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Men are likely to open a bottle first, according to research which found men take their first sip of wine at about 6.40pm, while women are about half an hour later at 7.07pm – with the majority of people choosing to have their tipple at home.

Laura Phillips, an admin assistant from Basingstoke, Hants, feels Wednesday is the perfect time to have a relaxing midweek drink with her boyfriend.

The 27-year-old said: "Wednesday is the perfect time to sit on the sofa and share a nice bottle of red.

"It breaks the working week up and I always get into my pyjamas and enjoy a few glasses at around 7pm with my dinner.

"We don't necessarily polish the bottle off but it really takes the edge off and helps me relax in the middle of a hectic, working week."

Gillian Walters, sales and marketing director at Cobevco, said: "These results give us a great insight into the nation's drinking habits.

"As our working week becomes longer and stress takes its toll, people are turning to wine as a midweek treat and a bit of an escape - whether from office life or their family.

"More are forgoing an evening trip to the pub for a beverage or two in the house, as increased alcohol duty takes its effect on affordability, especially in the on trade."