News

Issues affecting the wine industry and the wine you drink

  • New ‘Get Yourself a Glass’ Podcast

    New ‘Get Yourself a Glass’ Podcast

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    Simon Judge

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    There is a new monthly podcast called Get Yourself a Glass, hosted by Victoria Moore, wine columnist for The Daily Telegraph, and Andrew Neather, former wine critic at the London Evening Standard and author of the book Rooted in Change, which I reviewed recently. In each episode, Victoria and Andrew chat about what they have…

  • British Consumers More Negative About Non-Alcoholic Wine

    British Consumers More Negative About Non-Alcoholic Wine

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    Simon Judge

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    A new study investigates how consumers in Australia, the UK and the US perceive and evaluate non-alcoholic wine. It analyses more than eleven thousand online product reviews covering 326 products sold through major e-commerce platforms, applying sentiment analysis, topic modelling and logistic regression to identify what shapes satisfaction and how perceptions vary across markets and…

  • Old Vine Garnacha Scientific Insights

    Old Vine Garnacha Scientific Insights

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    Simon Judge

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    New research from DO Campo de Borja has provided scientific proof that old vine Garnacha produces wines with greater aging potential and stronger site-specific character compared to grapes from younger vineyards. The findings, presented at the Old Vine Conference’s Meeting of the Minds 2025 in northern California, conclude the region’s four-year Garnachas Históricas project, carried…

  • Smallest Vintage in Germany Since 2010

    Smallest Vintage in Germany Since 2010

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    Simon Judge

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    Germany is set to record its smallest wine vintage since 2010, with the nationwide grape must harvest estimated at just 7.3 million hectolitres. This marks a 7% decline compared to last year and a 16% drop against the 10-year average of 8.7 million hectolitres. The sharp reduction is largely due to poor yields in the…

  • Wine Neck Capsules or No Capsules?

    Wine Neck Capsules or No Capsules?

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    Simon Judge

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    A recent study commissioned by the Crealis Group explored the impact of wine capsules, the foil over the top of wine bottles, on consumer perception and purchase decisions. Traditionally viewed as a purely functional component, the capsule’s potential marketing influence had been largely overlooked. Conducted by SenseCatch, the research used a mix of biometric tracking…

  • Tesco Third-Party Wine Marketplace

    Tesco Third-Party Wine Marketplace

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    Simon Judge

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    I keep track of all the supermarket websites to find wines for my offers page. Something that has been quietly added at Tesco is the integration of online third-party marketplace sellers to include wine. Tesco relaunched its general online marketplace in June 2024, allowing shoppers to buy thousands of non-grocery products from approved partners alongside…

  • Chapel Down Drops £32m Winery Plan But Keeps Sales Sparkling

    Chapel Down Drops £32m Winery Plan But Keeps Sales Sparkling

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    Simon Judge

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    Chapel Down is one of England’s leading winemakers, based in Kent at the heart of the country’s wine-growing region. Best known for its award-winning sparkling wines made in the traditional method, it also produces still wines and runs a visitor centre with tours and tastings. Over the past two decades, Chapel Down has helped put…

  • Champagne Foil Debate Ends as Tradition Yields to Choice

    Champagne Foil Debate Ends as Tradition Yields to Choice

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    Simon Judge

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    The Drinks Business is reporting that the Comité Champagne has dropped its opposition to an EU ruling that makes neck foils on Champagne bottles optional, concluding after new research that removing them neither harms sales nor damages the region’s image. The decision follows years of debate across the sparkling-wine world. English producers have argued that…

  • Spain’s Wine Industry at a Red-White Crossroads

    Spain’s Wine Industry at a Red-White Crossroads

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    Simon Judge

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    The American Association of Wine Economists recently posted a chart showing Spain’s wine production has been declining and it has also shifted away from red. Spain’s falling output is mostly a climate story, amplified by weaker demand and policy responses. After peaking in 2018, production has trended lower as drought, heat and erratic rainfall have…

  • Bordeaux Royalty Chooses Vin de France

    Bordeaux Royalty Chooses Vin de France

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    Simon Judge

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    Château Lafleur has fired the starting gun on one of the most consequential shifts in modern Bordeaux. In a letter dated Sunday 24 August 2025, the Guinaudeau family confirmed that, from the 2025 harvest, all six of the estate’s wines will drop the appellations of Pomerol and Bordeaux and be labelled Vin de France. For…

  • Climate Change Fuels Rise of Non-Vintage Wines

    Climate Change Fuels Rise of Non-Vintage Wines

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    Simon Judge

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    The BBC is reporting that climate change is leading more winemakers to produce non-vintage still wines, blending grapes from different years to cope with increasingly unpredictable weather. While vintage has long been seen as a mark of quality, extreme conditions like heatwaves, wildfires, and frosts are making single-year production more difficult. To maintain consistency and…

  • Insights into the Champagne Market

    Insights into the Champagne Market

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    Simon Judge

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    The American Association of Wine Economists recently shared an enlightening table of the main champagne houses by turnover. The 2024 champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the market, with the top three producers together holding about 61.59%, and the top five controlling over 72.1%. The median turnover…

  • How Wildfire Smoke Affects Wines

    How Wildfire Smoke Affects Wines

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    Simon Judge

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    A new study by resarchers at USA Oregon State University looked at why some red wines, especially Pinot noir, can taste ashy or smoky if the grapes were exposed to wildfire smoke before harvest. When grapes are exposed to smoke, they absorb certain chemicals that later end up in the wine. These chemicals include volatile…

  • Shifting Tastes in a Changing Global Market

    Shifting Tastes in a Changing Global Market

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    Simon Judge

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    The IWSR Global Trends Report 2025 highlights a number of developments that reflect a complex and evolving wine marketplace, shaped by economic, social and technological forces. Premiumisation remains a feature of the wine category, but it is no longer uniform. Economic pressures and changing values mean consumers are increasingly selective, opting for premium wines in…

  • US 15% Tariff Looms Over EU Wine and Spirits

    US 15% Tariff Looms Over EU Wine and Spirits

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    Simon Judge

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    The Financial Times is reporting (paywall) that the United States is set to impose a 15% tariff on European Union wine and spirits from Friday 1st August 2025, despite lobbying by France and Italy to exempt these products. The European Commission confirmed that while some goods, like aircraft and cork, have secured exemptions, wine and…

  • Shifting Alcohol Habits in the UK and Beyond

    Shifting Alcohol Habits in the UK and Beyond

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    By

    Simon Judge

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    Moderation in alcohol consumption, driven by both health and economic concerns, continues to shape global drinking habits, though patterns vary by region and age group. Research from IWSR reveals that consumer spending on alcohol is declining across most of the top 15 global markets. A key indicator is a 20% drop in per capita pure…

  • New WineGB Industry Report 2025

    New WineGB Industry Report 2025

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    Simon Judge

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    The new WineGB Industry Report 2025 highlights continued resilience and growth in the English and Welsh wine sector, despite economic pressures and regulatory challenges. The number of vineyards has risen to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. Kent remains the leading county for…

  • How Science is Uncorking the Secrets of Early Winemaking

    How Science is Uncorking the Secrets of Early Winemaking

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    By

    Simon Judge

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    A new paper, Advancement and Innovation in Ancient Wine Research by Emlyn Dodd and Dimitri Van Limbergen offers a comprehensive look at how modern archaeological and scientific techniques are transforming our understanding of ancient wine. For wine enthusiasts today, several aspects of the research are particularly compelling, as they provide not only historical context but…

  • Financial Struggles Mount for English Wineries Amid Market Pressures

    Financial Struggles Mount for English Wineries Amid Market Pressures

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    Simon Judge

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    DrinkRetailing is reporting that a growing number of English wine producers are facing financial strain and seeking to sell, according to Chris Spofforth of Savills, a leading estate agency specialising in vineyards across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. He noted that while more opportunities now exist for buyers, mature wine businesses are proving harder to sell…

  • Gen Z Drinking More Alcohol

    Gen Z Drinking More Alcohol

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    Simon Judge

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    Despite widespread cost-of-living pressures and a global trend towards alcohol moderation, younger legal-drinking-age consumers, particularly Gen Z, are increasingly re-engaging with alcohol, according to IWSR’s Bevtrac consumer sentiment tracker. Although overall spending on alcohol has declined across leading global markets, Gen Z’s participation has notably risen, challenging the belief that this generation is turning away…

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Did You Know?

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine which represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More

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