With customers drinking more selectively, Unity Wines & Spirits category support specialist Harriet Dawson said wine needed to “work harder” to demonstrate value in the on-trade.
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“If [customers] are buying a bottle of wine in the supermarket for £7, they need to understand why they’re buying similar stuff for £35 in the [on-trade],” she said.
This comes as customers continue to make fewer on-trade visits and order more intentionally when they do, with Dawson pointing to a wider move from quantity towards quality.
Accessible and purposeful
Unity said wine lists did not necessarily need more choice but should instead become more “curated, accessible and purposeful”.
Dawson added communicating provenance, sustainability and the story behind a wine was crucial to building its value, alongside how it was presented and served.
Offering more wines by the glass could also give pubs greater flexibility, with preservation systems and smaller formats allowing them to widen the range available without lengthening the wine list.
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Meanwhile, tastings and smaller serves give customers the chance to try and compare wines, while helping pubs introduce bottles they may not encounter through retail.
This could also make more of an occasion of ordering wine, giving people something beyond the experience of simply choosing a bottle to drink at home.
No compromise on quality
Lower-ABV wine has also become a bigger part of the picture, specifically products that sit at around 6% to 8% ABV, Dawson said.
More broadley, wine has faced a difficult sales backdrop.
NIQ powered by CGA Intelligence data previously showed sales of still wine and Champagne fell 8% in 2025, while sparkling wine sales dropped 6%.
While lower-ABV wines could help pubs reduce duty and bring down the price, Dawson stressed customers would not compromise on quality.
“It’s still expected the wine to taste good,” she said.
