Why we as a nation can't get enough of sparkling wines

We all like a bit of fizz at Christmas, in fact any time of the year! A decent bottle of cava or prosecco is a must-have at any celebration. But is that it? Does it all boil down to us wanting to pop a few corks to impress our guests, or does the modern consumer actually prefer the taste and overall experience of a premium quality sparkling wine?

A sparkling wine is not just for Christmas these days..

Whether you prefer a prosecco or a cava, there's something about all those bubbles that we find very tempting. As UK sales of sparkling wines increase year on year, it would appear it's not just the main brands that we are prepared to try either. Consumers are now turning to lesser known drinks, and new brands in an attempt to satisfy their insatiable appetite for an alcoholic beverage that creates a real sense of occasion.

Sparkling wine consumption is on the rise - with the UK and Italy leading the way

So why are we so into the sparkling stuff?

Well, sparkling wines are a cheaper alternative to champagne for sure, but it's the entire experience of getting the wine bucket out, popping a cork and slowly pouring it into your fine cut-glass wine glasses in front of your friends and family, that makes it such a popular choice.

Different flavours and twists, combined with clever marketing create a real experience

As with gin, distilleries are now experimenting with unusual flavours of sparkling wine and with colours too - to excite the consumer and to get them to buy into their brand. This has had an influence on the popularity of prosecco in particular and not only for drinking at home, but to give away as a gift to the people that we know. Whether you want bone-dry, slightly sweet, infused with herbs, red, white, blue or even pink, a single vintage or a combination, it's all out there, cleverly marketed, enticingly packaged and competitively priced.

A bit of sparkling luxury from Threshers

The drinks off-licence Threshers is now selling a range of sparkling wines through its new eCommerce website at www.threshers.co.uk. If you want to give sparkling wine a go this Christmas or when a special occasion, it's definitely worth a visit.