Majestic Wine has announced strong sales over the festive season, with sales of champagne boosting the results of the retail chain.
The Christmas trading report from the wine company showed an increase in sales of 4.4 per cent in the nine weeks of trading from the end of October to the new year.
Bottles of bubbly accounted for over a fifth of sales in the Christmas period.
The company specialises in selling wine by the case, a more lucrative method of selling alcohol than by the bottle. Alongside a strong internet presence, the wine dealer operates 133 stores in the UK and is expecting to open a further five warehouses in the first six months of 2007.
Chief executive officer of Majestic Wine, Tim How, said: "We are pleased with our sales over the Christmas period. Wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Spain and New Zealand sold particularly well and Champagne sales continued to grow strongly."
In the past year, the wine merchants have focused upon web sales and have seen online orders increase by 43 per cent.
Early trading saw shares in Majestic Wines rise 1.5 pence to 360 pence.
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