The Drinks Business reports that Greek wine exports to the UK rose 6.66% in value in 2025 versus 2024, with volumes up 3.6% and average export prices up 3.1%. The broader significance is that Greece appears to be building both scale and premium positioning in Britain at the same time, with the report also noting export value to the UK is up 142.75% since 2019.
Simon Judge
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Canadian Provincial Bans Drive Sharp Drop in U.S. Wine Exports
Wine Institute reports that a year after Canadian provinces pulled U.S. wines from shelves in response to tariff retaliation, full-year 2025 data shows U.S. wine exports to Canada fell 78% year on year, equating to a $357 million loss in export value. The press release says the shift flipped a $254 million U.S. wine trade surplus in 2024 into a $90 million deficit in 2025, and it argues Canada’s importance as a destination fell sharply, from 36% of U.S. wine exports in 2024 to 12% in 2025. Wine Institute is calling for an immediate resolution, noting knock-on impacts for growers, distributors, hospitality and communities on both sides of the border.
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English Red Wine Gains Momentum as Styles Shift
The Guardian reports that English red wine, still a tiny slice of production, is starting to look more plausible, and more appealing, as drinkers lean towards lighter, juicier reds and as warmer growing conditions make ripening red grapes less of a long shot. The article says reds are under 5% of English wine output and often sit in the £15 to £25 bracket, but producers are finding a niche with grapes like pinot noir and pinot meunier, plus some hardier hybrid varieties. The overall message is that English reds are moving beyond novelty, helped by changing tastes and slow, cool ripening that can deliver bright fruit and moderate alcohol.
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Southern Glazer’s Executives Indicted Over Alleged California Wine Bribery Scheme
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that federal prosecutors have unsealed an indictment accusing senior figures at Southern Glazer’s, the largest alcohol distributor in the US, of running a long-running bribery scheme tied to supermarket wine placements in California. Prosecutors allege the scheme, said to span 2016 to 2024, involved bribes to an Albertsons wine buyer, including luxury trips, cash, gift cards and electronics, with false paperwork used to disguise payments as legitimate marketing spend. Five Southern Glazer’s executives and a Napa winery salesman were indicted, and the retailer’s buyer has reportedly already pleaded guilty.
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Uncorking a Scandal: Master Sommelier Lawsuit Heads to Trial
Reuters reports that three candidates who briefly held the Master Sommelier title in 2018 are suing the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas after the organisation voided the tasting exam over cheating allegations, with a five day jury trial scheduled later this year in San Francisco federal court. The article says the dispute centres on an email sent just before the blind tasting, containing shorthand that could be read as tips, and argues the case has become a referendum on due process and the credibility of one of fine wine’s key gatekeepers, with fewer than 300 Master Sommeliers worldwide.
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Cava’s Highest Tier Adds Five New Paraje Calificado Wines
D.O. Cava says Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has certified five new Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado Cavas, taking the total in the top tier to 15, with new additions including three Sumarroca bottles plus Carles Andreu’s L’Era del Celdoni and Vins El Cep’s MIM Natura Blanc de Noirs. The press release says the wines met strict regulatory requirements and were revalidated by a panel including Masters of Wine and leading sommeliers, and it reiterates that Paraje Calificado is reserved for single estate Cavas with demanding criteria such as hand harvesting, estate vinification, vintage dating and a minimum 36 months ageing, with 100% organic status from the 2025 harvest. Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News adds that four family run wineries are also set to become D.O. Cava “Integral Producers”, meaning they carry out the whole winemaking process on their own property.
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Swiss Wine Harvest Rebounds, 2025 Vintage Rated Excellent
SWI swissinfo.ch reports that Swiss winegrowers are calling the 2025 vintage “excellent” thanks to favourable weather, with total harvest volume rising to 82 million litres, up 9.3% year on year, though still below the 10 year average of 90 million litres, according to Switzerland’s Federal Office for Agriculture. The report says the season began dry and mild with good flowering, then an earlier harvest was affected at times by rain in late August and September. Output varied by region, German speaking Switzerland saw the biggest jump to 13.7 million litres, western Switzerland rose to 64.4 million litres, while Italian speaking Switzerland fell to 3.4 million litres, partly linked to tough conditions and Japanese beetle impacts.
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Enjoy Now Wines Claims New Milestones In Gen Z And Millennial Outreach
Wine Industry Advisor carries a press release saying Enjoy Now Wines is building a national network of younger credentialed sommeliers to make wine feel less intimidating for Gen Z and Millennials, and it highlights early metrics such as social growth, volume of short-form content, and a set of endorsed wines using its simplified evaluation format.
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Australia Moves to Build a National Vineyard Register
ABC News reports that Australia’s federal government plans to develop a National Vineyard Register to improve transparency and planning, tracking vineyard ages, sizes and grape varieties. The article says Wine Australia will lead the project and Map of Ag will design and build the platform in consultation with the industry, with the register expected to be operational by the end of 2026. It notes uncertainty about whether participation will be mandatory, while highlighting that growers have long called for a system like this, particularly amid difficult decisions across the sector.
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UK Wine Sector Careers Highlight Salaries up to £150,000
City AM reports that Plumpton College is urging students and career changers to look at opportunities in the UK’s expanding wine sector, saying rising vineyard plantings and production are driving demand for skilled staff across viticulture, winemaking, marketing, hospitality and business roles. It highlights pay ranges that start in the mid £20,000s for entry level winemaking, with senior winemakers often earning £45,000 to £60,000, and says commercial roles can go higher, with some wine buyers earning up to £150,000. The article also points to structured training and placements at Plumpton, and notes its commercial facilities produce up to 40,000 bottles a year.