Wine in Britain: Scots drink red, Cornish drink white

A study of the tens of thousands of bottles that Morrisons supermarkets sells every day has revealed that Britain's taste for wine has as many regional differences as their accents.

While the bestselling wines in Scotland are heavy reds such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chateauneuf du Pape, its stores in the South West sell more Pinot Grigio, a light Italian white, than anything else. Londoners and those in the South East favour slightly lighter reds, including Merlot and the Pinot Noir grape used in red Burgundies. Up in the North West, the distinctive white grape Chardonnay – used in everything from unsubtle new world wines to elegant white Burgundies – along with Malbec are the best selling varieties.

Allan Cheesman, a wine consultant who used to head up Sainsbury's wine department, said: "There always used to be huge differences in the stores. Scotland like high alcohol drinks, along with Ireland and the Scandinavian countries. They also have a sweeter tooth. There used to be this very strong, sweet sherry called Walnut Brown, which would fly off the shelves in Scotland but sit gathering dust in the south.

"I've always thought it was to do with the weather. It's cold and dark up there for much of the year, so you need a strong red to keep you going."

Cabernet Sauvignon, especially from the new world, can sometimes have as much as 16 per cent alcohol in them.

Pinot Grigio, a grape which tends to make an acidic white wine, rarely contains more than 12.5 per cent alcohol.

Its success in the south west is also weather-related, experts believe, with much of the region's wine sold in the summer months to holidaymakers looking for a lighter style.

While the regional varieties continue to tax supermarket buyers who supply wine for national chains, Mr Cheesman pointed out a revolution had occurred since the early 1980s.

"Back then, we used to say you could draw a line from the Wash down to the River Axe and no wine would ever be sold north of that. At least now different parts of the country are enjoying a wide range of different wines."