'Wine more popular than beer by 2039'

Oct 12 2007 by Steffan Rhys, Western Mail

WELSH beer drinkers are set to call time on the pint within a generation, according to new research published today.

As figures show general alcohol consumption has fallen for a second successive year, 2039 has been set as the year that Welsh pubs will see more men quaffing wine than downing pints.

And as year-on-year sales of wine continue to climb, the French Wines Report claims that 60% of Welshmen now admit to having just the one pint at the beginning of an evening, before moving on to a glass of wine or two.

While the report’s findings were yesterday ridiculed by the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), some Welsh brewers said wine sales were rising alongside sales of specialist ales, suggesting that the real losers could be the mass-produced lagers.

Of the 1,000 regular male pub goers questioned for the report, 82% claimed the gassy, bloated feeling after a beer put them off a second or third pint;

72% preferred to share a bottle of wine between friends rather than taking it in turns to buy rounds of beer;

59% said the range of wines on offer in Welsh pubs often outshone the beer choices; and

67% of men admit they are likely to drink less beer than wine in future.

The report’s authors claim the findings are reflected in the change in pub decor, from the traditional pump handles, beer mats and bar towels, to blackboards chalked up with wines and tasting notes.

They also cite the finding that 75% of men said they would rather choose from a food menu of lighter options, like mezze and tapas, rather than pie and chips.

BBC Saturday Kitchen wine guru Olly Smith said, “The news that Wales is increasingly a nation of wine drinkers may seem surprising, but in reality it’s been gathering pace for some time.

“These days it’s much more common to sip wine with a meal than beer.

“This is partly to do with the influence of the European lifestyle, pouring wine to share among friends with a few nibbles.

“But the tastes of the Welsh are also diversifying as the snobbery previously associated with wine is banished forever and the continental approach continues to flourish.

“The lager lads of the 1990s, immortalised by Gary and Tony in Men Behaving Badly, have evolved into a new breed whose tastebuds hanker after more options.”

But James Daley of Camra said, “I see this as a load of rubbish.

“It’s the typical thing the French Wines Report would come out with.

“We’ve got 35 real ale breweries in Wales and more coming all the time.

“The Great Welsh Beer and Cider Festival in Cardiff City Hall attracts 5,000 people and next year is moving to the Cardiff International Arena because it needs a bigger venue.

“The Welsh beer industry is booming.

“What is happening is people do not want something mass produced in Burton-upon-Trent, they want a local drink.

“So they might be ditching the national brands and wanting something like Blorenge from Abergavenny.”

Simon Buckley, a descendant of one of Wales’ oldest brewing families who runs Llandeilo’s Evan Evans brewery, said, “The consumer is becoming a more discerning consumer and more wine is being drunk in the marketplace at the moment but more and more high quality specialist premium ale is also being drunk. They are two parallel growth markets.

“We are seeing significant year-on-year growth at the forefront of specialist beer brewers in Wales and we have plans to expand.”

Mr Buckley said the figures were more likely to suggest people were turning their backs on mass produced lagers, sales of which will fall by a further 8% within the next five years, according to a report in August by research group Mintel.

“That has already been shown in that many of the larger breweries are looking to us to support their brands because they have lost the expertise in producing high quality beers,” he said.

The news that Wales is increasingly a nation of wine drinkers may seem surprising