As the trade prepares for English Wine Week (June 18 – 26), trade organisation WineGB has released its latest figures, which show a 69% sales rise for English and Welsh wines since 2019. 15% of sales were made by independent retailers, while winery websites accounted for 22% of sales. 

Drawing on data from 2019 to 2021, WineGB found that English and Welsh wine sales hit £9.3 million in 2021. Retailers have seen a hike in sales, with Majestic reporting a 58% increase for English sparkling wines over the course of one year. And as demand grows, hectarage has approximately doubled in the past eight years, WineGB said. 

Exports, representing 4% of all sales, rose by 21%. Norway was the leading international market, seeing a 85% increase in sales in 2021 compared to 2020. In the UK, Sainsbury’s noted a 370% boost in sales around the Platinum Jubilee.

WineGB CEO, Simon Thorpe MW, said the growth in sales has been “fantastic”, adding: “With vineyards open up and down the country and the wide availability across retailers and on trade – there’s never been a better time to celebrate our flourishing home wine industry, and English Wine Week is the perfect time to enjoy some of England’s wine gems!”