Until five years ago French wine accounted for almost a third of all bottles drunk in Britain. But now Australian wine is the most popular, with other New World varieties not far behind.

While Australia enjoys 24.3 per cent of the UK wine market, France has 17.7 per cent and the US 16.4 per cent – but experts predict that US sales will overtake their French rivals by next year.

The figures, published by trade journal Off Licence News, also show that Hardys from Aus­tralia remains the best-selling wine in Britain.