Wine’s a corking idea for lockdown
WINE is the lockdown-easing booze of choice for most people stuck indoors this January, research reveals.
A third of adults questioned prefer grape over grain while a quarter each plump for beer and spirits.
Wine sales are up 10 per cent year-on-year for 2020 and sparkling wine has increased five per cent.
The YouGov research, for Wine Drinkers UK, shows total alcohol sales were down last year due to the hospitality sector being closed. But those who normally drink in pubs, bars and restaurants were on the sauce at home instead.
Nearly one in four of us admits their spend on take-home wine has increased since the first lockdown last March.
Those living in London (30 per cent) and theWest Midlands (29 per cent) raised their outlay the most. The study of 1,815 drinkers, shows women favour wine (43 per cent) more than men (21 per cent).
People in the SouthWest (39 per cent) and East (34 per cent) are the most likely to prefer wine, beating Londoners (32 per cent) and the South East (29 per cent).
And 41 per cent choose crisp dry whites – such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Full-bodied reds, such as Malbec and Shiraz, came second with 39 per cent. Prosecco was favoured by 30 per cent.
Drinks writer and presenter Helena Nicklin said: “Britain is a nation of wine lovers.Wine is enjoyed by ordinary people across the country.The old stereotype of it being a drink only for the well-off middle class is a thing of the past.”