The Wine Merchant is reporting that Australian wine exports to the UK fell by 3 per cent in value to US $343 million and by 9 per cent in volume in 2025, part of a broader decline in Australian shipments as overall exports dropped amid shifting consumer habits, wellness trends and cost-of-living pressures affecting demand in major markets.
Simon Judge
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Why Non Alcoholic Wine is So Hard to Get Right
Apple Podcasts, hosting BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme, says a new episode explores why alcohol free wine often struggles on flavour, and what technologies and approaches might close the gap. The description follows presenter Jaega Wise through production methods such as vacuum distillation, tastings of current bottles with specialists, and conversations with producers about the technical limits of making convincing 0% wines.
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Cold Climate Viticulture Puts New Northern Wine Regions on the Map
Euronews reports that colder climate viticulture is accelerating across northern Europe, driven by hardier hybrid grapes and climate related shifts in growing conditions, and it argues this is reshaping wine tourism beyond the usual sun soaked regions. It highlights Estonia’s Muhu Winehouse as an example of new northern vineyards inviting visitors for tastings, pairings and workshops, and it also points to changing expectations among local sommeliers as quality and ambition improve.
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Chapel Down Lifts Outlook After Strong Christmas Trading
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.
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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.