UK Bordeaux wine sales rise 14%
Sales of Bordeaux wines in the UK have grown by 14.2% in volume and 18.6% in value, according to data compiled by market research firm IRI.
Figures supplied by French Customs support this growth with exports of Bordeaux to the UK rising by 18% in 2013.
This year’s increase continues an ongoing trend which has seen 750,000 extra 9-litre cases of Bordeaux shipped to the UK in the last four years.
Appellations driving this growth were identified as the Médoc, St-Emilion and Côtes wines.
IRI said off-trade figures were down by 2.2% in volume and up 3.0% in value, while as a country French sales were down 1.9% in volume and up 4.2% in value.
A key aspect to Bordeaux’s success in maintaining a lead on other regions has been the success of its dry white wines, which saw sales rise by 53% in 2013, according to French Customs data.
The UK is now Bordeaux’s largest export market for its dry white wines, accounting for 18% of all Bordeaux UK sales.
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Douglas Morton, UK Consultant to the Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin Bordeaux, (CIVB) said: “Dry white Bordeaux provides a strong marketing opportunity. These easy to drink, often Sauvignon Blanc based wines, are a means of attracting younger and more female wine-drinkers to the Bordeaux category.”
He added: “Bordeaux is firmly positioned in the £6+ segment of the market. This is where we see the market continuing to grow (+59% in 2013) and where we currently sell 42% of our wines. The £6+ sector has the potential to bring more value to the supply chain which benefits the industry in general.”
With an average price of £6.37 per bottle, Bordeaux is about 20% higher than the off-trade average.
