News

Issues affecting the wine industry and the wine you drink

  • UK Tariffs Impact Spanish Wines

    UK Tariffs Impact Spanish Wines

    Reuters is reporting that Spanish red wine exports to the UK have dropped by 7.5% in value during the first four months of 2025, largely due to new British tariffs based on alcohol content. These changes, introduced in February, have hit Spanish wines hardest, especially reds, which typically contain more than 12.5% alcohol due to…

  • Tensions Between Wine Growers and Supermarkets

    Tensions Between Wine Growers and Supermarkets

    International Supermarket News reports on rising tensions between growers and supermarkets. It also highlights increasing cost of wine and shows how much more expensive it is in the UK compared to France. Aldi France has come under fire after its national wine buyer claimed wines priced as low as €1.99 are still profitable for growers….

  • Trade Associations Raise Urgent Concerns Over EPR Base Fees for Glass Packaging

    Trade Associations Raise Urgent Concerns Over EPR Base Fees for Glass Packaging

    Drinks Retailing is reporting that ahead of the announcement of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) base fees this week, a coalition of trade associations has written to Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, outlining significant concerns, particularly regarding the impact on glass packaging. The group, which includes the Scotch…

  • Alcohol Doesn’t Completely Evaporate During Cooking

    Alcohol Doesn’t Completely Evaporate During Cooking

    The Drinks Business has an interesting article that challenges the common belief that alcohol completely evaporates during cooking. While it’s true that heat causes alcohol to evaporate, the process is more complex than often assumed. Scientific tests show that depending on the cooking method and duration, a significant amount of alcohol can remain in food….

  • Wine e-Commerce on the Rise

    Wine e-Commerce on the Rise

    I noticed a trend, at the London Wine Fair, that producers are increasingly selling directly via their own and wine platforms, and this shift is supported by recent data from IWSR, which projects that the global online alcohol market will exceed $36 billion by 2028. According to IWSR’s Ecommerce Strategic Study, covering 18 key markets…

  • The Real Reasons Why Gen Z Drinks Less

    The Real Reasons Why Gen Z Drinks Less

    The new free report by Rabo Research explores why Generation Z appears to be consuming significantly less alcohol. Although this report is based on data from the United States, its insights are globally relevant. The cultural, technological, and economic forces shaping Generation Z’s drinking habits are not confined to national borders. Similar patterns are observable…

  • Wine in Pubs is an Opportunity

    Wine in Pubs is an Opportunity

    I don’t visit UK pubs all that often, but when I do, I rarely find the wine experience enjoyable. Over the past year alone, I’ve been served red wine that had been stored next to warm lights, had small glasses filled nearly to the brim on multiple occasions and even came across a pub that…

  • Risks Undermining EPR Goals

    Risks Undermining EPR Goals

    At the London Wine Fair on 21 May 2025, Harshal Gore from PackUK, an arm of Defra, provided an update on the ongoing developments around Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). While acknowledging EPR as strategically sound, Gore admitted the scheme has suffered repeated setbacks. He pointed out that 2025 has marked significant progress, with the establishment…

  • Global Wine Market Faces Long-Term Decline Amid Shifting Consumer Trends

    Global Wine Market Faces Long-Term Decline Amid Shifting Consumer Trends

    Wine Australia’s latest Market Bulletin explores a significant global trend in the wine industry: a consistent and widespread decline in wine consumption over recent years. Between 2018 and 2023, global consumption dropped by around 3.1 billion litres, equivalent to approximately 31 billion standard glasses of wine. This pattern of reduction is not limited to one…

  • Potential Impacts on Wine Trade Due to Tariffs

    Potential Impacts on Wine Trade Due to Tariffs

    The new working paper (PDF) examines the projected impact of a US-initiated global tariff hike on the international trade of wine, beer and spirits, set to begin on 8 July 2025. Authored by Kym Anderson and Glyn Wittwer, of the Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide, the study uses a detailed global model of…

  • Global and UK Wine Market Insights

    Global and UK Wine Market Insights

    The International Vine and Wine Organisation’s new report on the global vine and wine sector in 2024 outlines a challenging year shaped by ongoing climatic and economic pressures. Worldwide vineyard surface area continued to shrink for the fourth consecutive year, now standing at 7.1 million hectares. Major vine-growing countries such as Spain and France saw…

  • Learn About No Alcohol Wine

    Learn About No Alcohol Wine

    New research on Dealcoholized wine: Techniques, sensory impacts, stability, and perspectives of a growing industry“ is a detailed review examining the production, sensory implications, stability concerns and future prospects of dealcoholised wine. Growing interest in dealcoholised wine is largely driven by health-conscious consumers, social trends encouraging reduced alcohol intake, and legal considerations such as road…

  • Independent Wine Retailer Trends

    Independent Wine Retailer Trends

    There’s an interesting article at Drinks Retailing News on independent wine retailer trends. Wine remains a key focus for independent UK drinks retailers, with France and Italy once again ranked as the most popular countries of origin, followed by Spain. Areas of growing interest have shifted, with Greece topping the list, closely followed by Portugal,…

  • Selling by Glass vs Bottle, Due to EPR

    Selling by Glass vs Bottle, Due to EPR

    An article by Freddie Joosten in Drinks Retailing News outlines the upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, which takes effect in April 2025 and will change how wine and spirit businesses handle packaging waste costs. Under EPR, companies must pay the full net costs of collecting and recycling all packaging types they use. This includes…

  • Drinks Retailing Trends Report

    Drinks Retailing Trends Report

    The latest Drinks Retailing Trends Report offers a comprehensive snapshot of the UK wine sector, with a particular focus on the top-selling wine brands and emerging trends. Among still wines, Yellow Tail now holds the top position with sales of £222.8 million, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. It overtakes Hardys, which experienced…

  • UK Vineyard Visits

    UK Vineyard Visits

    Wine tourism is rapidly becoming a major trend in UK travel, with over 1.5 million visits to vineyards and wineries recorded in 2023, marking a 55% increase from 2022. In response, WineGB has released the Visit a Vineyard Guide 2025 (pdf), a comprehensive resource promoting the diverse and distinctive experiences available across the country. There…

  • How the Wine Industry is Evolving to Stay Relevant to Gen Z

    How the Wine Industry is Evolving to Stay Relevant to Gen Z

    IWSR is reporting that wine markets are increasingly reliant on drinkers aged 55 and above, as younger legal drinking age consumers are drinking wine less frequently. In Australia, for instance, the number of 18–24-year-olds consuming wine at least monthly halved between 2010 and 2023. This trend presents a challenge for wine producers trying to engage…

  • 200% US Tariffs

    200% US Tariffs

    The European wine industry is facing a significant threat following US President Donald Trump’s warning of a 200% tariff on EU wine imports. Trade bodies on both sides of the Atlantic have expressed alarm, warning that such a move would devastate European wine producers and severely disrupt the transatlantic alcohol trade. Ignacio Sánchez, secretary general…

  • Wine, Neuroprotection and Gut Health

    Wine, Neuroprotection and Gut Health

    More new research (pdf) helps to balance the currently overly-negative narrative of wine and health. Chapter 6 of Nourish Your Mind: A Scientific Approach to Brain Health explores the role of phenolic metabolites from wine and their effects on cognitive and digestive processes. The chapter examines how these compounds, particularly polyphenols, contribute to neuroprotection, gut…

  • Shifts in Global Alcohol Consumption Patterns

    Shifts in Global Alcohol Consumption Patterns

    The IWSR’s Bevtrac 2024 Wave 2 report highlights a significant shift in global alcohol consumption patterns, with moderation becoming a prevalent trend across all demographics over the past year. While a surge in complete abstinence observed in 2023 appears to have been temporary, consumers, including younger legal drinking age individuals, are now returning to alcohol…

Follow

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