Wine has many attributes. It’s available in multiple styles – from crisp mineral whites and light and fruity sparklers to spicy rich reds – it can transport a drinker to far-flung parts of the world in one sip, be enjoyed at any time of the year and can be drunk alone or as a partner to food.
Yet despite so many positive traits, fewer people are buying wine when they go out. Last year, sales of still wine and Champagne both dropped 8% while sparkling wine dropped 6% according to data from NIQ powered by CGA Intelligence, continuing an ongoing decline.
But it’s hardly surprising on-trade wine sales are falling so steeply when duty has increased so significantly, says Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) chief executive Miles Beale, lamenting the fact wine, which generally has an ABV well above 8.5%, is exempt from draught relief.
“Draught relief isn’t going to make a jot of difference to struggling publicans, who have been swamped with the highest duty rises for wine and spirits in almost 50 years.”
Data gathered by the WSTA shows a direct correlation between increased duty rates on wine and a reduction in consumer demand. And subsequently income to the exchequer, adds Beale.
“Combined wine and spirit duties were £188m lower in 2025-26 than in 2024-25,” he laments.
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Why wine on tap is becoming a smarter part of a modern wine offer
As pubs and pubcos plan for a busy summer, the focus is firmly on speed of service, outdoor trading and operational efficiency.
While bottled wine remains essential to any quality list, wine on tap is increasingly being used alongside it as a practical solution for high‑volume and alfresco environments.
Wine on tap allows venues to serve wine quickly and consistently during peak trading, easing pressure on bar teams and improving flow at busy outdoor counters. Many operators retain bottled wines for table service while using keg wines in beer gardens and terraces, giving customers flexibility without compromising choice.
Key Keg systems also protect wine from oxygen, maintaining freshness even in warmer conditions and enabling confident all‑day by‑the‑glass service. From a commercial perspective, keg wine supports tighter stock control, reduced wastage and simpler staff training during seasonal peaks.
Crucially, wine on tap is not about replacing bottles, but building a more resilient, profitable and sustainable wine offer for modern trading.
Find out more at www.lanchesterwines.co.uk.
Wine’s ballooning prices have made it a less attractive option when cash-strapped consumers are deciding what to order at the bar, but there are many pubs still championing wine and seeing healthy sales as a result.
William IV in London’s Shoreditch is one example. Wine accounts for up to 30% of the pub & dining room’s wet sales, which co-owner Mike Harrington, who holds a level three WSET qualification, boils down to staff training and proper wine care.
“All the team are trained by me and we use a Le Verre de Vin preservation system to ensure every glass-pour is as good as the first,” he explains.
These aren’t the only reasons for such healthy sales. Harrington, who is also head chef, has painstakingly built a list of more than 100 wines that suit a range of palates and budgets. There’s an Italian Pinot Grigio but also a Riesling Muscat Ottanel blend from Fiskars in Finland among the whites; New World and classic reds; 14 sparkling wines from Sussex, Champagne and further afield as well as orange, sweet and natural wines.
“The aim is to cover key regions and flavour profiles but also to reflect climate and style in a way that makes sense across the list,” he explains. “Everything has to feel relevant to what we do and remain accessible in price without compromising on quality.”
Such a large list might be unattainable for those without the space to store them or the time to train staff on each wine’s qualities but Harrington believes this breadth of offer is the main reason wine sells so well at the William IV.
“It gives people confidence that you take it seriously and therefore customers are more likely to look higher up the list,” he says. “It offers more of a conversation with customers about finding the right wine for them and it means we’re not leaving out great wines that we want people to drink.”
Wine can be seen as being a bit ‘hoity toity’ but this helps break down barriers and I like to have a bit of fun with it.
Charlotte Foster-Green, deputy general manager and sommelier at the Crown & Anchor
This philosophy is one shared by Charlotte Foster-Green, deputy general manager and sommelier at the Crown & Anchor in Chichester, West Sussex, where wine makes up 25% of wet sales. The Young’s pub’s wine list is half the size of William IV’s but by no means less interesting.
Foster-Green, who joined the pub after working in high-end restaurants, says she was “genuinely impressed” with the scope of the offering, which has cemented her view pubs can be as much advocates of wine as restaurants.
“I was really impressed at Young’s willingness to stock the good stuff,” she says, enthusiastically listing wines like a Fresco di Masi Rosso, a red from a premium Italian producer, served lightly chilled and Carneros Chardonnay from Buena Vista, California, which is on the list for £76.
The price is right
The Crown & Anchor lists a number of wines priced north of the £76 it charges for the Californian Chardonnay but it has many others at a more palatable £30, including Young’s ‘super seven’ selection of mid-range wines in recognisable grape varieties for drinkers who want predictability.
“What I love is that the wine range spans entry-level to top tier with dozens of options,” says Foster-Green. “There’s literally something for everybody.”
Foster-Green believes offering a broad range of wines at varying price points makes wine more accessible to customers. This not only makes them more inclined to order it in the pub but can eventually make them more adventurous. Once a customer has ordered a bottle, they feel safe with from both a variety and price point of view, she uses it as leverage to inspire them to try something new.
“I use it to start a conversation about what they like and I’ll often provide tasters of wines I think they will like. Wine can be seen as being a bit ‘hoity toity’ but this helps break down barriers and I like to have a bit of fun with it.”
There is certainly a psychology attached to wine pricing, agrees fellow wine advocate Adam Msetfi, operations manager at the Cock Hitchin, where he has enthusiastically been growing the wine list from 50 to 75 bins since the Herts Pub Company pub opened nine months ago.
Having it by the glass means they can see how good it is.
Adam Msetfi, operations manager at the Cock Hitchin
“If a bottle is priced under £50, people are generally happy to risk buying a bottle but when you start getting to £60 to £70, especially if it’s not a noble region like Burgundy or Bordeaux, they can be a bit like ‘what if I don’t like it?’. It’s hard, especially if you don’t have the relationship with the guest.”
The conversations are key to bolstering wine sales but even if you have a strong rapport with them, not every wine drinker is able – or wants – to shell out £100 on a bottle of wine. Is it worth stocking such high-priced bottles if they are going to be gathering dust in the cellar?
Like William IV, both the Crown & Anchor and the Cock have installed a wine preservation system (although, theirs is Coravin, not Le Verre de Vin), which allows wines to be served by the glass – so customers don’t have to commit to a whole bottle – and keeps the open bottle fresh, avoiding waste.
“It means that we can make good wine, premium wines, really accessible to everybody, which is so important. You don’t have to spend £90 on a bottle, you can just have a 125ml glass for £16,” enthuses Foster-Green.
The Coravin system at the Cock has enabled Msetfi to introduce his customers to a “banging” English Pinot Noir produced by Artelium in East Sussex. He now sells more of it by the glass than the bottle.
“It’s listed for £59 for the bottle but due to the perception of English reds not being very good – being wishy-washy and lacking structure – it’s harder to convince people to try it. Having it by the glass means they can see how good it is.”
It’s a similar story at the Crown & Anchor where Foster-Green has converted Whispering Angel and Minuty drinkers to try a Sussex-produced rosé called Folc.
“It’s better than the Provencal stuff and, because we’ve got the power to offer tasters, I’ve been saying to those ordering those ‘do you mind, before you buy, if I bring you a little taster of this English rosé?’. And every single person has converted. It’s not only cheaper than Whispering Angel, it’s more sustainable because it’s only produced a few miles away. Everybody wins.”
For pubs with little cellar space, or who don’t want to invest in a wine preservation system, yet still want to champion wine, keg wines could be a viable alternative, suggests Ben Franks, CEO of Canned Wine Group, which offers its Copper Crew wines in this format.
“Wine on tap allows pubs to confidently offer a broader range by the glass, which suits how people want to drink now,” he says. “It gives customers the freedom to try something different without committing to a bottle, and it gives operators the confidence to upsell without worrying about what’s left open at the end of service. That balance between flexibility for the guest and control for the pub is becoming increasingly important.”
Confident, knowledgeable staff are far more likely to engage guests in conversation, make recommendations and upsell drinks that suit both the dish and the moment.
David Piazzani, head of wine at Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants
Confident conversations
Confidence is a word that frequently arises when pub operators and suppliers discuss wine, and the majority of those seeing healthy sales have ensured those selling and serving it to customers possess it.
“Confident, knowledgeable staff are far more likely to engage guests in conversation, make recommendations and upsell drinks that suit both the dish and the moment,” says David Piazzani, head of wine at Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants, who says staff training is “essential” to improve both wine sales and enhance the customer experience.
“When a server knows how to describe a wine in simple, engaging terms, or pair it with a customer’s meal, it elevates the whole occasion. Guests feel more looked after, are more likely to try something new and are far more likely to return.”
Harrington of William IV, agrees. He delivers regular training to his team, centred on understanding the list and talking to customers with confidence.
“The difference in staff confidence before and after training is noticeable,” he says.
“A well-trained member of staff is worth two who aren’t and you’ll get higher sales because of it,” adds Msetfi of the Cock, where he holds frequent training sessions for staff led by his wine supplier. Learning is primarily done through tasting.
“I grew up in an industry where it was only the manager trying the wines but I get everyone involved and ask what they think. We get this interaction with guests then, they can talk about the wines.”
At the Crown & Anchor, staff are encouraged to share their knowledge with guests. Foster-Green suggests each member picks a favourite so they can genuinely recommend it to customers.
Wine events and pairing dinners – the Cock runs regular themed wine dinners for £75 for four courses and matching wines for example – also help engage and enthuse guests say pub owners.
While training staff does translate to confidence, wine is “a complex category and publicans are tremendously busy”, so, understandably, it’s not possible everywhere says Ben Ko-Nkengmo, category buying manager for wine at Star Pubs.
To help its 2,350 pubs achieve healthy wine sales without delivering in-depth training or investing in a wide range, Star Pubs developed a simplified range of own-brand wines in collaboration with its suppliers, which provided a “robust, varied offer” for all kinds of pubs with broad customer appeal.
The 10-strong range of single varietals, including an Italian Pinot Grigio, Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Argentinian Malbec has achieved double-digit growth since they were introduced four years ago.
Ko-Nkengmo says the single grape variety has been key to quality and consistency, enabling regulars to repeatedly order their favourite wine with confidence. Meanwhile, operators can simply stock this range as their whole offering or add more if they wish.
His other advice for successful wine sales is simply to “get the basics right” by making it visible on menus, the back bar display, chalkboards and even on social media; storing it at the correct temperature; using the correct, clean glassware and using ice buckets when required.
“If pubs can invest a bit of time upfront getting the basics right, it should be easy for their wine range to shine even when the pub is packed or if the member of staff is inexperienced.”
Low & no wine
The time is now for low & no alcohol wine
While it’s been a tough time for alcoholic wines in terms of on-trade sales, it’s a different story for their low & no alcohol counterparts.
Sales of low & no wine rose 28% between 2024 and 2025 according to NIQ, powered by CGA Intelligence.
“Part of this is down to the impact of the cost-of living crisis but also a noticeable change in drinking habits,” says Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), noting the low & no alcohol category “remains relatively small but is consistently growing”.
Charlotte Foster-Green, deputy general manager and sommelier at the Crown & Anchor, in West Sussex, has noticed her customers – particularly those aged under 30 – are drinking less alcohol and is therefore keen to embrace low & no products.
The Chichester pub currently lists a non-alcoholic rosé and a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, which accounts for one in 10 of all sparkling wine orders, and Foster-Green is actively searching for more. Yet, so far, there are few that deliver on quality.
“It’s fair to say that low & no alcohol wine hasn’t always delivered on expectations in the way beer has, and that’s largely because it’s technically more challenging to replicate the structure, balance and complexity that alcohol naturally provides in wine,” admits José Ignacio Bascuñan, export director for Europe at Morandé Wine Group.
But times are changing he says, holding up Morandé’s HAX Zero – a de-alcoholised Cabernet Sauvignon boasting a dark fruit profile and overall balance, as a case in point.
“Maintaining these attributes after de-alcoholisation is perhaps the most challenging part and it’s something we’ve been able to achieve through the way we carefully rebuild the wine afterwards,” he adds.
Bascuñan says “greater investment, improved technology and refined winemaking” are leading to a noticeable step up in quality that will open out the category in the future.
Beale of the WSTA agrees the category has great potential but says it is being “stifled by red tape” as the Government wrestles over an EU law that may require reduced alcohol wines to be relabelled as “wine-based drinks” in the UK.
“[The] Government should move forward with permitting the labelling and marketing of products as alcohol-free at 0.5% ABV without delay, offering consumer clarity and aligning with international standards,” he says.
