Wine Drinker reports on a new study that suggests that cork closures do much more than simply let air into a bottle: they can release trapped oxygen, regulate its movement, chemically interact with wine and allow very slow long-term oxygen transfer. This means cork is an active part of a wine’s ageing system, influencing how oxygen is absorbed, consumed and controlled after bottling.
Simon Judge
-
ProWein Sparkling Report Confirms Market-Beating Growth
Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News reports that ProWein’s new Sparkling Report points to sparkling wine as a relative bright spot in a difficult global wine market, with growth opportunities linked to premiumisation, alcohol-free sparkling, Prosecco, Crémant and emerging regions including the UK, Hungary and Tasmania. The report says sparkling is benefiting from new consumption occasions and resilient demand, while still wine faces moderation and decline in several markets.
-
Sancerre Faces Flinty Future
Wine-Searcher reports that climate change is forcing Sancerre producers to reconsider how they preserve the appellation’s identity as warmer and more erratic conditions alter ripening patterns. The article highlights shrinking picking windows, rising alcohol levels, falling acidity, mildew pressure, soil and exposure differences, higher trellising and cover-crop decisions, showing how growers are trying to keep Sancerre focused on terroir rather than simply producing warmer-climate Sauvignon Blanc.
-
Rare Grapes, New Regions and Still Wines Shake Up UK Wine Awards
Hort News reports that the WineGB 2026 Awards point to a broader and more experimental English and Welsh wine sector, with still wines again surpassing sparkling wines in entries and total medals. The awards saw 24 grape varieties win medals, including Gamay, Cabaret Jura, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabaret Cortis and Riesling, while Hampshire and Dorset were highlighted as rising regional forces alongside established leaders Kent and Sussex.
-
France Bans Alcohol at Festivals as Heatwave Grips Wine Regions
The Drinks Business reports that French authorities have imposed temporary alcohol bans at state-organised events and in some public spaces as a severe heatwave pushes temperatures towards 42°C. The article links the public-safety restrictions to wider pressure on wine regions, noting that growers already hit by spring frost and hail now face heat and drought risks that can accelerate sugar accumulation, reduce acidity, increase water stress and affect yields and wine style.
-
IWC Unveils New Global Regional Structure
Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News reports that the International Wine Challenge is moving to a four-region structure, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the UK, launching from July 2026, with Americas judging in Mendoza and Asia Pacific judging in Adelaide, while gold medal wines will still progress to London for International Trophy judging next year.
-
Going Down a Treat, That’s Belgian Wine
EU Reporter reports that Belgium’s wine sector is expanding, citing the launch of the 2026 Gault & Millau Belgian Wine Guide and comments from guide chief executive Marc Declerck. The article says Belgian wine production reached a record 4.3 million litres over the past 12 months, while the country now has more than 350 winegrowers farming nearly 1,050 hectares of vineyards, a 10% year-on-year increase. The guide assessed 424 wines, selected 270 cuvées from 137 estates and presented 28 Belgian Wine Awards, underlining Belgium’s growing visibility as a European wine-producing country.
-
Ancient DNA Proves Chianti Was Once a White Wine Mecca
The Drinks Business reports that ancient grape seeds from Cetamura del Chianti suggest the region, now famous for red wine, was once dominated by a long-maintained white grape variety. Researchers sequenced DNA from 80 seeds dating from roughly 300 BCE to 300 CE, finding evidence of continuity from Etruscan into Roman times and links to varieties still found in parts of Eastern Europe.
-
Investment Fraud In UK Soared To More Than £220m Lost Last Year, Trade Body Says
The Guardian reports that UK investment scams involving assets including wine, gold and cryptocurrencies rose sharply in 2025, with reported losses reaching £221.5m, up 40% year on year. The article says UK Finance recorded almost 15,000 investment scams, warning that AI is helping criminals create more convincing websites, messages and impersonations at scale, with wine among the fake investment categories used to lure victims.
-
French Wine Exporters Say Trump’s Latest Tariff Threat Is Bad News
Reuters reports that French wine and spirits exporters have criticised Donald Trump’s renewed threat of 100% tariffs on French wine and Champagne unless France scraps its 3% digital tax on US tech companies. Exporters’ group FEVS said the threat was damaging for an export-reliant sector caught in a dispute outside its control, and called for responsible, balanced trade relations between France and the US.
-
Global Rosé Masters 2026 Medal Winners Announced
The Drinks Business reports that the Global Rosé Masters 2026 has revealed its medal-winning wines, with standout results across still, sparkling, sweet and oaked styles. Top recognition went to Les Cinq Filles Rosé de Saignée in sparkling rosé and Château d’Esclans Garrus among still, barrel-aged rosés, while strong performances came from Provence, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Turkey, Australia, Portugal and the UK.
-
IWSR Forecasts Further Pressure on Wine Volumes
Harpers reports that IWSR expects global alcohol consumption to keep declining until 2031 before recovering towards 2025 levels by 2035, but wine faces a tougher outlook than several other categories. IWSR forecasts wine volume sales to fall 14% between 2025 and 2035, compared with smaller projected declines for spirits and beer, and continued growth for RTDs.
-
Light and Moderate Drinking Show No Clear Cancer Mortality Risk
Wine Drinker reports that a large independent analysis of the US REGARDS cohort found that heavy alcohol consumption was associated with higher long-term cancer mortality among adults aged 45 and over. After excluding participants with prior cancer or missing alcohol data, researchers followed 26,694 people for a median of 13.3 years, during which 2,306 cancer deaths occurred. Heavy drinkers had a 21% higher adjusted hazard of cancer death than non-drinkers, while moderate drinking showed no clear link and light drinking appeared associated with lower risk, though this may reflect residual confounding rather than protection. The association did not differ significantly by sex, and while smoking partly explained the increased risk among heavy drinkers, it did not fully account for it.
-
Napa And Sonoma Wineries Cut Tasting Fees As Tourism Slows
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that roughly 30% of wineries in both Napa and Sonoma lowered tasting fees in 2025, responding to weaker wine tourism and criticism that visitor costs had become too high. The wider Silicon Valley Bank report found 16% of US wineries reduced fees, but early results are mixed, with only a quarter of those cutting prices reporting improved visitation.
-
Bordeaux Prices Fall in US Retail
Wine-Searcher reports that Bordeaux prices are dropping sharply in US stores, with some Napa Cabernet prices also weakening, even as Burgundy and Bourbon remain less exposed to discounting. The article frames the trend as a market correction after years of high pricing, tariffs and reduced consumer enthusiasm for Cabernet and Merlot-led fine wine.