Investegate reports that Chapel Down expects FY2025 net sales revenue of about £19.4m, up 19%, with adjusted EBITDA forecast at £4.0m to £4.5m, ahead of prior guidance, helped by strong festive trading and an above-average harvest yield. It also says the company dispatched over one million bottles of traditional method sparkling wine for the first time, and ended the year with net debt of about £12.4m, reflecting investment in vines and maturing stock.
Simon Judge
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California’s Oversupply Persists, Even as Grape Shortage Talk Grows
Wine-Searcher reports from the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium that California is still awash with unsold wine, even as analysts debate whether a grape shortage could emerge by summer 2026. It describes a wager between SVB wine executive Rob McMillan and bw166’s Jon Moramarco, set against an industry backdrop where no one expects sales to rebound in 2026 and many expect stress, consolidation, and closures before a broader recovery.
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US Direct-to-Consumer Wine Prices Jump as Volume Falls
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the average price of a bottle shipped direct-to-consumer in the US rose 11% in 2025 to $56.78, up from $50.53 in 2024, while shipment volume fell 15%. It says the rise is being driven less by wineries putting prices up, and more by value-conscious buyers dropping out, especially in wines under $15, which fell sharply year on year.