The Tories and Lib Dems drank over 5,000 bottles of wine last year

English and Welsh wine were the most popular

Ministers drank thousands of bottles of wine last year (DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP/Getty Images)

The Coalition Government managed to get through over 5,000 bottles of wine last year, thought to amount to an eye-watering total of £69,433.

Coalition ministers mainly consumed English and Welsh wines, quaffing almost 2,500 bottles across banquets and receptions in the 2014/2015 financial year.

Figures released by the Government and compiled by the WineStats showed that Chilean wine was also popular, with 699 bottles being opened at receptions.

French wine was also a hit with politicians, with 663 bottles of Bordeaux, 207 of Red Burgundy, and 205 of Champagne being drank at banquets, respectively.

Bordeaux wines including Chateau Cheval Blanc, Montrose, Angelus, Pichon Lalande and Pichon Baron came out of the official £3million wine cellar, which is graded according to how prestigious an event or a guest is, according to Decanter magazine.

Wine from the US, New Zealand, the Rhone and South Africa was also guzzled by ministers.

Stephen Brook, the contributing editor of Decanter magazine said: "Surprisingly, many single bottles were consumed, conjuring up visions of a lonely junior minister ordering up a bottle of 2001 Haut-Brion."

Around £71,000 worth of wine was sold, in order to ensure the cellar is self-financing.