Digest #2

Against All Odds, the English Are Finally Drinking Their Own Wine

Wine Enthusiast Nov 24, 2025 News

Wine Enthusiast highlights English wine's remarkable transformation, with vineyard plantings increasing 510% since 2005—the fastest growth globally. Once mocked for excessive acidity, English wines now attract investment from Champagne houses like Taittinger and Pommery, with standout bottles including Wiston Estate's 97-point Blanc de Blancs and offerings from Nyetimber, Chapel Down, and Gusbourne. Climate change has enabled impressive still wines alongside traditional sparklers, with 240 wineries now operating and British drinkers finally embracing their homegrown wines with pride.

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Highlights from the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter London 2025: A two-day celebration of fine wine

Decanter UK Nov 18, 2025 News

The Decanter Fine Wine Encounter returned to London in November for its first two-day event since 2019, pulling together wine lovers and producers for masterclasses, tastings, and a new Winemakers' Lunches format. It's worth noting they gave the Decanter World Wine Awards winners their own dedicated showcase room for the first time, and the Cellar Collection experience sold out again—so it's clearly still the hottest ticket at the show.

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Laithwaites teams up with Alan Carr and Lee Peart for new wine podcast

The Drinks Business Nov 27, 2025 Podcasts

Laithwaites, one of the UK's biggest family-owned wine merchants, is backing a new podcast called Bottoms Up! hosted by comedians Alan Carr and Lee Peart that's designed to make wine less intimidating and more entertaining. They're positioning it as a show for people who'd never own a decanter, bringing in guest experts to chat about everything from budget bottles to splurge-worthy picks. It's a smart move by Laithwaites to tap into the casual wine crowd and shake off the stuffy reputation the industry sometimes gets.

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WineGB’s response to the 2025 Autumn Budget Statement

Wine GB Nov 26, 2025 Regulation

WineGB's taken a swipe at the autumn Budget, calling out yet another alcohol duty hike that unfairly hammers domestic producers at a crucial moment for UK wine's global reputation. The trade body's frustrated that the Chancellor didn't help stimulate demand or tackle VAT and business national insurance, though they're pleased about the free apprenticeship scheme for under-25s in SME, reckoning it'll help bring fresh talent into the sector.

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The Wine and Spirit sector despairs at yet another tax raid on alcohol

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association Nov 26, 2025 Regulation

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association is firing back at the Chancellor over yet another tax increase on alcohol in the Autumn Budget. The WSTA's clearly frustrated that the industry's concerns went unheard, and this latest raid will hit everyone down the supply chain hard.

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A first as the Réunion des Gastronomes serves English Sparkling Wine at its annual banquet

WineGB Nov 24, 2025 Market Trends

English Sparkling Wine just hit a major milestone—the Réunion des Gastronomes served it at their annual banquet instead of Champagne for the first time ever. Wine GB's CEO used the moment to highlight that English sparkling exports are up 35% year-on-year and winning serious international accolades, though she's also pushing for a duty freeze in the upcoming budget since the UK currently has the highest duty rate in Europe for domestic wine producers.

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Emmanuel Reynaud, owner of iconic Châteauneuf estate Château Rayas, dies at 61

Decanter UK Nov 26, 2025 News

Emmanuel Reynaud, the legendary winemaker behind Château Rayas in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, has died aged 61 after a long illness. He was known for his exacting standards, obsessive hands-on approach to his three Rhône estates, and his profound influence on Grenache winemakers worldwide. His death marks the end of an era for one of the world's most iconic and mystique-laden wine producers.

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French Wine Industry Faces Existential Crisis as Ministers Prepare for Emergency Talks

EU Today Nov 25, 2025 News

France's wine industry is facing a serious crisis that's forcing government ministers to hold emergency talks—and they're apparently looking at EU-level crisis reserves and structural reforms to save it. This is a big deal since France is basically the benchmark for European wine production, so whatever's happening there could ripple across the whole continent. Worth keeping an eye on to see what kind of support mechanisms they're considering and whether other EU wine countries might need similar interventions.

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Why you should add Barcelona Wine Week to your calendar

The Drinks Business Nov 27, 2025 Events

Barcelona Wine Week's returning in February 2026 and it's shaping up to be a proper must-attend for EU wine pros. They're expecting over 26,000 industry folks and 1,300 Spanish wineries, with a focus on family-run estates and a brand new No & Low Alcohol Day in collaboration with the Brussels World Competition. Worth marking your calendar if you're serious about staying connected with what's happening across European wine right now.

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France Boosts Wine Industry with €130 Million Aid

Devdiscourse Nov 25, 2025 Regulation

France just dropped €130 million in aid for its wine industry - a pretty significant move targeting vine uprooting programs, climate resilience, and tackling the declining consumption problem that's been plaguing producers. This kind of government support could set a precedent for how other EU countries approach their own struggling wine sectors, so it's worth watching to see if Brussels takes similar action across Europe.

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Andrew Jefford Investigates: Is Germany truly the new 'Pinot Paradise' for wine Lovers?

Decanter UK Nov 21, 2025 Market Trends

Andrew Jefford's latest piece in Decanter examines Germany's emergence as a serious Pinot Noir producer—essentially a climate change winner in the northern hemisphere. While classic regions like Bordeaux and Burgundy are getting squeezed by extreme weather, Germany's got the latitude advantage and vineyards like Kaiserstuhl are quietly shifting what's possible. It's a fascinating look at how the wine map is being redrawn by warming temperatures, and why northern European producers might be grinning whilst their southern neighbours aren't.

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Wine prices: Which is Europe’s most expensive country?

Decanter UK Nov 27, 2025 Regulation

The UK's just confirmed alcohol duty will rise with inflation from February 2026, which means wine prices could jump by around 13p per bottle on top of existing pressures. The Wine & Spirit Trade Association is fuming about it, warning that combined with packaging taxes and VAT, consumers could see nearly £1 added to bottle prices over a year. The timing's particularly tough since the UK's already ranked seventh most expensive for wine in Europe according to new research – and this'll only cement that reputation.

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Wine with Nick Brewer

HC Group Nov 26, 2025 Podcasts

Nick Brewer, who's previously led operations at major commodity trading firms, has now started his own winery called Oastbrook - this is a podcast interview where he shares his journey into wine production. It's an interesting perspective on someone bringing corporate experience into the wine business.

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Jason Millar: The idea of terroir is sacred, but is it helping us to communicate what truly matters?

Decanter UK Nov 25, 2025 Blogs

Jason Millar's piece in Decanter challenges whether terroir has become so ubiquitous in wine marketing that it's obscuring what consumers actually care about. He traces how terroir went from being a disparaging term meaning 'taste of dirt' to becoming industry doctrine after the 1976 Judgment of Paris, and questions whether talking about alluvial marls and soil composition is really helping us sell wine or just making the industry sound pretentious.

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Beer Vs Wine: How The Carbon Footprint Powers Sustainable Progress

Hypro Nov 19, 2025 Sustainability

Here's a solid data-driven breakdown comparing beer and wine's carbon footprints across production—turns out the sustainability story's more nuanced than you'd think. The piece digs into energy use and CO₂ recovery during fermentation, which matters given how much pressure wine producers are facing to clean up their act. Worth a read if you're tracking where the industry's heading on environmental credentials.

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