UK parliament prefers white wine to red

Almost twice as much white wine was consumed in parliament bars than red wine last year, showing a strong preference among Westminster MPs.

If you’ve ever wondered what MPs are knocking back after a busy day in the House of Commons then look no further.

According to a Freedom of Information request, around 16,019 bottles of white wine were consumed in Parliament bars last year, almost twice as much as the 8,500 bottles of red wine that were drunk during the same period.

Despite the volume of white wine ordered in Westminster bars, members of the House of Lords are said to have complained about the quality of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay on offer, with one peer quoted as saying:

“Both the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc are really poor quality… Can something be done?”

However, wine sales of any kind were dwarfed by the number of beers ordered, with Westminster bars shifting 46,562 beers last year. It is not clear whether these were pints or bottles.

As for fizz, cases of Pol Roger and Champagne Pommery were photographed being delivered to the Tory party conference in Manchester this year. Although reports suggested that Prosecco was served in most areas, leading some guests to question where all the Champagne had ended up.

A preference for white wine over red may explain why Prime Minister Rishi Sunak donated a £10 bottle of Merlot to a fundraising event at a local school in his constituency earlier this year, as one tends to offload bottles that are left gathering dust at the back of the cupboard.

In May, db reported that Sir Graham Brody was appointed to head up the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wine and Spirits. It remains to be seen whether Brody will influence the selection and quality of the wine lists in parliament’s many bars, and indeed whether he will choose to focus on white wine in particular.

The AAPPG for Wine and Spirits is one of a number of informal groups of Members of both Houses with a common interest in a certain topic.