Vote in our Wine Poll

Every month we ask a topical question to either test your knowledge or seek your opinion. To take part in this month's poll simply click on one of the multi-choice answers on the poll on the right hand side of this page. The latest results will be revealed.

Previous Poll Results

How confident are you when it comes to choosing wine?

Poll ran February 2010

Comment by Chris Scott:
While we originally asked this question in January 2008, I was always surprised by the number of people who felt at ease with wine. But the much larger sample of 276 (89 in 2008) a more expected result occurred with less people totally at ease and more comfortable with wine and being able to get by.

Luckily only 15% are not confident at all leaving it to someone else. Thankfully that means 85% get by and pick their own wine. Confidence is a state of mind. I am confident when choosing wine. Not because I know what every wine on the list will taste like, but because I often pick a wine I am unsure of, simply to try it. You might say I'm confident in my ignorance. But this is what wine is about. While many claim to, few actually know a lot about wine, it is a journey and the fun bit is the discovery.

The poll had 276 entries

Do you believe that wine in moderation is healthier than other alcoholic drinks?

Poll ran January 2010

Comment by Chris Scott:
The result is a strong endorsement for the health effects of wine, the actual picture is a bit murkier than many think. While it is true that some wines have been associated with being healthy, some of the benefits are associated with alcohol itself, and this is the problem. As the 16th century Paracelsus a Swiss physician is quoted

“Wine is a food, a medicine, and a poison – it’s just a question of dose.”

The healthy effects wine has over beer and spirit are all associated with red wines which contain procyanidins, resveratrol and antioxidants. All are associated with dark tannic red wines. Needless to say wine is not as healthy as many people think but in moderation red wine can help, particulalry with heart disease. My favourite quote, although tongue in cheek, was from Richard Selley, who said that if no wine is good for you, but one glass is better and 2 is the best, then 3 must be the same as 1, and 4 glasses must be tee total. This is clearly not true, but it highlights that there is disagreement on what is healthy for you. For example Professor Roger Corder considers the healthy amount of red wine to be above the government guidelines which are 21 units for men and 14 for women.

The poll had 72 entries

What type of sparkling wine will you be mostly be drinking to celebrate Christmas?

Poll ran December 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:
This is the second time we have asked the question What type of sparkling wine will you be mostly be drinking to celebrate Christmas? Its hard to imagine that at the end of 2008 when we were all thinking we were cutting back heavily, we still thought we would be drinking more Champange than the end of 2009. Champagne saw a relative drop of 5% to 57% of people quaffing the French stuff. The big winner was Prosecco gaining 4%. But the biggest winner was those who won't be drinking fizz at all. Rising from 6% in 2008 to 13% in 2009. What a shame. Fizz is a great drink. Even the relatively simply tank method used in Prosecco still makes for light fun wines. But for a serious wine I prefer wines made to the traditional method, such as Cava, Champagne and most New World producers.

The end of last year I predicted that 2010 won't see a return to normal growth but would be relatively flat until the 2012 Olympic bump kicks in. I still hold by this. In our business we have held up exceptionally well over the course of the recession. But we are still predicting a roughly flat year compared to 2009. Roll on the Olympics!

* You may note that in 2009 we did not ask if people where drinking Australian bubbles. This was due to such a low responce in 2008. The result from 2008 can be added to Other Sparkling Wines to note that they fell from 14% to 10%.

The poll had 119 entries

This Christmas how will you be celebrating with work colleagues?

Poll ran November 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

With 24% of our poll celebrating Christmas as they have in the past or more lavishly it leaves a massive 76% of British employees having a more modest event, if at all. 22% say they are not having a Christmas party and 16% are simply off to the pub for a pint or two. The rest are partying but on a smaller scale than previously.

In our business we have noticed a decrease in corporate entertaining and Christmas is significantly down from last year as budgets are cut. But, from the wine industry's perspective, it may not mean total volumes are down. It’s just that spending has shifted to more modest and more cost effective purchasing.

Unlike many politicians, I am not expecting much of a pickup in 2011. I doubt if too many businesses will be relaxing the purse strings early next year when budgets are set. 2012 and the arrival of the Olympics in the UK, I think will be the next big turn up for the wine industry and the events industry followed by the inevitable post Olympic hangover in 2013.

We are still in for a rollercoaster ride in the wine industry and the corporate events market for the next couple of years.

The poll had 147 entries

The government is planning a change in legislation to allow smaller sample-size measures of wine. Is this:

Poll ran October 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:
The change in size is a boon for UK foodies with 35% who thought the change would be good as they can sample different wines throughout their meal. A range of sizes with a small snifter of dessert wine at the end is a great way to drink a range of interesting wines matched to a meal. Who at the end of a meal wants a 125ml glass of dessert wine? But a 50ml sample looks pretty good! So perhaps the big winner from smaller sized glasses could be dessert wines and ports? On the downside it can add cost, more wines by the glass mean more work for staff, and more equipment to keep wine that's left in the bottle fresh. But the likes of Selfridges' Wonder Bar, use a self service wine jukebox that dispenses wine in sample sizes. The idea is to let drinkers purchase samples of different wines including very high end wines that they couldn't normally afford to buy by the bottle. Its a concept that could well catch on in wine bars rather than retail outlets.

The smallest group of 16% thought it was a bad idea because retailers could start charging for samples. I thought more people would be concerned by this, but paying for samples is not a bad thing. I taste an awful lot more than I buy so if I’m at a winery I‘m happy to pay a small fee, after all they are running a business. I suspect though the majority of retailers will continue to offer free samples to promote key lines they are trying to sell. Its the bar concept that will benefit the most from the change in law.

How many bottles do you regularly purchase when shopping for wine?

Poll ran September 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:
As you can imagine, most people buy wine on the spur of the moment, with 58% of people buying 1-2 bottles at a time. In fact most people, 82% in our poll, buy no more than 4 bottles at a time. This is a shame if you are buying 1-4 bottles you are either buying from the supermarket or the high street. Now that’s not a bad place to buy but it is exceedingly limited in terms of choice. You're not going to uncover a Vin Santo in Threshers or anything other than the main brands. It’s a bit like getting a DVD from Blockbuster. Sure you can get the latest release but any old art house movie is simply unavailable. For true experimentation you need to search and buy wines in mixed cases or by the case of 12 from the internet or a wine club. There are very few small independents, (and even fewer when I look around the high streets where I live), likely to have something really interesting. It is mass brands and main lines. And let’s face it one £5 Shiraz from Oz is remarkably similar to another £5 Shiraz from Oz.

The poll had 115 entries

Does the quality of wine coverage influence your choice of Sunday newspaper?

Poll ran Aug 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:
It would appear that only 13% of voters consider wine coverage in newspapers as an important factor in choosing a paper and only 3% consider it essential.

In our July 2009 poll 23% said that wine columns in the weekend papers and food & wine magazines are a great source of information when buying wines. But digging deeper it seems that while people get ideas on different wines to try from reading a wine columns, only a few admit to being influenced by this when choosing which newspaper to buy.  I'm not entirely sure this is true. The newspaper you read says a lot about who you are as a person. A typical reader of The Sun is less likely to be interested in the latest Bordeaux en primeur campaign than, say, a Financial Times reader. As such the paper dictates the audience and the wine critic recommends wines likely to appeal to its readership. The critic's own personal tastes are less important than making sure the wines chosen are relevant to the audience.

The poll had 147 entries

Which one of the following is most useful when buying wine?

Poll ran July 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

This week’s Spotlight is looking at the results from our wine poll, The question was which one of the following is most useful when buying wines.

A good wine recommendation source is essential when choosing wine and helps to avoid the poor wines. Whether you give yourself over to someone famous with lots of knowledge or your mate down the road who likes to experiment, it's important you share a similar palate. If they like big tannic monsters and you prefer softer rounded wines, then you need to question their suitability to recommend wines for you. The advantage of following media types in wine recommendations is that they have tried a massive range of wines and if their tastes are similar to yours you can experiment with confidence.

In our poll most people said that recommendations from friends are the most important with 65% preferring to rely on friends against 23% who use wine columns in weekend newspapers and food & wine magazines. Given that many people drink wine with friends it is not surprising that this is the most important. But with 23% who say wine columns are important, it certainly puts a lot of power in the hands of wine writers.

Online websites came in at 8% which is fairly low given the vast array of wine websites and blogs out there. The lowest score was for published wine guide books at 4% which perhaps appeal to more hardened wine enthusisasts. A large percentage of our poll results come from our wine tasting business ThirtyFifty. These people are enthusiastic and enjoy wine but most are at the beginning of their journey into wine.

From my point of view, blogs are an excellent source of cost effective information if you agree with the writers palate, the downside is they may be tasting wines that you don’t normally have access to. Ultimately if you want a considered recommendation, you need to buy a book, but the right book is hard to find. You could buy a book that covers one country or region in detail or choose a book that aligns with your shopping habits, after all there is little point in buying a wine recommendation book if you will never find the wines.

At the end of the day, one person’s advice is as good as another’s if you buy wines from supermarkets or major wine merchants but for truly unusual wines you need a book or an expert to guide you.

The poll had 168 entries

Would you buy an expensive wine in a lightweight bottle?

Poll ran June 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:
The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has been working with UK supermarkets since 2007 to reduce the average weight of wine bottles and encourage the use of lightweight bottles. The results of this month's poll compared with the same poll run in October 2007 show that in general wine drinkers have not noticed the small but important step towards improving the sustainability of wine through packaging.

Th poll shows most people are not aware of the different weights of wine bottles with 51% of respondents vs 55% in October 2007. Thankfully those who do notice, at 34% (29% Oct 07), realise that lighter bottles are more environmentally friendly. Unfortunately 12% thought a lighter bottle would detract from the quality of the wine, up from 6% in 2007, but only 4% are worried about the bottle breaking vs 10% the last time the poll ran. So,overall its not a big issue for consumers and this should mean that lightweight bottles will gain consumer acceptance, without them even realising.

For more information on the environmental aspects of wine bottles click here.

The poll had 272 entries

In general are you a white wine, red wine or rose wine drinker?

Poll ran May 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

Wow, only 9% prefer beer, spirits or other drinks. That is incredibly low but you must remember, we are polling people who have visited our site or attended a wine tasting so they are already showing a strong interest in wine.

Of the three wine categories, red wine dominates at 62%, followed by white at 22% and only 6% have rose as their preferred tipple. Many consider red as a more serious wine but I'm surprised it is so high given we polled people during a fairly good spell of weather. As I write this and the sun is baking down in London, I have a strong preference for whites and bubbles. I consider myself to be colour agnostic and the occasion defines my preference. Certainly in winter on a dark stormy night I'd be enjoying a glass of red. Next time we run this poll we will do it in winter and see if red wine is any higher and if the season makes a difference to our colour preferences.

The poll had 140 entries

In the current economic climate are you cutting back or spending more on wine?

Poll ran April 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

The last time we asked this question in October last year, the financial recession was starting to result in redundancies from the banks in the city. Hopefully with the bottom coming into view now, we ask how has your consumption of wine has changed.

The net difference between those spending more and those spending less in March 2009 is 4% spending less. This is the same difference as in October 2008.

The big change has been in the number of people cutting back, in October 08 we had only 5% of people saying they are cutting back on their spend, but in March 09 this is up to 17%. There is also a big swing in response to the statement 'spending the same' with much fewer people agreeing, indicating people are changing their buying behaviour. Cutting back on the amount of wine drunk, at 12% up from 10%, and spending more, up from 9% now at 13%, are relatively small shifts.

The poll had 139 entries

Do you recycle your wine bottles?

Poll ran March 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

Recycling rates in the UK are not anywhere near as high as this poll would indicate, suggesting that wine drinkers are perhaps more environmentally aware than average, with 96% saying they recycle their glass. Sadly though, with 70% mixing glass, the value off the recycled material is very low. This compares to 26% who sort at a bottle bank or put out sorted glass for collection.

The poll had 156 entries

The UK Government advises drinking no more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day for men and 2-3 units for women. A unit is 8g of alcohol. Would you say you regularly?

Poll ran February 2009

Comment by Chris Scott:

We ran this poll originally in November 2007 with a different set of people polled but of a similar demographic profile. Since then there has been quite a bit of press coverage on alcohol consumption and education about the effects of alcohol on our health. The results have been quite stable in terms of those who aren't sure about what counts as a unit, rising only slightly from 2% to 3% and the number of people not worrying about it at 14%. While those who drink about the same amount has fallen from 21% to 25%. But the big change has been in those who use claim to be drinking less - rising from 26% to 38% and those drinking more - falling from 32% to 24%. You have to wonder whether its the result of the government campaign and media coverage or the credit crunch which is having a sobering effect on people's drinking habits.

Assuming the former, this result implies that the work carried out by the industry and the health lobby has resulted in improvement of around 9% of the population who are drinking less or drinking in line with the government guidelines.

For more information on sensible drinking levels click here.

What is your favourite food and wine match?

Poll ran January 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:

40% of people polled enjoy cheese as the best food match for wine. But while protein in cheese can cut through the tannins in red wine, helping it appear softer, it is usually white wines that go best with cheese. With 28% quite happy to drink their wine with any food perhaps the most important aspect of food and wine matching is to make sure you like the wine and food first, then you are likely to enjoy the combination. Reds with steaks and stews are a great combination, though at 17%, quite a bit lower than expected. While seafood with elegant whites is probably my favourite, only 9% agreed. Chocolate received the lowest vote at 6%, not surprisingly as it is considered a very difficult combination. But, if you get it right, it can be brilliant. My best chocolate match is a fruity port with a high quality milk chocolate.

The poll had 78 entries

What kind of sparkling wine will you be mostly be drinking to celebrate Christmas?

Poll ran December 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:

A massive 62% of those polled were planning to drink Champagne this Christmas, the peak season for Champagne consumption. Whether they did drink it is another matter. Cava was number two at 11% and goes to show its strong appeal and value for money. Prosecco at 7% is catching Cava, not too surprising given this fashionable, north Italian sparkler has been growing in strength in the UK over the last couple of years. 6% said they won’t be drinking fizz which is probably because they don’t like sparkling wines, remember everybody who entered this quiz was either at a wine tasting or on a wine website, so they are all wine drinkers.

I am a bit surprised by just 3% for Australia. Given Australia's strong number one position in the UK and the popularity of Jacobs Creek and Hardys fizz I expected Australia to have polled higher. Other sparkling wines came in at 11%, quite high and good news for the wide range of sparkling producers around the world. As mentioned for the poll on the current economic climate, the value of this poll question will be next year when we compare results.

The poll had 81 entries

How often do you drink port?

Poll ran November 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
It is a common mistake to assume port is a man's drink, after all it is a strong heady mix of wine and brandy. But the results of this months poll show port is drunk by 70% of our respondents and 69% of females. Looking at it by gender, men are more likley to drink port on special occasions, 37% for men and 29% for women, while women are more likley to drink port only at Christmas time with 26% for women versus 20% for men. Surprisingly only 31% of women never drink port and 27% of men, not far behind.

It would appear that most of us like the odd drop of port with only 15% being regular drinkers, with men needing less of an excuse to open a bottle than women!

This poll had 158 entries

In the current economic climate are you cutting back or spending more on wine?

Poll ran October 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
 It is clear that 76% have not changed their approach to wine given the current economic uncertainty`. 15% are cutting back in either volume or quality of the wine they are drinking but unusually 9% are spending more on wine. I think the value for this type of question is not as a one off, but asked regularly to get a trend,  we will ask this question again early next year.

This poll had 170 entries

Which glass size would you prefer to be served in a pub?

Poll ran September 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
Many pubs often have two sizes - large 250ml and small 125ml. It would appear that most people would prefer the middle ground of 175ml. Obviously the drinks trade would prefer to sell more wine than less, and a 175ml rather than 250ml will decrease the transaction size and increase the cost of sales and, most likely, decrease the amount that customers spend.

My preferred size is 175ml in a 250ml glass! Rather than have the glass filled to the brim, I like to swirl the wine as part of my enjoyment of wine. You certainly can't do this in a normal glass that is filled right to the top.

This poll had 183 entries

Which one of the following do you mostly drink?

Poll ran Aug 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
According to our poll, Australia and France slug it out for dominance in the UK market, where typically France takes the lead at restaurants while Australia is big in the shops and pub market. Italy and Spain are significantly behind France and Australia, so while Italy usually produces at least as much wine as France less ends up in the UK. But recent popularity of Pinot Grigio in the UK must have given a lift in sales in the last couple of years.

Australia’s dominance in the UK is phenomenal seeing that it produces significantly less wine than France. In fact, Bordeaux produces more wine than the whole of Australia, and with export sales from Australia dropping due to the lack of grapes associated with the devastating drought that has struck Australia over the last couple of years, may be there's an opportunity for France to regain the lead from Australia.

The poll had 99 entries.

How many units of alcohol can men and women drink per week to stay within sensible drinking guidelines?

Poll ran July 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
With 224 people polled, a massive 74% of people knew that the government guidelines for sensible drinking of alcohol in the UK are 14 units per week for women and 21 units for men. Personally I am surprised how many people got it right, 14 and 21 units are not the easiest to remember. But it does look like we are getting the message, with 61% from last month knowing that on average there are three units of alcohol in a glass of wine. We do appear to know how much is in a glass and how much to drink.  The question is do we pay any attention to these numbers? I am certainly aware of the limits but I am the first to say I don’t monitor my consumption and while I’m probably not wildly away from the guidelines, I am pretty confident I don’t always stay within them.

How many units in a 250ml glass of wine?

Poll ran June 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
After a big advertising campaign by the UK government to raise awareness of the different alcohol units, we decided to ask people how many units in a 250ml glass of wine. The correct answer depends upon the alcohol level of the wine. Between 8% and 16% ABV the number of units ranges between 2 and 4. However the most common measure, and the amount the government is promoting, is 3 units which is correct for a wine with 12% alcohol. With 61% correct, this is an excellent result and indicates that perhaps the campaign is working and the message is getting through.

The poll had 152 entries.

Which one of the following do you prefer to drink when going out?

Poll ran May 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
Wine and beer are clearly the two most popular drinks with most people preferring to drink wine when they are out. This is not surprising given the poll was run on a wine website and at wine tastings. But even so wine still dominates the drinks business. Cider is considerably less than I had expected, given the huge push that cider producers have been undertaking and when you consider that most pubs have cider on tap. As a non-spirits drinker, apart from the odd whisky and cognac, I was quite surprised by the level of spirit and cocktail drinkers out there, but this category does include a wide range of drinks so maybe it is to be expected.

The poll had 150 entries.

Wine is mainly sold in 750ml bottles but some producers are putting wine in 500ml bottles to share between two. Do you think smaller bottles are a good idea?

Poll ran April 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
This poll was run after a number of health groups suggested that the sensible bottle size for two people was 500ml rather than the normal 750ml. The results indicate the largest group see no use for smaller bottles, however 55% said they would buy them at least occasionally if not regularly.

For me the biggest issue is a reduction of choice. Would smaller bottles exist alongside larger bottles or would a different range of wines exist for smaller bottles. This was not considered a issue with only 6% of those polled saying they were not worried.

When the poll was asked to small groups there was a lot of bravado that smaller bottles had no use. Some said they would purchase them occasionally as they often found 750ml was not enough for two and they could drink two 500ml bottles instead! Other anecdotal comments were that a 500ml bottle of each of white and red would suit a couple better when they don't like the same wine as their partner.

All in all, I don't think that offering smaller bottles will make much difference to consumption. Some will drink more because of it, while others will drink less. The last point I would like to make is that even if all the wine is not finished off in one evening, it is possible to leave the remaining wine in the bottle using a gadget to preserve wine, such as a Vacuvin pump or alternative method.

The poll had 270 entries.

Fairtrade wine is being made in Chile, Argentina and South Africa. If it was available alongside other wines would you buy it?

Poll ran March 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
The biggest category is "If I had the choice I would buy it, but I haven’t seen Fairtrade wine on the shelves" I think this represents a group of people who have a moral twinge but not enough to do anything about it. A quick survey of supermarkets shows that while Fairtrade wines are not common on the shelves they are about. My local Tesco superstore had three Fairtrade wines. Fairtrade is available if people go looking but I agree they are hard to find.

Only 1% are non-believers of Fairtrade. In the context of wine this is surprising, when you consider that Fairtrade is supposed to be "a better deal for third world producers" but Fairtrade wines come mainly from Argentina and South Africa which I have never thought of as third world countries and, while there are levels of deprivation in Chile, it too is not really third world.

Finally I doubt the 31% of people who said they bought fairtrade regularly! If this was true surely there would be more than 3 Fairtrade wines at my local Tesco? All in all I think the poll says more about how people think they should behave rather than what they actually do.

The poll had 83 entries.

The green debate and climate change are hot topics in the wine industry. Have you changed the way you buy wine to help reduce your carbon footprint?

Poll ran February 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
With 57% of people saying they don't think about wine in relation to climate change it shows there is much work to do. Wine's CO2 foot print is 0.1% of total man made CO2 emissions. This may sound low, but wine is the canary in the mine, that is, wine will feel climate change before many other agricultural products. It is therefore essential that wine takes the lead with climate change. There is demand for this information, with 24% of people wanting to know more about the CO2 footprint in wine, it looks like education is very important and acheivable. The problem is that while many in the wine trade want to take the lead, getting internationally recognised standards to measure CO2 is slow going. But progress is being made and soon Australia, New Zealand and California will have an agreed method of measuring their CO2 footprint. This will help the 15% who already try to buy environmentally-friendly wines.

The poll had 95 entries

How confident are you when it comes to choosing wine?

Poll ran January 2008

Comment by Chris Scott:
29% of the UK wine drinkers we surveyed are comfortable buying wines, pretty good considering the given the huge and confusing array of wines available here. But another way to look at it is 71% of people want to know more or are even opting out of purchasing because it is too hard. Wine still looks like an industry that needs more consumer education.

The poll had 89 entries

When you are purchasing a bottle of wine which of the following is most important to you?

Poll ran December 2007

Comment by Chris Scott:
The results were a bit surprising, with only 6% of people saying price is the most important. This does fly in the face of the trade press. Surprisingly the brand name also accounts for only 8% with the wine being right for the occasion being the most important.

I think there is some correlation between different answers. For example many people would look at Australia as the country but it is marketed almost as brand Australia. Awards appear as the least important. I think this is partly to do with consumers not knowing which awards are important and which are not. In the UK there are three key wine awards, IWC IWSC and Decanter, but many people are probably not aware of these, let alone understand how the trophy and gold awards are dished out. I think Simon Waghorn (winemaker) best described it in the UK Wine Show 57.

The poll had 89 entries

The UK Government advises drinking no more than 3-4 units of alcohol a day for men and 2-3 units for women. A unit is 8g of alcohol. Would you say you regularly...

Poll ran November 2007

Comment by Chris Scott:
The results of the poll surprised us a little showing that over half of you are drinking at what the UK government consider to be 'sensible' or lower levels. That said 32% of you drink above the government guidelines. For more information on sensible drinking levels click here.

The poll had 94 entries

Would you buy an expensive wine in a lightweight bottle?

Poll ran October 2007

Comment by Chris Scott:
It was a surprise that 55% have never noticed the weight of a bottle, especially given that bottles range in weight from 400gr to 900g - almost 0.5Kg. But this bodes well for the trade who are trying to reduce the weight of a bottle. For more information on the environmental aspects of wine bottles click here.

The poll had 140 entries

Should alcohol units and calories be declared on the front labels of wine?

Poll ran September 2007

Comment by Chris Scott:
Surprisingly 77% want alcohol units on wine bottles and 39% are in favour of showing the calories too. With 39% also wanting calories there is definitely a case for more information on the front of wine bottles.

The poll had 62 entries

What colour is White Zinfandel?

Poll ran August 2007

Comment by Chris Scott:
The question was asked because of a news story we covered. The EU is banning the name White Zinfandel because it could mislead consumers. From our results there are 15% who are unsure the wine is in fact a rosé, however they weren't looking at a bottle of pink wine when they voted!