British wines new industry favorites

London -- Sales of British wines are up dramatically this year, prompting one retail chain to predict they may be a significant holiday favorite.

Employees of the retail chain Waitrose said holiday revelers this year may put down the French champagne and reach for a nice bottle of British sparking wine instead, Sky News reported Saturday.

"English wines used to be regarded as the Cinderallas of the wine world -- but now they are taking center stage and deservedly so," Waitrose Master of Wine Justin Howard-Sneyd said.

"It certainly looks as though many of our customers will be toasting Christmas with a glass of English fizz."

The retail chain reported a 120 percent increase this year in the sales of all British wines and in November, those sales increased 360 percent from week to week.

To meet the growing demand, Waitrose has 11 different British wines in stock and has plans to expand upon those goods in 2008, Sky News reported.

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