed behind the French and Italians, drinking 19 litres of wine per person per year to their 58 litres.

French wine is the most popular choice when eating out

But while the French and Italians have cut down on their wine drinking, Britain has undergone a 23% increase in consumption, a rise beaten only by the Japanese.

Tim Atkin, from Harpers Wine trade magazine and wine correspondent for The Observer, says there are a number of reasons for the change in consumer habits.

He said: "Drinking wine has become an everyday activity, a trend that was set in motion by supermarket sales in the 1970s."

'TV programmes fuelling demand'

"The growth of foreign holidays due to cheaper airlines, means more people are going abroad and buying wines and bringing them home."

The popularity of food and drink television programmes is also a contributory factor having a knock-on effect on consumer purchasing habits.

While French wine still remains the popular choice when eating out, in the supermarket it is a very different story.

Over 43 countries vie for space on UK shelves and French wine accounts for 30% of the market share.

For the first time take home sales, which account for 84% of all wine sold in the UK, show sales of Australian wine have overtaken French.

Australian wines are more consumer orientated, the French just make wine and you either like it or you don't

Wine expert Tim Atkin

Mr Atkin explains the change: "Australian wines are more consumer orientated, the French just make wine and you either like it or you don't, there is also a natural affinity between the UK and Australia perhaps because of a common language, the popularity of television soaps and the historical link."

"The UK has now become bored with certain types of French wine.

"France makes the best wines in the world, but also produces some of the worst, people like the reliability and soft full body flavours of Australian wines."

While the relative market shares of the supermarkets and off-licences will remain relatively stable over the next few years, the report does highlight the biggest change in distribution will come from e-tail sales with Safeway leading the way with Safeway Easy-Order, followed by Tesco Online.