Supermarkets and high street stores have been criticised for encouraging binge drinking by selling wine glasses that can hold almost a whole bottle.

Public health experts are concerned that what used to be the standard 125ml wine glass, holding the equivalent of one unit of alcohol, are being replaced on supermarket shelves by far larger glasses.

Last week, Sainsbury’s was selling a glass capable of holding 700ml of wine. A standard bottle contains 750ml.

A glass of this size only half-filled with red wine with an alcohol volume of 14% would contain almost three units. Under current guidelines, women should drink no more than two units of alcohol a day and men no more than three. The recommended weekly intake for women is 14 units.

Giant wine glasses were originally designed for connoisseurs to pour small amounts into the bottom, allowing the aroma to develop in the large space above. Now, they are being sold to a broader spectrum of drinkers.

At high-street retailers checked at a series of stores in Glasgow last week, larger wine glasses dominated displays.

Marks & Spencer was offering 600ml glasses while Morrisons displayed 550ml glasses. Ikea sells its larger wine glasses — ranging from 300ml to 500ml — in many different styles. A reporter could find only one style on sale at 175ml, which used to be a standard size of glass. Tesco’s largest is 410ml, and big glasses also dominated the displays there. Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons all said they sold 175ml glasses although they were not obviously on display in the stores checked. Traditional 125ml glasses could not be found in any of the stores.

Experts are concerned that many drinkers unwittingly consume more when they are served a larger glass. Sally Haw, principal public health adviser for Health Scotland, said: “We feel larger glasses have contributed to an increase in consumption.”

A spokesman for the Spirit Trade Association, said: “Retailers sell a variety of glass sizes to suit customers’ preferences.”

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