Half of Brits exaggerate wine knowledge

By James Bayley

Published: 22 December, 2023

New research commissioned by glass manufacturer and bottler Encirc has revealed almost half of Brits (45%) lie about their wine knowledge at the dinner table.

The survey, which was conducted by Censuswide with 2,001 nationally representative wine consumers, found that 41% of drinkers bought a wine based on whether it had a nice-looking label, despite more than a quarter (26%) spending more than £26 on a bottle of wine on average during Christmas.

Away from the glaring spotlight of the dinner table, 22% admitted in the survey that they can only tell the difference between red, white and rosé wines, but twice as many (44%) claim they can taste the difference between different grapes and variations of wine.

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The research also found that 34% of Brits have felt intimidated by someone else's wine knowledge.

Madalena Moreira, oenologist for Encirc, which is responsible for bottling 40% of the wines consumed in the UK, said: “When it comes to wine knowledge, everyone wants to show off around the dinner table, but in reality, most are bluffing.

“While most people believe you have to have red wine with your Christmas turkey, that really is a myth. A rich white wine can go just as well! My advice this Christmas would be if you’re unsure, just go back to what you know. If it tastes nice, you’re on to a winner.”

In terms of demographics, the survey also hinted that it’s both male and Gen Z wine drinkers who are the biggest frauds. More than half (51%) of men admit to regularly lying about their wine knowledge and two-thirds (67%) of Gen Z wine drinkers say they are frequent somme-liars.

Other findings show that red wine is top of the tree when it comes to festive drinks this Christmas with 42% drinking a glass with their turkey dinner, white wine comes in second (28%) and a fifth (20%) will opt for rosé.

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