Certain differences are immediately noticeable between France and the UK; the most obvious being the price of wine.
For our everyday throwing wine, I tend to buy it in boxes. There are two main advantages to this, firstly the wine stays fresh for well over a week (if it lasts that long), and secondly I don't end-up with piles of empty glass bottles. The wine itself is also perfectly acceptable.
However, the price is very different on either side of the Channel. In France I buy 5 litre boxes at just under €10 (about £7.30), and here I buy 3 bottle boxes (2.25 Litres) for £13.50.
Yes, 5 litres for £7.30 in France, and 2.25 litres for £13.50 here in the UK. WHY? Less that half the quantity in the UK for around twice the price!
It's exactly the same product, there is no shortage, and its transport is no different to anything else.
Well the answer is very simple; it's tax. In the UK the greedy tax folk take 14.5% tax and another 20% VAT on all wine over 11 degrees. This excessive, and you can guarantee that it will rise again with every budget.
25 comments:
I have no idea what wine costs here since I don't drink any, probably expensive like everything else.
That's a huge price difference. Do you bring any back with you when you return?
5 litres of wine costs the same more or less as your french wine. But I'm sure the quality is not nearly as good as your Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine is an easy crop to grow, its fermentation is simple, and there are still 'Wine Lakes' in Europe. Why it should be expensive (other than fancy wines) is a mystery.
I brought back a couple of the purple 5 litre boxes. They are now just finished. The wine is as good as a £6 bottle in the shops.
We now buy those same wine boxes here but our Sainsburys boxes cost £18. It obviously costs a lot more to ferry it over the Irish Sea!
Are they exactly the same as the one illustrated? If so the hiked price is a disgrace!
English pub chains like Wetherspoon's are very competitive and you can get a pint of bitter for 2 pounds six pence. In the Algarve you can buy a good bottle of wine in Spar or Lidl for 2 Euros or less. I would live there tomorrow if I could.
Always bought the same boxes of Australian wine in Sainsbury's Calais to drink after holidays in France that cost so much more in Sainsbury's in York. Back then we hadn't got the taste for the French bib ! The car was always well loaded.
11 degrees seems quite cold for wine. I presume you are talking centigrade.
(Only kidding! I know you were referring to alcohol percentage!)
I pay about £5 for a pint at my local. I'm being conned!
I only brought a couple back; the car was already loaded.
Years ago (in France) we could buy 6 degree wine in 1 litre 'starred' bottles, sold by Nicholas (a big Co at the time). It was for drinking at lunchtime when you really didn't want too much alcohol.
They are indeed.
Downing Street costs a lot to maintain and staff.
Not a wine drinker, so no real idea how much it is here, though I know it's much cheaper than in the UK.
Gone are the days when Brits loaded their cars to the roof with wines and spirits to take back home. I think they all fly now.
Does it work both ways ? ..... is English Cheddar expensive in France ? XXXX
There's an awful lot of waste too.
It's one of those things that should be much the same price everywhere.
My supermarket sells some Scottish 'Cheddar' that is called something like 'Wonderfully mature Cheddar', but I can't remember it being overly expensive. It is very good.
I just did a quick google conversion, and our five bottle equivalent box of very standard red wine in Canada would be $23 pounds. Prices for boxed wine go up from there. -Jenn
A similar box of wine in Massachusetts is $20-25. Prices vary depending on the store.
Here, the bottom line on wine box pricing would be £24. Averages are closer to £30.
Gosh, I think I'd give-up drinking wine if it was that price.
I don't think there's much cheaper than my store, even though it's not a 'budget store'.
Not fair, is it.
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