Restaurant group, D&D, has revealed that London’s wine drinkers are looking for ever-higher quality, while it is Leeds which has the taste for ‘bubbles’. D&D sells over half a million bottles of wine in its UK restaurants each year has analysed its latest sales information and gathered customer feedback from its sommeliers and wine shop managers, and reports the following trends:
Londoners are increasingly inclined to spend more to try higher quality wines.
Average bottle spend continues to rise across D&D London restaurants, reflecting diners’ growing enthusiasm for trying higher quality wines. The average bottle spend across all D&D London restaurants was up by 6.5% over the key December trading period last year, compared with the same month in 2012. Restaurants including Angler, Orrery, Butler’s Wharf Chophouse, Launceston Place and Bluebird all reported more than a 10% rise in average bottle spend over the past year – the result of guest’s wine choices and not price increases.
Celebrate at Bluebird Restaurant on the King’s Road
The proportion of Champagne and sparkling wine sold at Bluebird is now higher than at any other D&D restaurant in London, making up 33% of all wine sold there. This reflects its continued reputation as the place to go in West London for celebrations.
Bubbles not bitter in Leeds
Sales of champagne and sparkling wine at D&D’s Leeds restaurants are proportionally higher than at any of the London restaurants. 37% of all wine sales at Crafthouse and Angelica in the new Trinity Leeds centre are of champagne and sparkling wine. In line with the national trend, Prosecco is increasingly popular, but it is well-known brands such as Veuve Cliquot, Moet & Chandon, Laurent Perrier Rosé and house champagne, Devaux, which are the most popular choices for important celebrations.
Londoners are increasingly prepared to experiment and explore lesser-known wine regions
Retail sales at New Street Wine Shop show that guests are increasingly prepared to buy bottles from lesser-known wine countries such as Croatia, Turkey and Armenia, to try at home. This summer’s football World Cup is expected to further boost sales of already popular Brazilian wines.
Love Wine
D&D London launched its annual Love Wine list on Valentine’s Day. The majority of its UK restaurants are taking part and have reduced the prices of some of their favourite wines to make them more accessible for guests to try. The full 2014 Love Wine list includes more wines than ever before, with selections from under £20 to £3,900 for a jeroboam of the 1978 vintage of world famous Petrus from Bordeaux.
Pay a little more: try something better
Olivier Marie, respected head sommelier at Coq d’Argent, and winner of the 2011 Imbibe Wine List of the Year competition, said: “Our guests are increasingly knowledgeable about wine so these days they are more likely to want to pay a little more to try something better and expand their palate. I also have no hesitation in putting more obscure wines on the list because people are really keen to discover new regions and producers.”
Claudio Martins, manager, New Street Wine Shop, said: “We are definitely finding that customers are getting more curious and adventurous, so I am increasingly selling wines from lesser-known wine countries like Brazil, Turkey and Uruguay.”
D&D LONDON
Set up in 2006, D&D LONDON owns and operates 34 of the leading restaurants in London, Paris, New York and Tokyo. With the addition of a successful new boutique hotel, South Place in 2012, D&D LONDON is regarded as one the leading hospitality companies in the world.
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