Browse all articles in this category
Gen Z drinkers across the UK and EU are ditching abstinence campaigns like Dry January in favour of actually having a drink. The Drinks Business reports that participation in monthlong sobriety challenges dropped from 33% to 24% in the UK over the past year, with similar declines across France and Italy, suggesting a significant shift in how younger consumers are approaching alcohol consumption.
Surrey's winemakers are banding together to put their region on the map as a serious wine destination, and they're getting some decent results too – 2025's apparently been their best vintage ever despite the bonkers weather swings they've been dealing with. The Vineyards of the Surrey Hills association reckons they've been overshadowed by Sussex and Kent, but they're betting their proximity to London and quality fruit could be a real draw for wine tourism. Interesting to see English wine growing 3% last year when most categories are struggling – shows there's genuine momentum in the home market.
London City Bond's handling of Christmas logistics reveals something interesting about how UK wine and spirits buying patterns have shifted – the festive peak used to be spread across months, but now it's compressed into just a few weeks in December as customers tighten their belts and maximise credit terms. They're dealing with up to 23,000 orders in a single week, which means relying on experienced warehouse staff rather than quick training temp workers, especially when you're dealing with sophisticated picking equipment and holding 11 million cases in stock.
Italian wine's facing a perfect storm at the moment, but it's not all doom and gloom—some producers and regions are weathering it better than others. WineNews digs into which business models and territories are managing to hold their ground whilst others struggle. Worth a read if you're tracking what's happening across EU wine markets right now.
Gusbourne's diverse sparkling wine portfolio is basically a snapshot of where English sparkling wine is heading right now, according to The Buyer. It's worth a read if you're curious about how producers are experimenting beyond the traditional Champagne-style approach and what that tells us about the market's maturity.
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.
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.
Italy's wine industry report for 2025 is worth a read if you're watching European market dynamics—it's pulling in European Commission data showing consumption dropping 3% across the EU in 2024/25, which is a pretty significant headwind for producers. Given Italy's size as a major wine exporter, whatever's happening in their market tends to ripple across the whole continent.
Wine tourism is about to explode—we're talking a projected jump from $46 billion in 2023 to $332 billion by 2034. The really interesting bit? Tourism growth is massively outpacing actual wine sales, which means European wine regions need to get serious about experiences and immersion if they want to capitalize on this shift, especially with European production down 7.5% from the five-year average.
After hitting a 63-year production low, global wine output's bouncing back with a 3% jump in 2025—and Italy's leading the charge with an impressive 8% surge. The piece digs into what's driving the EU recovery, so it's worth a read if you're tracking how European producers are clawing their way back after a rough stretch. Good context for understanding whether this rebound's sustainable or just a blip.
Bordeaux is in serious trouble—bulk wine prices have crashed to just €1 per liter, which is actually below what it costs to produce. It's a perfect storm of changing drinking habits, health campaigns, and global market pressure that's leaving French winegrowers facing real economic losses. This is a major warning sign for the whole European wine industry about where demand is heading.