Monday 1 February 2016

Port Becomes UK’s Fastest Growing Fortified Wine

New figures have shown the Ideal Wine Company team that Port became the UK’s fastest growing fortified wine category in 2015.

Port wine


Port is a unique style of fortified wine, which uses grapes that are grown exclusively in the Douro Valley region of Northern Portugal. Port tends to be a sweet red wine which is often served with dessert, although producers also make dry, semi-dry and even white varietals as well.

Like Champagne, the use of the word ‘Port’ for wine products is regulated around the world. For example in the European Union, the label ‘Port’ is safeguarded by Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, which are designed to shield the reputation of specific regional foods and drinks. Use of the word ‘Port’ isn’t regulated in the US, although three producers in the Napa Valley region of California recently agreed to stop using it on their wine labels.


Growing category


Online publication The Drinks Business recently reported that Port became Britain’s fastest growing category of fortified wine last year. Figures from Nielsen, a global information and measurement company, indicate that Port wine sales equalled more than £79 million in 2015.

Therefore, UK Port wine sales eclipsed figures for other styles of fortified wine such as Madeira, Vermouth and Sherry last year. The Nielsen data also suggested that Port now commands the largest market share for fortified wines in the UK and that branded Ports now make up 71% of UK Port sales.

Reputable brands


The Fladgate Partnership, which owns Port brands such as Taylor’s, Fonseca and Croft, saw particularly high UK sales volumes in the famously busy Christmas trading period. Commenting on the release of these statistics, Andrew Hawes, managing director of Mentzendorff & Co, which represents The Fladgate Partnership, noted:

“Port’s 2% value growth [in 2015] was driven by its two strongest brands, with Taylor’s leading the 12 week Christmas 2015 period with a 27% off-trade value share, with the nearest competitor at 20.2%. On an MAT [moving annual total] basis Taylor’s holds a 21.8% value share with Cockburn’s [made by Symington Family Estates, one of the largest Port Companies on the planet] at 22.2%.”


Buy Fonseca Port



Fladgate Partnership Port brands such as Taylor’s and Fonseca have proved consistently popular with UK consumers for years. If you want to see why British fortified wine enthusiasts love Fonseca, why don’t you buy Fonseca's Finest 1977 Vintage Port from the Ideal Wine Company? This famous vintage boasts a rich flavour that’ll provide you with the drinking experience of a lifetime!