With UK per capita wine consumption rising to 22.3 litres in 2022 and totals reaching 1.46 billion bottles sold in 2023, this post breaks down the numbers behind who drinks wine, where they buy it, and what the latest trends mean for the UK wine industry.
Key Takeaways
- Per capita wine consumption in UK rose to 22.3 litres in 2022
- 58% of UK adults drank wine in the past year as of 2023
- Average UK adult consumes 18.5 litres of wine annually in 2023
- UK wine industry contributes £1.5 billion to economy annually 2023
- Total GVA from UK wine sector £500 million in 2022
- Wine tourism generated £200 million revenue in 2023
- UK wine exports reached 3.5 million bottles in 2023
- Value of UK wine exports was £25 million in 2023
- USA was top destination for UK wine exports with 1 million bottles 2023
- UK wine imports volume was 1.37 billion bottles in 2023
- France supplied 34% of UK wine imports by volume in 2023 (470 million bottles)
- Italy exported 295 million bottles of still wine to UK in 2023
- In 2023, the UK had 4,700 hectares of vineyards planted across England and Wales, marking a 7% increase from 2022
- English wine production reached 2.7 million bottles in 2022, up from 2.1 million in 2021
- There are over 500 vineyards in the UK as of 2023, with 180 producing wine commercially
In 2023, UK wine consumption hit record highs, reaching 22.3 litres per person as drinking patterns shift.
Consumption
1Per capita wine consumption in UK rose to 22.3 litres in 2022
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258% of UK adults drank wine in the past year as of 2023
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3Average UK adult consumes 18.5 litres of wine annually in 2023
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4Wine is the preferred alcohol for 42% of UK consumers in 2023
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525-34 year olds consume 28% more wine than average in 2023
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6Women account for 55% of wine drinkers in UK 2023
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7Frequency of wine consumption: 35% drink weekly in 2023
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8AB social grade drinks 1.5x more wine volume than average 2023
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9Londoners consume 20% above national wine average in 2023
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1062% of wine consumed at home vs 38% out-of-home in 2023
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11Millennials (25-40) represent 40% of premium wine buyers 2023
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12Wine consumption occasions peaked at dinner for 48% consumers 2023
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13Organic wine consumption up 15% among UK adults 2023
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1418% of UK adults are teetotal, impacting wine consumption 2023
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15South East England has highest per capita wine intake at 25 litres 2023
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16Low alcohol wine appeals to 22% of consumers trying moderation 2023
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1770% of wine drinkers buy English sparkling wine occasionally 2023
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18Average spend per wine purchase £12.50 in off-trade 2023
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1945% of consumers prefer sustainable wines in UK 2023
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20Wine volume per drinker fell 2% to 35 litres annually 2023
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21Prosecco is consumed by 30% of wine drinkers monthly 2023
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2255+ age group buys 60% of fortified wines consumed 2023
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23Vegan wine preference among 15% of consumers in 2023
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24Home consumption occasions up 10% post-pandemic to 75% 2023
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25Natural wine consumption tripled since 2019 to 5% share 2023
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Consumption Interpretation
In 2023, wine remains deeply embedded in UK life with 58% of adults drinking it, yet the mix is shifting toward lighter, mindful choices as organic consumption rose 15% and natural wines more than doubled since 2019 to reach a 5% share.
Economic
1UK wine industry contributes £1.5 billion to economy annually 2023
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2Total GVA from UK wine sector £500 million in 2022
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3Wine tourism generated £200 million revenue in 2023
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412,000 jobs supported by UK wine industry in 2023
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5Tax revenue from wine duty £3 billion in 2023
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6Off-trade wine sector turnover £6 billion in 2023
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7On-trade wine contributes £2.5 billion to hospitality 2023
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8UK wine retail employs 50,000 people directly 2023
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9Export GVA from wine £15 million in 2023
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10Vineyard land value increased 20% to £500m total 2023
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11Production sector GVA £300 million in 2022
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12Wine supports 2,000 tourism jobs in rural areas 2023
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Economic Interpretation
In 2023, the UK wine industry generated £1.5 billion for the economy while supporting 12,000 jobs, showing how wine is simultaneously a major economic driver and a tourism and hospitality boost beyond just sales, including £200 million from wine tourism and £2.5 billion for hospitality.
Exports
1UK wine exports reached 3.5 million bottles in 2023
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2Value of UK wine exports was £25 million in 2023
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3USA was top destination for UK wine exports with 1 million bottles 2023
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4Netherlands imported 500,000 bottles of UK wine in 2023
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5Germany took 300,000 bottles from UK in 2023
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6Sweden exports destination for 200,000 bottles UK wine 2023
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7UK sparkling wine exports grew 15% in volume 2023
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8Average export price per bottle £7.10 for UK wines 2023
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9Norway imported 150,000 bottles of English wine 2023
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10Canada received 100,000 bottles UK wine exports 2023
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Exports Interpretation
In 2023 the UK exported 3.5 million bottles of wine worth £25 million, with the USA taking 1 million bottles, while UK sparkling wine exports rose 15% in volume and the average export price was £7.10 per bottle.
Imports
1UK wine imports volume was 1.37 billion bottles in 2023
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2France supplied 34% of UK wine imports by volume in 2023 (470 million bottles)
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3Italy exported 295 million bottles of still wine to UK in 2023
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4Spain's wine exports to UK reached 210 million bottles in 2023
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5Australia imported 28 million bottles to UK in 2023, down 14%
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6Value of UK wine imports hit £4.8 billion in 2023
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7Germany supplied 45 million bottles of sparkling wine to UK 2023
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8Chile's exports to UK grew 5% to 15 million bottles in 2023
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9US wine imports to UK at 12 million bottles in 2023
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10Portugal exported 25 million bottles including Port to UK 2023
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11South Africa imports rose 8% to 18 million bottles in 2023
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12Argentina sent 8 million bottles to UK wine market 2023
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13New Zealand exports totaled 10 million bottles in 2023
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14Duty paid on wine imports was £2.9 billion in 2023
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15EU countries provided 85% of UK wine import volume 2023
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16Average import price per bottle rose to £3.50 in 2023
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17Bulk wine imports increased 20% to 200 million litres 2023
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18Romania emerged as top 10 supplier with 5 million bottles 2023
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19Moldova wine imports to UK at 3 million bottles in 2023
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20Hungary exported Tokaji and others totaling 2.5 million bottles 2023
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21Imports from Rest of World down 2% to 150 million bottles 2023
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22French red wine imports 150 million bottles to UK 2023
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23Sparkling imports value £1.2 billion in 2023
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24Still wine import volume 1.2 billion bottles in 2023
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Imports Interpretation
In 2023, the UK imported 1.37 billion bottles of wine worth £4.8 billion, with 85% coming from EU countries and France alone supplying 470 million bottles, while bulk imports rose 20% to 200 million litres and the average price reached £3.50 per bottle.
Production
1In 2023, the UK had 4,700 hectares of vineyards planted across England and Wales, marking a 7% increase from 2022
Verified
2English wine production reached 2.7 million bottles in 2022, up from 2.1 million in 2021
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3There are over 500 vineyards in the UK as of 2023, with 180 producing wine commercially
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4Sparkling wine accounts for 67% of UK wine production volume in 2022
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5Average yield per hectare in English vineyards was 9.5 tonnes in 2022
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6Chardonnay is the most planted grape variety in the UK with 1,207 hectares in 2023
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7Pinot Noir covers 1,016 hectares in UK vineyards as of 2023
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8The South East region holds 42% of UK vineyard area with 1,974 hectares in 2023
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9Kent has 827 hectares of vineyards, the largest county by area in 2023
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10UK still wine production was 0.9 million bottles in 2022
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11Number of UK wineries increased to 170 in 2023 from 159 in 2022
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12Sussex vineyards span 792 hectares, second largest after Kent in 2023
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13Pinot Meunier planted on 444 hectares in the UK in 2023
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14UK wine industry employed 5,500 direct full-time equivalents in 2022
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15Hampshire vineyards cover 393 hectares as of 2023
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16Bacchus grape variety occupies 243 hectares in UK vineyards in 2023
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17The number of vineyard sites in England rose by 23 to 528 in 2023
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18UK vineyard plantings grew at an average of 10% annually from 2018-2023
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19Essex has 200 hectares under vine in 2023
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20UK wine production value reached £80 million in 2022
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21Hertfordshire vineyards total 145 hectares in 2023
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22Seyval Blanc covers 22 hectares, one of the smaller varieties in 2023
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23Southern England produced 90% of UK wine in 2022
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24New vineyard plantings in 2023 added 300 hectares
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25UK wine industry invested £50 million in new facilities from 2020-2023
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26Average vineyard price per acre in South East England is £25,000 in 2023
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2715 new wineries opened in the UK in 2023
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28UK sparkling wine base wine production hit 12,000 tonnes in 2022
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29Triomphe d'Alsace planted on 12 hectares in 2023
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30Vineyard workers in UK numbered 3,000 seasonal in 2023
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Production Interpretation
UK wine is expanding quickly, with vineyard plantings rising to 4,700 hectares in 2023 and growing by about 10% per year since 2018, while sparkling still dominates output at 67% of production volume in 2022.
Sales
1The UK off-trade wine market was valued at £5.3 billion in 2023
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2Total UK wine sales volume reached 1.46 billion bottles in 2023
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3Off-trade wine sales grew 3% in value to £5.4 billion in 2023
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4On-trade wine sales by volume fell 1% to 140 million bottles in 2023
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5Supermarkets accounted for 78% of off-trade wine sales value in 2023
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6Prosecco sales volume was 57 million bottles in the UK in 2023
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7Average bottle price in off-trade rose to £7.65 in 2023
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8Wine share of total alcohol off-trade sales was 37% by value in 2023
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9Online wine sales grew 12% in 2023 to £1.2 billion
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10Fortified wine sales declined 5% in volume to 10 million bottles in 2023
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11Premium wine segment (over £10) grew 8% in off-trade 2023
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12New World wines took 65% market share by volume in 2023
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13Rosé wine sales up 4% to 140 million bottles in 2023
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14Duty-paid wine clearances totaled 1.5 billion litres in 2023
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15Independent merchants saw 6% sales growth in 2023
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16White wine outsold red by 10% in off-trade volume 2023
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17Wine sales per capita in UK was 21.5 litres in 2023
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18Multiple off-licences held 5% of off-trade wine market in 2023
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19Sparkling wine sales volume hit 100 million bottles in 2023
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20Australian wine sales fell 15% in volume to 25 million bottles 2023
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21France dominated sparkling imports with 45% share in 2023
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22Total wine market value reached £13 billion in 2023
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23Convenience stores wine sales grew 2% in 2023
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24Low/no alcohol wine sales up 25% to 2 million bottles 2023
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25Italian still wine sales 120 million bottles in 2023
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26Off-trade price inflation for wine was 6.5% in 2023
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27Total UK alcohol market wine share 32% by volume 2023
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Sales Interpretation
In 2023, UK wine demand was largely driven by off-trade as value hit £5.4 billion, while prices rose to £7.65 a bottle and online sales climbed 12% to £1.2 billion, pointing to shoppers trading up and shopping more digitally.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Uk Wine Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-wine-industry-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Uk Wine Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/uk-wine-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Uk Wine Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/uk-wine-industry-statistics.
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