Britons have voted Malbec their favourite red wine at Christmas, as 47% of those surveyed say they spend more on bottles for the festive period than at any other time of the year.
Those who took part in a Virgin Wines survey about red wine at Christmas have voted Malbec their favourite wine to drink at Christmas, closely followed by Merlot and wines from Rioja.
Virgin Wines’ Head Buyer Andrew Baker said: “Merlot, Malbec and Rioja are firm favourites all year round, but the industry tends to see a spike in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Cabernet Sauvignon over Christmas, as people look to deeper reds with a slightly higher-price point. Either way it looks like people are planning to stick with the crowd-pleasers that never fail them, rather than branch out and try something new. After the uncertainty of the last couple of years, it’s hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they know and love.”
Other data in the survey backs up this school of thought, with 91% of those surveyed saying that they drink the same wine at Christmas as they do throughout the year. Only 126 people out of the 2,000 surveyed said they only drink a specific ‘Christmas favourite’ over the festive period.
Despite this 47% said they spend more on a bottle of red for Christmas than at other times of the year, suggesting even if people are sticking with trusted favourites, they are more likely to splash the cash on a more premium bottle to celebrate the festivities.
