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Issues affecting the wine industry and the wine you drink

  • Crisis Distillation

    Crisis Distillation

    The Wine Economist is reporting that the concept of crisis distillation is resurfacing in the global wine industry. This practice involves government programmes buying surplus wine to convert it into industrial alcohol, aiming to stabilise wine prices and grower incomes. While it was a common practice in the European Union, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,…

  • The French Wine Industry’s Battle Against Climate Change

    The French Wine Industry’s Battle Against Climate Change

    According to an article in Nature, the French wine industry, a major part of French culture and economy, is grappling with the challenges posed by climate change. With its strict appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system, which sets rigid rules about geography, grape varieties, and production techniques, the industry faces unique challenges. However, French wine-growers are…

  • New Free Rioja Wine Academy Course

    New Free Rioja Wine Academy Course

    The Rioja Wine Academy, backed by the Rioja DOCa Control Board, has launched a free introductory online course called Rioja Enthusiast. This course is the academy’s first aimed at consumers and wine lovers with no prior knowledge of wine. The course covers the fundamentals of Rioja wine in just four hours, including topics like reading…

  • Beware of Decoy Effects When Buying Wine

    Beware of Decoy Effects When Buying Wine

    New research titled Decoy Effects in a Massive Real-World Shopping Dataset focuses on the impact of ‘decoy’ options on consumer choices, specifically in the context of wine purchases in the UK. The study examined a large dataset of 3.6 million wine purchases made by 755,158 unique customers over a one-month period. In the situation where…

  • Spain’s Historic Low Wine Harvest

    Spain’s Historic Low Wine Harvest

    Spain’s wine industry is grappling with its smallest harvest ever recorded, largely due to a series of extreme weather events. The 2023 grape harvest has been severely impacted by droughts, hail storms and heat waves, affecting vineyards across the country. Spain is expected to produce only 34.25 million hectolitres of grapes this year, representing a…

  • Scots to Be Forced to Pay at Least £6 a Bottle

    Scots to Be Forced to Pay at Least £6 a Bottle

    The Telegraph is reporting that The Scottish National Party (SNP) has announced plans to increase the minimum price for a bottle of wine to £6. The decision comes in the wake of a surge in alcohol-related deaths and harm in Scotland, which have reached their highest levels in 14 years. The SNP’s drugs and alcohol…

  • Increase in British Vineyard Buying Demand

    Increase in British Vineyard Buying Demand

    Barrons/Penta is reporting that the United Kingdom is witnessing a surge in interest in winemaking, positioning it as the fastest-growing wine region globally. This increasing interest has led to a significant demand for British wine estates. The southeast England is experiencing a spike in demand for vineyards and undeveloped land suitable for viticulture, from international…

  • Research into Words That Describe Wine

    Research into Words That Describe Wine

    There’s new research (PDF) from Maria Kana of Linnaeus University into the language used in wine reviews, particularly the adoption of standardised wine vocabularies like the Wine Aroma Wheel (WAW) and the Wine Lexicon of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). The study aimed to understand how closely professional wine reviewers stick to these…

  • Italy Loses Wine-making Leadership to France

    Italy Loses Wine-making Leadership to France

    Reuters is reporting on the decline in wine production in Italy. The wine output in Italy is expected to decrease by 12% this year (2023), falling below 44 million hectolitres. This significant drop is attributed to extreme weather conditions and fungal diseases that have adversely affected the vineyards. As a result of this decline, Italy…

  • Why is There a Global Wine Glut?

    Why is There a Global Wine Glut?

    Mike Veseth has a thought-provoking article on Theories of the Global Wine Glut. The world seems to be overflowing with surplus wine. In Australia, there’s an estimation that suggests that the surplus could fill 859 Olympic-size swimming pools which translates to roughly 2.8 billion bottles. In France, the government has set aside two hundred million…

  • How Consumers Select Wine

    How Consumers Select Wine

    A recent survey, documented on Forbes by one of the researchers Liz Thach, MW, has shed light on the preferences of wine consumers in three major markets: the U.S., Australia, and Italy. The study, conducted in May 2023, highlighted that in all three countries, the taste of the wine was prioritised over its price. Prior…

  • Climate Change Threatens Prosecco

    Climate Change Threatens Prosecco

    Climate change is posing a severe threat to Prosecco, according to recent research published in the iScience journal. Originating from Italy’s mountainous vineyards, Prosecco has seen a decline in grape yields due to extreme weather conditions and soil degradation. The risk extends beyond losing an agricultural product as it also threatens entire communities’ history and…

  • New Zealand Wine Exports Surged 23%

    New Zealand Wine Exports Surged 23%

    The Annual Report 2023 from New Zealand Winegrowers covers the past year and says that after three challenging years due to COVID-related uncertainties, the New Zealand grape growers and wineries are looking to the future with renewed confidence. Wine exports have surged to new record levels, showing a growth of 23% in value to $2.4…

  • The Decline of Bordeaux Wine

    The Decline of Bordeaux Wine

    The Bordeaux wine region of France is currently facing a myriad of challenges that threaten its position in the global wine market. Red wine consumption in France has seen a significant decline in recent decades. Many French consumers are now opting for alternative beverages like beer. While premium Bordeaux wines continue to find buyers, the…

  • Chilled Red Wines Are Reshaping Trends

    Chilled Red Wines Are Reshaping Trends

    The UK recently experienced one of its wettest Julys on record and this has had a surprising impact on wine sales. Waitrose, a prominent supermarket chain, has reported a significant increase in red wine purchases, particularly those that can be enjoyed chilled. The trend has even found its way onto social media platforms like TikTok,…

  • A Gradual UK Duty Rate Rise

    A Gradual UK Duty Rate Rise

    If you’ve been visiting the wine shops over the past month, you may have noticed something peculiar. Despite the recent duty hike, not all wine prices have gone up. In some instances, like at Asda, prices initially remained stable, with a few wines experiencing a, greater than duty change, surge much more recently. Meanwhile, The…

  • Wine Tasters’ Sensory Response to Flower Arrangements

    Wine Tasters’ Sensory Response to Flower Arrangements

    Dr Heber Rodrigues led a study from the UK Centre for Excellence on Wine Education, Training and Research at Plumpton College in East Sussex. The research, published in the International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science, explored the intertwined history of flower and wine arrangements. The study aimed to understand how the colour composition of…

  • Unprecedented Declines in Chilean Wine Exports Including to UK

    Unprecedented Declines in Chilean Wine Exports Including to UK

    Chile has experienced a significant drop in wine exports during the first half of 2023. The decline amounted to 20 million boxes and 584 million dollars, marking a 24% decrease in both volume and value compared to the same timeframe in 2022. All ten of Chile’s primary wine-consuming markets have seen a decline in wine…

  • UK Wine Regulation to Change

    UK Wine Regulation to Change

    The UK government recently closed its Smarter Regulation: Wine Reforms Consultation on 21st July 2023. The consultation aimed to simplify the existing 400-page rulebook governing wine production and trade in Great Britain. The current regulations are seen as overly complex and hindering innovation, including practices that could reduce carbon emissions. The proposed reforms aim to…

  • Majestic’s Organic Wine Sales Up 22%

    Majestic’s Organic Wine Sales Up 22%

    Harpers is reporting that Majestic has experienced a 22% increase in organic wine sales in the first five months of its financial year compared to the same period last year. This growth is attributed to a shift in consumer preferences towards wines with positive environmental credentials. In response to the rising demand, Majestic has expanded…

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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