Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine sales set to soar

14-Feb-2018 By Nikkie Sutton

Sales of fizz are expected to continue to rise after a record-breaking year, according to figures from the Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Brexit threat to sparkling wine sales boom

02-Jan-2018 By James Beeson

The UK’s sparkling wine sector has seen sales almost double in the last five years, according to the latest statistics from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

English wine threatened by increased duty

23-Oct-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

English sparkling wine producers may be put under unnecessary pressure if Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond implements proposals to raise tax on the sector.

Prosecco sales up 9% on last year

09-Oct-2017 By Helen Gilbert

The UK’s appetite for sparkling wine shows no sign of abating with sales up 9% in a year and some bars and pubs now stocking Prosecco on tap, research has revealed.

Brexit: New report highlights fears for Britain’s wine trade

02-Aug-2017 By James Beeson

More than 99% of wine drunk in the UK is imported, according to a new report from the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA). 

Price of wine rises faster in 12 weeks than in two years

01-Jun-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

The average price of a bottle of wine has risen faster in the past 12 weeks than it has in the past two years, latest figures from the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) show.

Stonegate launches low-calorie Prosecco

12-Apr-2017 By Georgina Townshend

As the demand for diet and low-calorie drinks continues to rise, Stonegate has released a light Prosecco across its traditional pubs and Slug & Lettuce venues, and claims it is as close to “clean drinking” as you can get.

Pubs lose out to supermarkets in Christmas fizz sales

08-Mar-2017 By Nicholas Robinson

More than 45m bottles of sparkling wine were sold in the UK at Christmas, but just 5m of those were bought in the on-trade, the rest being purchased in supermarkets.

Champagne and sparkling wine

Is Champagne too fancy for pubs?

11-Nov-2016 By Nicholas Robinson

When it comes to a celebration the no-brainer go-to for us Brits has long been a bottle of Champagne. Now it seems we don’t even need an excuse to turn to the bubbly. So if you don’t want to miss out on the action, it may be time to add some extra fizz...

Sparkling wine

Pub fizz sales put in sparkling performance

11-Mar-2016 By Mike Berry

On-trade sales of sparkling wine have rocketed over the past year, according to new figures.

Wine predictions for 2016

18-Jan-2016 By Ben Winstanley

As wine continues to rise in popularity both in the on-trade and home markets, what does 2016 have in store? Crown Cellars wine vendors share their predictions for the year ahead.

Occasions

A guide to party drinks at Christmas

09-Nov-2015 By Nigel Huddleston

Christmas, New Year and the run-up to the holiday break is the busiest time of year for most UK pubs. But it is no good just waiting for the punters to pour through the doors. Now’s the time to plan ahead and make sure your drinks offer is what customers...

Business boosters

Reasons why YOU should sell fizz

09-Nov-2015 By Jessica Mason

If you think you take advantage of drinks trends but you’re still not selling bubbly by the glass, it’s a bit like saying you’re really interested in music but you don’t see the point in going to a gig.

Prosecco growing but Champagne is still king on the bar

26-Aug-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Data from CGA Strategy suggests that sparkling wine drinking trends in the on-trade differ significantly from those in the off-trade.

Prosecco shortage sparks industry fears

22-May-2015 By Laurie Macdonald

Rumours of a possible summer prosecco shortage have sparked frenzied speculation in the industry and national media over whether the world will face a shortage of the Italian tipple, and for the trade, if will prices increase.

Alcohol sales fall but value remains flat as customers increasingly ‘trade up’

17-Sep-2014 By James Wallin

Total alcohol sales fell by 3% in the last year but value remained flat as customers drank less but increasingly opted for premium products, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Fizz is no longer for the few

31-Mar-2014 By Robyn Black

As reported in the Independent last week, global sales of Prosecco have (just about) overtaken Champagne.

Keeping up with the festive Joneses

09-Oct-2013 By Jessica Mason

They grew up on programmes such as Tiswas and Blue Peter, witnessed moon landings and the Falklands War. For escapism they listened to the Pretenders, Blondie, Pink Floyd, The Police and The Sex Pistols, while the threat of increasing unemployment made...

Frizzenti’s Prosecco-focused push

17-Jul-2013 By Robyn Black

Frizzenti, the sparkling wine that is dispensed on tap, is ramping up activity in the UK in a bid to capitalise on the growth in Prosecco.

Champagne in pubs: making fizziness your business

26-Nov-2010 By Michelle Perrett

Despite the recession affecting the Champagne category, there is plenty of profit potential in offering customers fizz, reports Michelle Perrett.

Chapel Down does fizzness for charity

01-Nov-2010 By Robyn Black

Chapel Down has created a blend of its sparkling wine for the Demelza Hospice Care for Children charity. Working with the charity's CEO, Ted...

Party Drinks: Serve up a celebration

28-Oct-2010

The season to be jolly is nearly upon us. For many pubs this also means a jump in sales of what you might call 'occasion' drinks. The term applies...

Sparkling Wine Focus: Selling the sparkle

13-Oct-2010 By Jessica Harvey Jessica

For a long time, Champagne has been synonymous with style and sophistication. Boutique Champagne house Perrier-Jouët's prestige cuvée Belle Epoque,...

First ever sparkling wine training by Codorníu

13-May-2010 By Lesley Foottit

The first sparkling wine category training programme for the on-trade has been launched by Spanish sparkling wine brand Codorníu. The company...

Cava: The perfect match with food

10-Sep-2009 By Claire Dodd Claire

Before heading to Spain to visit the vineyards of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia in Catalonia, I didn't know all that much about cava. To me, it was the...

Sparkling wine: Cava campaign

08-Aug-2008

CRACKING OPEN the sparkling wine in the pub is probably most appropriately done with a Gallic shrug, given champagne¹s dominance. But a recent...

Sparkling wine: Uncork the category's potential

08-Aug-2008

So often, drinks trends in the freetrade develop from initiatives led by brands and the big managed estates. This couldn't be more the case than in...

Wine focus: Some sparkling facts

13-Aug-2007

If an alien landed in your bar or pub and asked the difference was between a bottle of Bollinger and Jacob's Creek sparkling pinot noir chardonnay,...

Wine focus: Sparkling sales

13-Aug-2007

In many ways it was inevitable. As food standards improved and customers continued to show their new-found willingness to spend their earnings rather...

Project update 2: Eye to eye

29-Mar-2007

A LOT of pubs would benefit if the people in charge could only stand back and take a fresh look at the way they run the business. Unfortunately few...

Mixed news for Wine & Spirit group

21-Mar-2007

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association welcomes spirit duty freeze but says it is shocked by sparkling wine increase

What the Sunday papers said

26-Mar-2006

Laws banning smoking lead to more people taking up the habit, a new report published today claims. As a smoking ban is introduced in Scotland, an...

Charm offensive

13-Oct-2005

Having sent the bosoms of the nation's barmaids into palpitations following publication of some injudicious remarks about uncovered flesh in his last...

Cava hits the spot

01-May-2003

Now is the time of year when wine writers' thoughts traditionally turn in the direction of bottles of bubbly, and I am no exception. But whereas just...

GBL pops open flavoured bubbly

07-Feb-2003

A new range of flavoured sparkling wines has been uncorked by ready-to-drink (RTD) specialist GBL International.Cavela, available in a 200ml...

Bubbling over

30-Oct-2002

Sparkling wine has always been linked with France, however, bubbly from other countries is just beginning to take off. By Ben McFarland.UK sales of...

Lovely bubbly

04-Dec-2000

Left with a glut of post-millennium champagne, producers are taking their product to a new audienceLest we forget, the season to be jolly is fast...