News Articles - Wine Industry Digest

Nyetimber’s head winemaker Cherie Spriggs: ‘I think about wine in a musical way’

UK The Irish News Feb 19, 2026 News

Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker at Nyetimber, the award-winning English sparkling wine producer, reveals her creative philosophy behind the wines she crafts. In a new interview, she explains how she approaches winemaking with a musical sensibility, thinking about how different elements come together in harmony. It's an interesting insight into the personalities and creative processes shaping the UK's increasingly respected sparkling wine industry.

Ridgeview Estate Winery escapes administration

UK Global Drinks Intel Feb 12, 2026 News

Ridgeview Estate Winery, one of England's leading sparkling wine producers, has managed to avoid going into administration. It's positive news for the Sussex-based winery, which has been a flagship name in the English wine renaissance over recent years. The development comes as many UK wine businesses have faced financial headwinds.

‘NOW THAT DRY JANUARY IS OVER – IT’S NOT ONLY TIME TO DRINK WINE BUT ALSO TO GROW GRAPES – WINEGB LAUNCHES ITS NEW ENTRANTS GUIDE

UK WineGB Feb 4, 2026 News

WineGB has launched a comprehensive New Entrants Guide to help aspiring winemakers and vineyard owners navigate the growing UK wine sector. The revised 104-page guide, sponsored by NFU Mutual and dedicated to English wine pioneer Peter Hall, covers everything from viticulture and winemaking to business planning and market routes. It's designed to give newcomers realistic expectations about the increasingly expensive business of wine production, and is available exclusively to WineGB members through their Knowledge Hub.

Croxsons unveils British sparkling wine bottle

UK Harpers Wine & Spirit Feb 2, 2026 News

UK glass bottle manufacturer Croxsons has launched a new bottle specifically designed for English and Welsh sparkling wine producers. It's a positive development for the domestic sparkling wine sector, showing investment in the infrastructure needed to support Britain's growing reputation for quality sparkling wines.

Jamie George embraces English Sparkling ahead of Six Nations

UK The Drinks Business Jan 29, 2026 News

Nyetimber has appointed former England rugby captain Jamie George as brand ambassador, following the sparkling wine producer's announcement as official partner of England Rugby ahead of the 2026 Six Nations. The campaign celebrates George's two-decade career with content filmed at Hertford RFC, where his rugby journey began, and features Nyetimber's iconic Routemaster Bus. The partnership also highlights grassroots rugby, with Nyetimber recently becoming official sparkling wine partner of Richmond Rugby Club.

LCB shares the secret to world-class service

UK The Drinks Business Jan 27, 2026 News

London City Bond, one of the UK's leading bonded warehouses for wine and spirits, credits its staff loyalty and workplace culture for delivering reliable service during the hectic Christmas peak season. The company, which has nearly 40 years of experience, maintains an impressive average employee tenure of over 10 years, unusual for the logistics sector, by investing in staff development and fostering a positive working environment. For wine importers and merchants relying on smooth distribution, LCB's operational strength matters directly to their ability to get stock to customers on time.

BBR auctions ‘treasure trove’ from the cellars of the Berry and Rudd families

UK The Drinks Business Jan 26, 2026 News

Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain's oldest fine wine merchant, is holding an auction of exceptional wines sourced directly from the cellars of the Berry and Rudd families. The online sale, closing on 3 February, features remarkable bottles spanning two centuries including a 1966 Château Cheval Blanc and rare vintages, with proceeds from the Family Reserve being reinvested into the collection. A real highlight is three miniature bottles of 1911 Mumm Champagne originally created for Queen Mary's Dolls' House in 1924, which have never been publicly offered for sale before.

North Yorkshire vineyard reports 'jaw-dropping' year

UK The York Press Jan 10, 2026 News

A North Yorkshire vineyard has had an exceptional year and they're calling it 'jaw-dropping'. The York Press piece covers what's clearly a strong performance for the operation, which fits the wider story of UK viticulture gaining momentum in recent years.

Plumpton College pledges £500,000 of fully funded training to the English Wine Industry

UK WineGB Jan 8, 2026 News

Plumpton College is putting half a million quid into free training for English wine producers and trade professionals throughout 2026 to mark its centenary year. It's a solid move given the current economic headwinds – they're offering everything from vineyard skills to business development courses with no limits on how many courses businesses can book.

Vagabond brings the UK’s largest urban winery to London

UK WineGB Dec 12, 2025 News

Vagabond's just opened the UK's largest urban winery at Canada Water in London – a 6,000 sq ft space with a working 100-tonne cellar where you can taste straight from barrel, grab over 100 wines by the glass, and book everything from winery tours to full dinners. It's a pretty interesting move for the London wine scene, especially with their in-house team making award-winning wines from grapes sourced within two hours of the city, and it shows how the retail wine business is evolving beyond traditional bars into proper immersive experiences.

Welsh wine and cheese shine on the world stage with major award wins

UK Wales247.co.uk Dec 8, 2025 News

Welsh wine producers are getting some serious recognition on the international stage with major award wins alongside their cheese counterparts. It's a great story for the UK wine industry. Welsh wine' has been gaining credibility for a while now, but seeing it celebrated alongside traditional food products shows how far the sector's come in terms of quality and reputation.

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

UK 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.

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

UK 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.

Vagabond launches DTC platform

UK The Drinks Business Nov 17, 2025 News

Vagabond Wines just launched a DTC platform that lets customers order their wines at home with next-day delivery—a big move for a company that's built its brand around the in-bar self-pour experience. What's clever here is they're using all that tasting data from their bars to power personalised recommendations online, creating a feedback loop that'll help them understand what customers actually want.

Why the UK could become number one for Champagne

UK The Drinks Business Nov 14, 2025 News

The UK could be about to reclaim its crown as Champagne's biggest export market, thanks to rising demand at home and Trump's tariffs squeezing US imports. According to James Simpson from the Champagne Shippers' Association, the UK's expected to hit around 24m bottles this year while the US drops to similar levels—a significant reversal after the Americans dominated last year. It's a fascinating shift driven partly by strategic stockpiling before the tariffs kicked in, and it shows how trade policy can shake up the global wine market in real time.