Wine-Searcher reports that non alcoholic wine is not matching the sales momentum seen in alcohol free beer and spirits, with multiple trade voices blaming the loss of alcohol’s structural role in texture, balance, and complexity. It says de alcoholisation often strips wine rather than rebuilding it as a product from the ground up, that reds are particularly difficult because tannin and acidity can feel harsher without alcohol, and that sparkling styles tend to perform better because carbonation helps restore some of the experience.
Simon Judge
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Vermouth Steps Out of the Cocktail Shadow as Interest Surges
The Guardian says that vermouth is gaining fresh attention as a drink to sip as well as mix, with a Waitrose food and drink report cited as calling it a 2026 trend and noting search interest up by 26%. It recaps vermouth as a fortified, aromatised wine that originated in northern Italy, typically built on a base wine infused with botanicals then fortified to around 15% to 18% ABV, and argues that clearer styles, better understanding of flavour differences, and more producer experimentation are helping it break out beyond the Martini and Negroni roles.
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California’s Winery Shakeout Accelerates as Demand Falls Short
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that a long predicted wave of California winery closures and lay-offs is now landing, hitting both boutique producers and major groups as the industry confronts too much capacity for shrinking demand. The article says some large operators are consolidating production for efficiency, while smaller wineries that skipped making wine in 2025 are liquidating stock, and it frames the downturn as a forced reset where vineyard owners rethink what to plant, how to farm, and what consumers will actually buy, after US wine sales fell by about 2% by volume in 2025.
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Fine Wine Investment Market Looks for Steady Gains in 2026
Decanter reports that the fine wine secondary market showed more positivity in late 2025 after a long downturn, with early 2026 characterised more by stability than any new bull run, and trade voices expect prices to “bump along the bottom” through 2026. It highlights potential value in older, drinkable Bordeaux, especially 2009 and earlier, notes that 2021 Bordeaux has been cut to below ex château release levels, and flags higher risk opportunities in scarce, prestige names, while pointing to variables like interest rates, Asia demand, and the ongoing impact of US tariffs on EU wines.
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How Clone Numbers on Wine Labels Are Shaping Vineyard Choices
Food & Wine reports that grapevine clones, the numbered selections sometimes shown on labels, are becoming more central to quality, style, and climate resilience decisions, with producers using different clones to fine tune ripening windows, disease tolerance, and flavour profiles, and treating clonal diversity as a practical tool for coping with more volatile growing seasons.
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Joseph Berkmann, Founder of Berkmann Wine Cellars, Dies Aged 94
Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News reports that Joseph Berkmann, the Austrian born founder of Berkmann Wine Cellars, has died aged 94 at his home in St Tropez, with the article tracing his path from London restaurant owner, including popularising Beaujolais Nouveau, to building Berkmann Wine Cellars into what it describes as the UK’s largest family owned wine importer, now led by his son Rupert Berkmann.
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UK Alcohol Tax Revenue Falls £285m Despite Higher Duty Rates
The Drinks Business reports that provisional HM Revenue & Customs figures show UK Alcohol Duty receipts are down 4% year on year in the 2025 to 2026 financial year to date, totalling £7,010 million, £285 million less than the same period last year, despite repeated duty upratings and ahead of a further RPI linked increase from February 2026. Most categories are lower, wine and other fermented products are down £100 million to £2.58 billion, spirits show the sharpest drop, down £156 million to £2.15 billion, and beer is down £59 million to £2.09 billion, while cider rises £30 million to £175 million but remains a small share of annual receipts.
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Barolo and Barbaresco Producers Face Rising Stocks and Falling Grape Prices
Wein.plus reports that Piedmont’s consortia are warning of a structural strain that now reaches headline denominations like Barolo and Barbaresco, despite a production dip versus 2024. The article says stocks have continued climbing, and it highlights sharp grape price declines across multiple varieties, including Nebbiolo and Barbera, alongside calls for both short-term market relief measures and longer-term demand-building. Export headwinds and more extreme weather are also cited as factors compounding the pressure.
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UK Exporters Face Fresh Uncertainty After Proposed US Tariff Change
Harpers reports that, after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier tariff regime, the president announced plans for a 15% global tariff rate, a move that could raise duties on some UK drinks exports to the US. The article highlights analysis suggesting UK exports could see an average tariff rise of 2.1%, and includes comments from WineGB’s chief executive warning that higher costs would ultimately be borne by consumers, potentially slowing strong recent export growth for English and Welsh wine.
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Georgia Tightens Grape Quality Rules for the 2026 Harvest
Georgia Today reports that Georgia will raise its minimum grape sugar requirement to 17% for the 2026 harvest, with grapes below that threshold classified as low quality and bought by the state at a much lower price, according to National Wine Agency chair Levan Mekhuzla. The outlet says the previous acceptable range was around 14 to 15%, and it details a differentiated state pricing structure by sugar level, aimed at pushing growers toward higher quality and stronger international competitiveness.