Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News reports that Croxsons has launched “Sovereign”, a new sparkling wine bottle designed for English and Welsh producers, aiming to cut transport miles by replacing bottles typically sourced from factories in France, Germany and Italy. The bottle uses amber glass rather than the traditional green, is made with 77% recycled glass and weighs 835g, with Ridgeview Wine among the producers cited as welcoming a domestically manufactured packaging option that supports provenance and sustainability.
Simon Judge
-
UK Ministers’ Alcohol Labelling Plans Alarm Drinks Industry
The FT has reported that ministers have unsettled the drinks and hospitality sectors by convening major alcohol producers and trade bodies to discuss early-stage plans for mandatory new labelling on beer, wine and spirits, potentially featuring prominent health and nutrition warnings, while also preparing to reverse course on proposed business rates increases for pubs in England. Industry leaders fear strict cancer and other risk messages, possibly even shock-style approaches, and warn that changing packaging, especially if “rotating” warnings are required, would be costly and could push up prices and depress sales at a time when alcohol consumption is already at record lows amid the cost of living squeeze and a growing moderation trend.
-
Pubs Brace for Pass Through Costs, Wine Mentioned in the Price Rise Mix
LBC says pubs and producers are warning customers to expect price increases as the duty rise comes into force, and it explicitly calls out the duty bump for a 14.5% bottle of red wine. It frames the change as another squeeze point for hospitality, arguing that venues have limited room to absorb tax and operating cost rises. The piece also repeats the broader context that duty was announced earlier and is now arriving at tills, with the impact expected across both on trade and off trade sales.
-
UK Alcohol Duty Rise Triggers Fresh Wine Price Warnings
Sky News reports that a 3.66% alcohol duty increase due to take effect on Sunday 1 February is prompting industry warnings of knock-on price rises, including for wine, as producers and retailers pass costs through. The report highlights that while duty is paid by manufacturers, the sector expects a “trickle down” impact at the till, and it points to cumulative increases on wine duty over recent years as pressure builds. The duty rise was confirmed in the autumn budget by Rachel Reeves, with the article emphasising the change applies across beer, wine, and spirits.
-
New Bordeaux Claret Gets Official PDO Recognition
The Guardian reports that Bordeaux has formally validated a new “bordeaux claret” style within its protected designation, positioning it as a lighter, lower-alcohol, less tannic red intended to be served chilled, and available from the 2025 vintage. The move is framed as a response to hotter growing seasons pushing alcohol levels up, and to shifting demand towards fresher, more casual reds, especially among younger drinkers. Producers are said to be adapting with shorter macerations and experimentation with heat-tolerant varieties, while keeping classic, age-worthy Bordeaux reds alongside this new category.
-
Australian Wine Shipments to the UK Slide as Demand Softens
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.