Browse all articles in this category
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.