Almost 67% of wine buyers expect to spend more this Christmas than last year, according to a survey commissioned by Hallgarten & Novum Wines.

The supplier’s inaugural Festive Trends Report, based on 500 UK consumers, found that 27% intend to spend significantly more, while 43.8% expect to buy more wine than in 2025.

The findings offer encouragement for independent merchants. Almost half (46%) of premium wine buyers – those who typically spend more than £15 a bottle – plan to shop with specialists, compared with 30% of all respondents. Supermarkets remain dominant, attracting 77.8% of shoppers.

More than half (54.4%) would spend at least £26 on a special festive bottle, with £26 to £40 the most popular price bracket. Discounts are the biggest incentive to trade up overall, but premium buyers are more influenced by trusted regions and producers than by promotions.

English wine also performs strongly, with 39.2% interested in exploring or serving it over Christmas, ahead of France (36%) and Italy (35.2%). Champagne remains the leading choice for celebrations, though English sparkling wine now ranks ahead of Prosecco among premium and younger buyers.

Colin Cameron, Hallgarten’s marketing director, says: “We all know the festive period is the most important time in the calendar for the retail sector across the country to sell premium wine.”

The research was conducted with Nielsen in August 2026.