Wine is the preferred alcoholic beverage in the UK, a Third Country to all intents and purpose

Only yesterday the European Commission made it official, but with the exit from the European Union on January 1, 2021, Great Britain is now a Third Country, and therefore, by virtue of the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom on trade and cooperation - which is provisionally applied pending its ratification - the promotion actions aimed at the British market, in the framework of the measure CMO wine Third Countries, can be included in the national support program (SNP) to the wine sector. The official confirmation of the European Commission comes after the request for clarifications made by the Ministry of Agricultural Policies, and thus gives the green light to Italian companies that, after the drop in 2020, need to resume the path of growth across the Channel, overcoming the new obstacles that stand between wineries and British consumers.
According to a survey by YouGov published by Wine Drinkers UK, wine is the favorite alcoholic beverage, indicated by 32% of adults, ahead of beer and spirits, both with 25% of preferences. A popularity that, despite the closures of bars and restaurants, in the three lockdowns decided by London, has even grown, together with domestic consumption. One consumer out of four (24%) said spending on wine purchases to drink at home has increased in the first lockdown, even by more than 30% for 5% of them. The areas with the largest average increases in wine spending are London and the West Midlands. Despite its status as the most popular beverage, tax increases on wine (39%) over the past decade have far outpaced those on beer (16%) and spirits (27%). Yet, only 4% of those surveyed could correctly answer the question of what the tax burden was on a £5 bottle of wine, or 61% (83 cents VAT and £2.23 tax).
The survey also shows that wine is the preferred alcoholic beverage for 43% of women and 21% of men, and it owes a good part of its popularity to over 35, while beer and spirits are better among young people. A myth falls, the one that wants London to be the hub of wine lovers: actually, the area of Great Britain where wine is more popular is the South West of the country (39%), but also in the East (34%) it enjoys a higher popularity than the City (32%), ahead of only the South East (29%). In terms of types, dry whites, such as Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc, chosen by 41% of wine lovers, have the primacy of preferences. Full bodied reds, such as Malbec and Shiraz, take second place, with 39%, with the ever popular Prosecco in third place, at 30%. However, there are differences within Britain itself, even in preferences. While dry white is universally popular, consumers in Scotland (46%) and the North West (48%) are more likely to choose it, while those in the South West (50%) and London (44% ) are generally more likely to opt for a full-bodied red.