uk government wine cellar
The contents of the UK government wine cellar are worth around £3 million.
(Image credit: Thomas Skovsende / Decanter)
  • Ministers cut consumption ahead of general election
  • Bottles of Latour 1961 sold to cover costs
  • Xi Jinping banquet ate into stocks of Haut-Brion 1989

Officials sold six bottles of the lauded Château Latour 1961 from the UK government wine cellar to private clients, including Farr Vintners, the British Embassy in Paris and the Saintsbury Club.

They led a £40,000 sell-off of mature wines as the Foreign Office sought to balance the books for its £3 million hospitality cellar in the bowels of Lancaster House near Buckingham Palace.

Chateau Latour 1961

Château Latour 1961. NB, these are not the bottles from the UK government cellar.
(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

Wines in the cellar are used for all official government functions and are graded to suit the prestige of the occasion.

Ministers overall opened a third fewer wines during the tax year to April 2016, show records published this week.

Consumption fell partly because of ‘disruption’ caused by the 2015 general election, a government statement said.

But, ministers still opened 3,730 bottles, including 53 spirits and brandies.

Xi Jingping shares a toast with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge

Xi Jingping shares a toast with Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace.
(Image credit: Dominic Lipinski / WPA Pool / Getty)

A state visit of Chinese premier Xi Jinping appears to have eaten into the cellar’s stocks of Haut-Brion 1989.

Officials served the wine to Xi and dignatories at a special Buckingham Palace banquet in October 2015.

Cellar records show that 32 bottles of Haut-Brion 1989 were opened during the last tax year.

Several hundred bottles of English wine were also opened during the last tax year, including Ridgeview Grosvenor Brut 2009, Breaky Bottom Brut Reserve and Camel Valley Brut from the 2008 vintage and Nyetimber Classic Cuvee 2007.

Origin of wines opened during the year:

uk government wine cellar bottles opened

(Image credit: Credit Unknown)

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.