Wine drinkers in the UK are more likely to be aware of and to have purchased Fairtrade wine compared with their Irish or US counterparts, according to research from Vinitrac , the global wine survey conducted by Wine Intelligence. Two-thirds of UK wine consumers revealed they were aware of Fairtrade wines, a higher awareness level than in Ireland (57 per cent), but in the US fewer than 25 per cent claimed to have heard it . The UK also leads the way for consumption of Fairtrade wines - nearly one in five drinkers reported buying Fairtrade in the past three months. This compares with 14 per cent in Ireland and only 5 per cent in the US. These figures reveal that although Fairtrade is lagging in the US, it is becoming mainstream in the UK.

Paul Medder

Project manager, Vinitrac , Wine Intelligence