Lovely Bubbly! Prosecco Sales Soar As Middle Classes Binge On Giant Bottles
Prosecco seems to be THE drink of choice for special occasions, as sales figures show a booming trade in the sparkling alternative to Champagne.
A middle-class rush for the huge 1.5 litre magnums has led to a whopping 140% increase on the giant bottles sold this year.
A staggering 719,000 mega-bottles were bought in 2016, compared to 297,000 sold in 2014.
The huge increase comes at a cost for Champagne, with only 51,000 magnums sold over the same period.
Cheaper alternative: Sales of Prosecco are booming (Rex)
It is thought that middle class drinkers are buying Prosecco magnums in droves for BBQs or dinner parties with pals.
However, the volume of the magnums - which contain twice the amount of liquid as regular bottles - is thought to be fuelling binge drinking.
Niamh Fitzgerald, an alcohol lecturer at the University of Stirling, said: “It is always more difficult for people to measure alcohol units at home. And if the bigger the bottle, the harder this gets.
"In the same way as giant wine glasses encourage people to drink more, over-sized wine bottles can mean people are binge drinking without realising.”
Binge: Magnums of the drink are proving increasingly popular (M&S)
Katherine Barnes, director of the Institute of Alcohol Studies, added: “People think nothing of throwing a bottle of wine in their shopping basket along with bread and milk.
“However alcohol-related liver disease deaths are increasing and retailers promoting giant wine bottles are contributing to this.”
Government guidelines advise people to spread the recommended 14 units of alcohol per week over several days, rather than downing glasses on one or two nights.
Bottles of Prosecco and Cava can be bought in supermarkets for less than £10.
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