UK Wine Consumption Will Rise Despite Recession - Says VINEXPO

LONDON, January 14-

  Britain has become the world’s biggest consumer of imported wine and wine
drinking is expected to grow over the next four years despite the economic
downturn, says VINEXPO, an authority on wine and organizer of the world’s
biggest wine and spirit exhibition.

  Data compiled for VINEXPO by research company IWSR shows that the UK
became the biggest importer of still and sparkling light wine by volume in
2007 when imports reached 135.8 million 9-litre cases, equivalent to more
than 1.6 billion bottles. (One case = 12 x 75cl bottles)

  The research reveals a detailed picture of wine drinking in Britain which
grew more than 12% in the five years from 2003 to 2007 and is forecast to
continue growing over the next five years, albeit at a much slower rate of
just over 6%. As a result of the import growth, the UK has become a major
sales target for world wine producers.

  In the five years from 2003 consumption of still and sparkling wines per
person of legal drinking age grew from 24.6 litres to 27.2 litres.
Consumption per person is forecast to rise over the next five years to 28.3
litres.

  However, Britain is still only 13th in the ranking of world consumption
per head and that position is unlikely to change over the next five years.
The top five largest consumers of wine per person in the world are: France
(58.8 litres) Italy (56.4 litres) Switzerland (49.2 litres) Portugal (44.9
litres) and Austria (42.2 litres). Most of these countries are expected to
show a decline in wine drinking in the next five years.

  In the five years from 2003 to 2007 total UK consumption of still and
sparkling wine rose from 127.7 million 9-litre cases to 144.6 million cases..
By 2012 total consumption of still and sparkling wine is forecast to reach
155 million 9-litre cases.

  White wine is most popular in the UK with rosé wine rising fast and red
wine falling back.

  In 2008 we were estimated to have drunk more than 764 million bottles of
white wine in Britain; that number is forecast to rise to 823 million over
the next five years. In the same period, consumption of rosé wine is forecast
to rise more than 47% from 150 million bottles to 220 million bottles.
Consumption of red wine is forecast to fall from 720 million bottles last
year to 687 million in 2012.

  The value of UK wine sales is forecast to rise more than 21% from 2003 to
2012. In 2008 the sales value of still light wine was estimated at US$6.5
billion (GBP3.3 billion)* Value is forecast to rise more than 7% over the
next five years to reach US$6.9 billion.

  The top five suppliers to the UK market are, in order of importance,
Australia, France, USA, Italy and Spain. Except for France, which showed a
fall in wine exports to the UK, other wine producing nations increased their
volumes of still and sparkling wine. The USA showed the biggest rise with UK
imports growing by 34.5% from 2003 to 2007.

  Spirits consumption in the UK also rose over the five years from 2003 to
2007 when it reached 28.4 million 9-litre cases, or more than 336 million
bottles. By 2012 consumption is forecast to grow nearly 6% to reach more than
356 million bottles.

  Vodka is Britain’s favourite spirit; sales rose by one third from 2003 to
2007 to reach more than 8 million cases, or 96 million bottles. Consumption
of vodka is forecast to continue growing and at a rate faster than any other
spirit. By 2012 consumption will have grown a further 20% to 9.7 million
9-litre cases.

  Scotch whisky, by contrast is losing its former top spot. Consumption
fell by just over 11% from 2003 to 2007 and will continue falling by nearly
7% to 2012.

  * Conversion rate of GBP1 = US$0.51 at mid 2007

  Notes to Editors:

  - IWSR is a leading, UK-based wine and spirit research and data base
specialist

  - Vinexpo is the world’s biggest wine and spirit exhibition and in 2009
is expected to attract nearly 2,400 exhibitors from 45 countries and 50,000
visitors from more than 150 countries

  - Vinexpo is held in Bordeaux from June 21 - June 25, 2009

  For more information see: http://www.vinexpo.com

Source: VINEXPO

France media contacts:  Anne Cusson, Director of Media Relations, Press Attaché, Juliette Demptos, Tel: +33(0)5-56-56-01-69, VINEXPO; UK Media contacts: Eugene Bacot , Tel: +44(0)20-7731-4526, M: +44(0)7802-345030, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address); Colin Lewis, Tel: +44(0)20-7731-4489, M: +44(0)7796-461392, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), V O I C E PR