Brits are a nation of self-proclaimed “wine buffs” – with 88 per cent now claiming to be a true aficionado of vino, according to new research by Co-op.
This comes at a time when British wine production appears to be increasing, with figures showing home-grown wine producers enjoying an increase in popularity and production.
This is set to increase over coming years, as the government is backing production by promising to steer a tenfold increase in exports by 2020, helping to increase the sector’s value to over £30 million.
And according to Co-op's study, the average Brit now spends £19 on wine every week (£988 a year) - and is prepared to pay up to £11 pounds on a decent bottle.
When asked which countries produce the best wine - 33 percent of Brits still think the French make the best, followed by Italy (13 percent), Australia (13 percent) and Spain (8 percent).
With the popularity of British wine now on the map, this could be set to change.
Doubling UK wine production
Earlier this year, the UK's first ever wine industry-roundtable promised to grow the area of planted vineyards from 2,000 hectares to 3,000 hectares by 2020 and double wine production over the same period.
Following Defra’s release of datasets into the public domain, the roundtable said it would strive to access new data on soil types, water resources, and infrastructure networks and put them to use in identifying the best areas for vineyard planting and driving up production.
Already, the area of land planted to vineyards has doubled in the past ten years, production has doubled in the last five and sales of British wines reached a record breaking £100m in 2015.
Frazer Thompson, Chief Executive of wine producers Chapel Down Winery in Kent, said English wine "continues to surprise and delight" consumers.
"As we plant more and more vineyards, so our ambition continues to grow.
"It’s clear that there is a significant opportunity for great English wine brands to develop their International sales and profile and excite the Worlds wine drinkers.
"We have a great story and exquisite products. We welcome the round table, which not only demonstrates some serious commitment from Government, but also represents another key milestone in the growth of this hugely exciting industry."
