England is going to serve pints of wine in the hospitality industry

A revolution is taking place in the world of wine, and particularly in the English wine world. Because as you may know, the Brits do enjoy a pint or eight, but preferably beer without any foam. I will never understand the no-foam part… But I understand this new change all the more: they are going to serve pints of wine in the hospitality industry. I’m especially curious to see what those glasses will look like, but I can certainly get behind this.

Because it actually sounds quite logical: this could be the solution for people who want something more than a glass, but don’t want to order an entire bottle just for themselves. A pint of half a litre? Ideal.

English wine producers are happy too

They are welcoming this initiative, because it means they can start selling wine in a different quantity per bottle. A new kind of bottle, a new kind of market, and that means more income. An estimated 900 British vineyards will benefit from this. Interestingly enough, this pint concept is a consequence of Brexit; the government now has more freedom regarding the quantities of drinks, such as wine.

And that is why they decided yesterday that shops (so expect new half-litre bottles there too) and hospitality venues may sell pints alongside glasses, carafes and bottles. In fact, it is a much broader decision: shops and restaurants may decide for themselves which drink sizes they offer. So it could easily be that certain bars will only offer a pint when you order wine — although that would be a little unfortunate.

‘This is what Brexit is about’

The Minister of Enterprise, Markets and Small Businesses said the following about it yesterday: ‘our departure from the EU was all about moments like this, where we can seize new opportunities and give our British vineyards a real boost, while allowing our economy to continue growing.’ That growth was already quite substantial, by the way, as the wine industry in England has grown by 74 per cent over the past five years.

Vineyards in England

There are now more than 900 vineyards, employing around 2,300 people full-time in total — but that is expected to grow considerably. To put it in figures: there are currently almost 4,000 hectares of vineyards, and that is estimated to reach 7,600 hectares by 2032.

The chances of pints of wine being served in the Netherlands too are therefore fairly slim, given that the EU has devised all kinds of rules and measures concerning this. But if you are a wine lover and are going to England next year: be sure to order those pints!

Also read:

• 5 wineries where you can take part in the grape harvest
• Red wine helps against colds
• You’ll want this now: a wine tap for your home

Source: LadBible