LONDON, April 24 – The UK's wine market followed 2024 with a mixture of recovery and re -formation, according to the newly released VinTur report. The year was characterized by high price sensitivity between consumers, increased dependence on wholesale wine imports, and a sharp decrease in local wine production due to harmful weather conditions. Nevertheless, the volume of consumption was generally increased slightly, and the sector continued to attract investment and expand its football base.
The UK remains one of the largest international wine importers of both size and value, although the shift in consumer behavior was reflected in import data. The total wine imports increased by 2.4 % in size to 1.26 billion liters, by recovering from low levels of 2023. However, the total value of these imports decreased by 3.7 % to 3.91 billion pounds, indicating an increasing preference for more economic sources. October imports increased dramatically in both size and value, while the packed wine decreased, indicating the transformation of importers into low -cost formats to mitigate the supply chain and financial pressure.
The average import rates decreased from 3.29 pounds per liter in 2023 to 3.10 pounds per liter in 2024. In contrast, the average consumer price raised slightly to about 16.67 pounds per liter, highlighting the breed placed on the value chain by increasing duties, inflation and other match costs. The contradiction between the low import costs and the high prices of the final users indicates that consumers have a lot of financial burden, which affects the demand in the future.
On the basis of the individual, wine consumption increased marginally to 18.2 liters per person, an altitude of 17.9 liters in 2023. While this indicates some stability or recovery, industrial analysts warn that moderation trends remain, and real consumption behavior may remain flat or retreat. Investigative studies that indicate a number of drinking occasions, especially in places of hospitality, indicate a shift towards the most selective and distinguished consumption habits.
In the local scene, the UK's wine production decreased dramatically after a record 2023 harvest of 21.6 million bottles. The harvest of 2024 is estimated at only 6 to 7 million, the continuous precipitation, the outbreak of fungal diseases, and the autumn frost. The maturity of the increasing industry has been clarified in its ability to rely on the accumulated reserves of the previous year, while the total grape quality remained high due to the longer maturity periods.
Despite this setback, the expansion of chrome cultivation continued. The Chrome area exceeded 4400 hectares by mid -2014, with more than 1,000 registered chrome and more than 221 wine factories operating throughout the UK. The total investment in the sector reached more than 80 million pounds in 2023 alone, driven by the values of increasing land and increasing international recognition of the British Wine Various wine.
France and Italy remained the main wine suppliers in the United Kingdom, despite the appearance of Chile as an important growth market, which increased wine exports to the UK by more than 17 % in both size and value. Meanwhile, the value of imports from Spain and France has decreased, indicating a shift towards suppliers who offer better price rates to value.
The wine market also witnessed a large movement in the non -alcoholic category. The wine without alcohol grew by 8 % in size, and continued in the direction that is nourished by healthy awareness and lifestyle. Meanwhile, low alcohol wine saw a decrease, indicating a stronger preference for removing total alcohol among consumers.
The report also sheds light on the upcoming structural changes, especially the planned reform of the UK alcohol system in February 2025. The new system will impose taxes on wine based on alcohol content to the closer 0.1 % of ABV, which provides complications to producers and beneficiaries, and may lead to a narrower set of products provided.
We look forward, the value of the wine market in the United Kingdom is expected to continue. IMARC Group is estimated to be at 21 billion pounds in 2024, with an annual installed growth rate expected from 3.65 % to 2033. While the growth of volume may be more modest, it is expected to focus on distinguished offers, local production and sustainability to form the future direction of the market.
British wine producers, especially those who focus on sparkling wines, remain essential for the future of industry. With the Chrome Chrome region expected to grow to 7600 hectares by 2032, it is expected that local production will reach 29 million bottles annually, and the UK's wine sector will put himself a major player not only in consumption, but increasingly in high -quality production.