Today will be the UK’s busiest day for wine sales

Today is expected to be the UK’s busiest day for wine sales of 2017, with one retailer expecting to shift over 60,000 bottles of fizz this week alone.

Laithwaite’s expects to ship 60,000 bottles of fizz this week

An estimated 60,000 bottles will be shipped during the week, expects Laithwaite’s Wine, with a quarter of those bottles being delivered to offices across the country.

In particular, English fizz is riding high at the retailer, with sales already up for 26% for October to December, compared to the same period last year.

Earlier this week pub group Fuller’s replaced its French house Champagne, Collet, with English sparkling wine across its 500 UK pubs following a successful trial last year.

According to to the pub group, the pound’s 13% fall against the euro since the EU referendum has evened out the price differences between English wines and imported alternatives such as Prosecco, Champagne and Cava. Its five English sparkling wines occupy the “house” slots at around £40 on its lists, while its Champagnes start from £50.

Fuller’s head of wine, Neil Bruce, told The Guardian that it had been an “absolute game-changer”.

“We are showcasing English wine in a way we have never done before,” he said. “Our customers absolutely get the superb taste and quality and value for money.”

Champagne sales at Laithwaite’s, meanwhile, have remained flat, while Prosecco has continued its dominance, with sales up by 12% year-on-year.

Another trend highlighted by the merchant is demand for magnums, with sales of larger format bottles up 50% year-on-year.

“It’s the last working week ahead of Christmas and so many of us will be making sure we have all the essentials ahead of the festive celebrations,” said David Thatcher, CEO of Laithwaite’s.

“Fizz is perfect for so many occasions and thanks to wines like Windsor Great Park Vineyard English Sparkling, we are now able to enjoy top quality sparkling wines from much closer to home.”

Yesterday, we picked through the biggest wine trends as predicted by another of the UK’s biggest retailers, Majestic. To find out what Majestic thinks will be the biggest trends for wine and spirits in 2018, click here.