The top 10 most popular wines in the UK have been revealed by a new survey, which looked at the preferences in wine varieties of adults of drinking age.
The research was commissioned by new winemaking simulator game Hundred Days, which allows players to “embark on a journey of winemaking and become a mogul of industry by deciding which wines to produce. By keeping a pulse on market demand, you may also expand your winery through sales and growth.”
So what varietals are the most popular in the UK?
Well, to start with, none of the varietals on this list should come as a particular surprise to those familiar with the wine drinking habits of the United Kingdom’s inhabitants.
Coming in first place, presumably to the surprise of precisely nobody, is Pinot Grigio – though interestingly top spot did vary across the different nations, with Scotland preferring Sauvignon Blanc and those polled in Ireland opting for Chardonnay as their top choice.
Here’s the top 10 in full:
- Pinot Grigio
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Merlot
- Rosé
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Pinot Noir
- Zinfandel
- Malbec
- Rioja
Yves Hohler, Lead Designer and Co-founder of Broken Arm Games, commented on the findings, “Britain is one of the largest importers of wine, taking in over $4 billion worth of crates, bags and bottles in 2020. Yet, our research shows that the nation is largely shying away from expanding their wine repertoire and are stuck in a wine rut – making the same purchases over and over again.
“We created our new mobile winemaking simulator ‘Hundred Days’ to entertain wine lovers by giving them a taste of a vineyard owner’s lifestyle and showcase the vast array of different wines available today – to hopefully inspire and tempt people to venture out of their comfort zone.”
And while Sauvignon Blanc may remain close the top of the list of the UK’s favourite wine varieties, consumers may well need to look elsewhere for their fix, as the shortages of ever popular Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are “not going away any time soon” according to Morrison’s senior wine sourcing manager Mark Jarman.