We’re a nation of wine lovers. Over a third of UK adults who drink alcohol name wine as their favourite tipple. What’s more, 70% of us who buy wine do so as part of a planned routine to ensure we don’t find ourselves stuck without the perfect bottle to pair with a meal or event.
UK consumers are most likely to select a still wine, with each wine drinker consuming over 13 bottles during 2022. Wine imports have also been at their highest in recent years, totalling over £3 billion in 2021 alone.
But whether you’re a regular wine drinker or just enjoy the occasional glass, the vast array of available options might leave you with a number of questions. Wine merchant House of Townend is here to answer some of your most frequently asked wine-related queries so you can focus on enjoying your glass of white, red or rosé.
Key findings
There are 1,000–10,000 monthly searches for:
• How many glasses of wine are there in a bottle?
A standard bottle of wine is usually 750ml, holding just over four medium glasses of wine.
• Is red wine good for you?
Some claim moderate intake of red wine can reduce the risk of heart disease.
There are 100–1,000 monthly searches for:
• Is Sauvignon Blanc a dry wine?
Sauvignon Blanc is typically classed as a dry wine.
• What is a rosé wine?
Rosé wine is typically produced using the maceration process – allowing the liquid to rest with the skins of red grapes for a number of hours during which the skins impart colour into the juice.
• What is the most popular red wine?
Research shows the most popular red wine is Merlot.
1. How many glasses of wine are there in a bottle? (Average monthly searches: 1,000–10,000)
A standard bottle of wine is usually 750ml, which means it holds just over four medium glasses of wine. However, the number of glasses within a standard bottle will of course depend on how large your glass is!
Wine glasses generally come in either small (125ml), medium (175ml) or large (250ml) respectively. Therefore, if you opt for a smaller glass, you could get up to six glasses full from a single bottle. If you choose a larger glass, your bottle will be empty after just three glasses.
Susie Townend from House of Townend says, “Once you’ve opened a bottle of wine to enjoy a couple of glasses, you might want to save the rest for later – but be mindful of how long the wine will retain its taste. An opened bottle of non-sparkling wine typically lasts between two and three days, so if you’re not planning to drink the whole bottle within that time, it’s best to prioritise flavour and opt for a smaller bottle.”
Wine fact file
The Maximus is the biggest bottle of wine ever made, measuring 1.34 metres tall and holding 130 litres of wine – that’s 910 glasses full!
Created to celebrate the anniversary of a Californian restaurant chain, the Maximus eventually sold for over £30,000 at auction, with all the proceeds going to a charity dedicated to solving world hunger.
2. Is red wine good for you? (Average monthly searches: 1,000 – 10,000)
Some claim that a glass of red wine can aid heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease. Although there’s limitedscientific evidence for this view, if you enjoy wine in moderation alongside tasty meals, you might see some health benefits.
The production of red wine involves fermenting whole, dark-coloured grapes – this fruit contains high levels of antioxidants that are then transferred to the drink. As a result, there are more potential links between red wine and health benefits than with any other alcoholic beverage. To get the most out of wine’s antioxidant benefits without drinking too much, limit your intake to a maximum of 14 units of alcoholspread out across a week. This equates to roughly six 175ml glasses of wine.
Red wine is also potentially linked to better mental health, with one study highlighting a correlation between sensible intake of the tipple and lower rates of depression. It’s important to note that heavy drinkers may be at a higher risk of depression, so drinking too much can have the opposite effect. A few glasses of red wine a week, however, could help to relax you and make you feel more at ease after a long day.
Susie Townend also suggests trying non-alcoholic wine, revealing “the beneficial antioxidant properties remain within the wine after the removal of the alcohol.” Studies have shown that a moderate intake of non-alcoholic red wine can reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels at a better rate than standard red wine.
Wine fact file
The view that red wine can help to improve your heart health dates back to the late 1980s when the idea of the French paradox came about.
The French paradox attributes the low incidences of heart disease among French people to their love of red wine.
The idea of the Mediterranean diet also includes the consumption of red wine alongside plenty of vegetables, fruits and wholegrains. This eating pattern correlates with a reduced risk of stroke and heart attack.
It’s unclear whether red wine plays a part in these health benefits, or whether they are attributable to a wider diet and lifestyle. But if you want to enjoy a glass or two of guilt-free red wine at the end of a long week, what better excuse than the French paradox?
3. Is Sauvignon Blanc a dry wine? (Average monthly searches: 100 – 1,000)
For a wine to be ‘dry’, it must retain less than 10g of residual sugar per litre after the fermentation process. If a wine has 30g or more of residual sugar, it is ‘sweet’, and anything in between is an ‘off-dry’ wine.
However, each person’s palate is different, so a wine one person believes to be dry may be sweet to someone else! David Archibald from House of Townend says: “Always select your wine based on your personal preferences. If you like a sweeter taste overall, opt for a Muscat or Zinfandel and if you prefer a dry wine, look for a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio”
Sauvignon Blanc is typically classed as a dry wine. Although, how dry or sweet a wine is depends on the variety of grapes used and the choices of the winemaker. A Sauvignon Blanc made using grapes from the Sancerre region of France will be very dry, with notes of green apple and freshly cut grass. A Sauvignon Blanc produced in California meanwhile often demonstrates a higher level of residual sugar.
Wine fact file
Sauvignon Blanc is the eighth most planted wine grapevariety in the world! Grown around the globe, it’s particularly dominant in the Bordeaux and the Loire Valley regions of France, California and New Zealand.
Over 275,000 acres of land support the growth of Sauvignon Blanc grape varieties. The popularity of the Sauvignon Blanc produced in the Marlborough region of New Zealand has increased dramatically in recent years. In fact, this region produces around 85% of all wine in the country!
4. What is a rosé wine? (Average monthly searches: 100–1,000)
Rosé wine gets its pink colour from a brief brush with skins of the red grapes from which the wine is produced. In order to produce red wine, the liquid must undergo a long fermentation process, but rosé wine only needs to rest with the red grape skins for a few hours. This process is known as maceration.
The winemaker can remove the red grape skins at any point during the process, giving them complete control over the pigment of their wine. The longer the wine is in with the red grape skins, the darker its overall colour. Usually, a rosé wine will be in contact with red grape skins for between two and 20 hours, whereas red wines can remain in this state for a number of weeks, producing the trademark darker tone and deeper flavour.
Currently the most popular rosé wine comes from the Provence region of France and carries a distinctive dry taste, with notes of citrus and red fruits. Rosé can be sweet or dry depending on where and how it’s crafted.
Wine fact file
Another way to produce rosé wine is by blending red and white varieties, but this process is rarely used as it creates aless flavoursome wine. In fact, in France, this process is actually banned! In some regions, winemakers can co-fermentred and white grapes, but they cannot blend them after the fact.
Champagne is the only French region allowed to use the blending process. This is to allow for the production of pink Champagne, or rosé Champagne, making this a very special rosé indeed!
5. What is the most popular red wine? (Average monthly searches: 100–1,000)
The most popular variety of red wine is Merlot, according to a recent survey. John Townend comments “This is a lovely rich wine, with bold flavours of black cherries and plums. If you love a full-bodied tipple with undertones of chocolate and tobacco, this is the perfect choice for you.”
Merlot is popular across the world and comes in manydifferent varieties, ranging from soft with a taste of plums to very rich with a hit of oak. You can tell someone is drinking Merlot by looking out for the distinctive deep purple, almost blue tones that gather around the rim of the glass.
Lean and white meats pair very well with Merlot, and it also tastes great with gouda, cheddar and goat cheese. With its low acidity, a Merlot also balances well with tomato-based pasta dishes – a great option if you’re following a vegan diet.
Wine fact file
Merlot is one of the most commonly planted grape varieties, with 657,300 acres dedicated to Merlot grapes worldwide!
Originally hailing from France, Merlot holds wide appeal across the world and is a great choice for gatherings and parties. The soft, fruity Merlot grape is also one of the main varietals in the production of Bordeaux wines.
It’s true that the most popular red grape variety is Merlot, although for those who enjoy lighter red wines it is the Pinot Noir that is the most sought after.
Next time you reach for that bottle of wine, you can do so in the knowledge that you’re privy to the answers to some of the most burning wine-related queries. Enjoy a tipple or two and remember to share your new knowledge with other wine lovers!
