Boost for English wine around Jubilee

Published: 07 June, 2012

UK wine producers benefited from the Jubilee celebrations and a high-profile media presence, by seeing a record average 80%-plus increase in sales.

Mardi Roberts, sales and marketing manager of Ridgeview Wine Estate, said she had seen an "incredible sales surge".

"We found 2011 was a record sales year at Ridgeview and already in 2012 our sales are up 58% on the same time last year. May 2012 has been one of our biggest sales months ever on record. Sales are three times what we saw in the same period last year, which of course was also highly inflated due to the royal wedding."

Bob Lindo, owner of Camel Valley, said it had a record 90% uplift in sales in May.

"It's not just been sales but visitor numbers that have gone through the roof. The level of interest has taken our breath away and we haven't been able to cope. It's like we've been under siege, the car park has been full and we've been taking over 100 people per day on vineyard tours."

Guy Tresnan, sales and marketing director for English Wines Group, said May had been "phenomenal" and it has more than doubled sales.

"We knew early on it would be a good month, not only for opening new accounts but with demand from existing accounts. The Jubilee has spiked that patriotic nerve and we now have the Olympics to look forward to on the back of that."

English wines have also been successful in recent competitions, including the International Wine Challenge, and Coates & Seely's Blanc de Blanc was voted Best in Show at the London International Wine Fair in May.

English Wine Week runs from June 2-10. See englishwineweek.co.uk for more details.

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