On-trade distributor Matthew Clark saw Prosecco sales more than double over the festive period.
Matthew Clark lorry
Between October and December 2013, Matthew Clark saw a 53% increase in sales of the Italian sparkling wine when compared to the same period in 2012.
This meant the Prosecco category was responsible for 73% of Matthew Clark's total sparkling wine sales (excluding Champagne) over the Christmas period.
Although Christmas showed the biggest sales spike, the sparkling category increased by over 30% throughout the year (MAT to September 30, 2013) outperforming the market which grew by 6.2% (MAT to October 5, 2013).
More niche sparkling wines also contributed to the growth, with English sparkling wine sales volumes up 310%, following a deal signed last April with Kent producer Chapel Down.
Simon Jerrome, purchasing director at Matthew Clark, said: "The huge success in the sparkling category, particularly Prosecco, demonstrates the continued thirst for sparkling wines which can deliver on value and quality, and echoes a trend which we are seeing across the UK market, and we are delighted to this reflected in such a significant growth at Matthew Clark.
"We take great pride in being able to provide our customers with a wine offering that can be tailored to their outlet, and it's great to see sparkling wines from our smaller regions get a chance to shine too - with English and even Portuguese sparkling posting impressive growth figures, we are looking forward to helping our customers grow their sparkling sales even more throughout 2014."