Red wine on the decrease

Wine drinkers are favouring rosé and white wines above red, according to a new survey.

The Consumer Intelligence survey for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) shows that the number of wine drinkers drinking red has dropped in the past three months from 78% to 72%.

The amount of red they drink as a proportion of total wine is also down from 44% to 40%.

But white wine is up from 40% to 43% and rosé from 16% to 18% as a proportion of the total wine consumed over the past quarter.

Within the white wine category, Pinot Grigio is now the second most popular after Chardonay.

"These findings are consistent with other research and industry indicators suggesting consumers are edging away from some of the more traditional red wines on formal occasions towards lighter wines in casual settings," said Brian Howard of Wine Intelligence.

"We will be monitoring these measures closely to see if future surveys confirm an ongoing trend."

In the on-trade, the most money was spent in the £12-£14.99 category.

Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the WSTA, said: "This latest survey has some interesting insights into current tastes and trends. The continued growth in rosé won't surprise industry insiders but there are signs it may be part of a broader shift towards lighter wine styles."