Survey: Women Buy Eight Out of Ten Bottles of Wine

Women buy eight out of every 10 bottles of wine that are consumed at home, according to a new British survey.

The Guardian reported April 2 that a survey by Vinexpo for Decanter Magazine showed that six out of 10 women polled said they drank at least once a week, and that most women reported drinking because they liked the taste (80 percent) or that it went well with food (70 percent).

More than 50 percent of women saw drinking wine as a “healthier” alternative to drinking beer and spirits, adding that the government's health warnings about alcohol did not deter them from drinking (less than 20 percent said they decreased consumption because of the warnings).

The results also showed that 74 percent of the women surveyed picked wines based on price. Alcohol-awareness advocates like Don Shenker, chief executive of Alcohol Concern, expressed concern about the findings. “Although the government awareness campaigns are useful, they will be ineffective as long as ministers refuse to take action such as looking at a minimum price for alcohol,” Shenker said.