UK | As English Wine Week gets underway and the England team is back on the TVs for the World Cup, Waitrose reported a major surge in sales across English wine.
This retail boom has been fuelled by a combination of local loyalty and the 'buy British' trend, alongside a significant leap in premium wine quality, partly driven by shifting global temperatures.
Britain's wine industry has boomed in production, with WineGB declaring 2025 an exceptional year (the harvest is up a staggering 39 percent year on year).
Emma Penman, English Wine Buyer at Waitrose, said that locality has become a major driving force for Waitrose shoppers, with people increasingly looking to buy English wines.
“We see a real sweet spot where sales spike within a 20-mile radius of the vineyard. A brilliant example is Camel Valley Cornwall Brut; our Truro store is just 25 miles away from the vines, and it sells 2.4 times more than our second-best-selling branch,” she said.
Penman added that Waitrose customers were passionate about supporting home-grown businesses, and because English fizz can offer fantastic quality and value for money compared to other traditional method sparkling wines, it's a win-win.
While the 'buy British' movement has been huge, the growing quality of English wine has also driven its significant growth.
"English sparkling is how England made our name in the wine scene, but recent brilliant vintages have truly cemented it as a top-tier fizz option. What’s exciting now is the sheer breadth of style innovation,” said Alexandra Mawson, Sparkling Wine Buyer at Waitrose.
“We’re also seeing beautiful seasonal innovations in packaging too, such as Nyetimber’s limited-edition summer Rosé, which is hitting shelves right now - it tastes like summer fruits in a glass. This gives wine lovers fantastic new options right on their doorstep."
Due to shifting global temperatures, southern England has been enjoying a climate similar to that of Champagne in the 1970s and 80s. This slightly cooler British weather means the grapes stay on the vine longer and ripen slowly, allowing them to develop deep, complex fruit flavours while retaining that vibrant, crisp acidity you need for great-quality fizz.
Mawson added that England has been producing such premium, super-quality sparkling wine right now, the best of which absolutely rival Champagne and often offer better value.
In the last year, sales at Waitrose for:
- English wine sales +10 percent, driven by sparkling and rosé wines
- English sparkling +15 percent
- English rosé Wine +14 percent
The top-selling English wine in the last year at Waitrose include:
- Nyetimber Classic Cuveé +15 percent
- Chapel Down English Rosé +24 percent
- Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rose +103 percent
- Nyetimber Classic Cuveé Multi Vintage (37.5cl) 109 percent
- Gusbourne Exclusive Release +26 percent
- Gusbourne Exclusive Release Rosé +62 percent
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