‘Wine sales: drinking up’

Sir, – Further to your leader of September 9th ("Wine sales: drinking up"), in the early 1970s I was head of marketing for wine at Gilbeys, the leading importer at the time. Annual imports amounted to 200,000 cases (of 12 bottles each). This market has now grown to more than nine million cases, though our per capita consumption is below that in most other EU member states.

While there still remains a market for iconic Chateaux and Domaine wines at prices which only film or football celebrities can, or want, to buy, this makes up a minute sector of the market. Unfortunately it is this sector which perpetuates the elitist perception.

Today we can welcome the broadening consumer market where wine is drunk regularly across most sectors of our population.It is not that people are drinking more wine, but that more people, who never enjoyed this drink of moderation, have learned the pleasure it adds to good food.

Despite this successive governments continue to tax it as a luxury, with the highest rates in the EU.

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Even more ridiculous is the double rate of tax on sparkling wine, which amounts to a tax on “bubbles”.

We have a reputation as a country for our hospitality. This is a central plank in attracting more tourists.

High tax on a simple pleasure is hardly the message we should be giving them. – Yours, etc,

KEITH

MacCARTHY-MORROGH,

Glenageary,

Co Dublin.

Sir, – In response to your editorial comment “Wine sales: drink up”, I suggest that any reduction to excise duty at this time would be deeply unwise. The most recent data from Revenue indicate that our per capita consumption of alcohol continues to rise. In 2016, consumption grew by 4.8 per cent to 11.46 litres. In a recovering economy, with additional discretionary spending available, it is likely that these figures will grow further.

The recent record sales of wine, as you outlined, indicate sustained growth. Nine million cases of wine are 108 million bottles or, more accurately, 864 million standard drinks; that’s 322 glasses this year for each drinker in Ireland.

Since 2000, there have been three increases in excise duty on wine. Over those 17 years, wine sales have boomed by 87 per cent.

Meanwhile, in Ireland today, we face a growing chronic disease crisis as cancer, heart disease, liver disease and diabetes now account for the most of our ill-health and premature deaths.

This crisis places a very heavy burden on our scarce health services and limited public resources.

The annual cost of alcohol-related illness and harm to the Irish exchequer is €2.35 billion.

To stimulate further demand now would only fuel easily avoidable damage and harm. – Yours, etc,

EUNAN McKINNEY,

Head of Communications

and Advocacy,

Alcohol Action Ireland,

Coleraine Street,

Dublin 7.