The Times reports that Chapel Down sold more than one million bottles of English sparkling wine in 2025, a milestone for the UK’s largest winemaker as it targets 1% of the global Champagne market by 2035. Revenue rose 19% to £19.4 million, helped by supermarket growth, international sales and partnerships including Ascot and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Finance
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The Hidden Cost of Buying Wine en Primeur
Wine Anorak dismantles the romantic idea that en primeur buying automatically pays off, arguing that collectors often forget inflation, annual storage charges, and the opportunity cost of tying money up for years. Jamie Goode runs a worked example of a £1,200 case bought 15 years ago, showing how inflation pushes that to £1,897, storage can lift it to about £2,107, and a modest ETF comparison makes the wine look poor financially, leading him to conclude that, for most buyers, the secondary market now makes more sense than buying futures.
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Yellow Tail Owner Slips into Loss as Costs Rise
The Drinks Business reports that Yellow Tail owner Casella Wines swung to an AU$5.5 million loss in its latest financial year, reversing earlier profits as weaker US demand, tariffs and higher supply chain, energy and freight costs bit into performance. The article says the US, long central to Yellow Tail’s export success, has become markedly tougher, although growth in the UK, Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia has helped cushion the blow. It also points to higher debt and a covenant breach that was later waived, making this one of the clearest signs yet of how pressure on global wine brands is feeding back into Australia’s wider grape and grower economy.
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Vinarchy UK Hit with £8 Million Packaging Tax
The Drinks Business reports that Vinarchy UK has been charged at least £8 million under the Extended Producer Responsibility packaging regime in 2025, a levy that applies across materials including glass and to UK businesses with turnover of at least £1 million that handle more than 25 tonnes of packaging a year. The report adds that revenue fell to £422 million from £461 million, while pre-tax losses narrowed to £6.4 million from £103 million, with chief executive Danny Celoni saying the combined business is still performing in line with profit expectations.
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Treasury Wine Estates Pushes Back Against Bankruptcy Talk
The Drinks Business reports that Treasury Wine Estates has rejected suggestions that its debt load could push it towards bankruptcy, saying it remains comfortable with its funding and has ample liquidity. The concern was raised by Plato Global Alpha Fund, which argued that debt, weaker consumer confidence and higher interest rates could leave the Australian wine giant exposed. The story matters because Treasury is Australia’s largest wine producer, so market anxiety around its finances feeds directly into wider concerns about the health of large listed wine groups.
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Treasury Wine Estates Suspends Interim Dividend After US Writedown
Reuters reports that Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates has suspended its interim dividend after a A$770.5 million impairment on its US assets helped drive a statutory loss of A$649.4 million for the half year ended December 2025, with revenue down 17 per cent and operating income down 40 per cent as demand softened in China and the US. The company said it is pushing ahead with a plan to cut around A$100 million of annual costs over the next two to three years, tightening shipments into China to curb parallel imports, and prioritising debt reduction before any return to dividends.
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Vina Concha y Toro is Acquiring Maison Mirabeau
Vina Concha y Toro has announced, subject to regulatory approval, it is acquiring a majority stake in Maison Mirabeau to build a stronger premium rosé and on-trade presence globally, combining shared B-Corp values, complementary strengths and expanded distribution, while retaining the founders and existing management to drive future growth and sustainability ambitions.