Association of Chief Police Officers national spokesman on licensing Mike Craik said the current recommended level of 50p was not enough.
At a Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum on Alcohol, Craik said: “80p is about right - that makes a 19 per cent reduction in consumption.”
But the WSTA said this would make a bottle of wine at least £8.
The trade association said in a statement: “A minimum price set at 80p equates to £8 for a bottle of wine. Only 3% of British consumers spend this much and more on a bottle of wine.”
The average price for a bottle of wine is currently £4.25.
Jeremy Beadles, chief executive of the WSTA, said: "A minimum price of 80p per unit would punish 97% of British wine drinkers at a stroke. What is the aim here - tackling alcohol misuse or putting wine beyond the reach of ordinary people?"
