Great Britain is probably the world’s most important wine market. Mike Veseth from the Wine Economist discusses this statement and indicates why this statement maybe true.

Veseth writes:
“How can Great Britain (and not the United States) be the world’s most important wine market? The simple answer is that the British produce little of their own wine and import quite a lot, so just about every winemaker in the world wants to compete for British sales. The German market is large, too, but it’s a cut-throat pricing environment with emphasis on discounted price. The American market is big, but it is tough for international winemakers to compete with American wines at most segments of the market (especially for popularly priced branded varietal wines).

A slightly more complex answer is that entry into the British market is relatively straightforward, because it is for all intents and purposes an integrated national market with one set of rules and distribution channels. The American market is a maze, with 50 (plus the District of Columbia) different sets of rules and regulations to understand and comply with plus the nightmarish “three-tier” distribution system (retail/wholesale/producer) that adds cost and increases the mark-up at each stage.” – Wine Economist

Global brands like Arniston Bay realize the importance of the UK market and extensive efforts are made to establish this brand in the UK market. In the past decade the Arniston Bay wine brand has grown subtantially in the UK market. This brand is consistently one of the top selling wines in the UK and has established itself in this market.

Arniston Bay sales increased by 21.9%, according to the latest Nielsens statistics (* AC Nielsen MAT 52 weeks total off-trade sales by volume w/e 09/08/08). This surge in sales is largely driven by the success of the brand within the impulse sector and the launch of its revolutionary, environmentally friendly packaging format, the Arniston Bay pouch.

Source: The Wine Economist