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The 'Sud de France' protected designation label won't be allowed on wines from the 2025 vintage onwards, according to wein.plus. This is a significant regulatory shift for one of France's major wine regions and could reshape how Southern French producers market their wines. Worth keeping an eye on for how this impacts labelling compliance and regional branding across the EU.
The Drinks Business is reporting that Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Budget claims about a "golden era" for hospitality are being called out as smoke and mirrors. Pubs and restaurants are facing massive hidden tax hits through business rates revaluation, the end of Covid relief, and spiralling wage and alcohol duty costs - the industry's warning it could trigger another wave of closures across the on-trade.
France is handing out €130m to winemakers to rip up their vines, and it's worth paying attention to. This is a big policy move that'll reshape vineyard capacity across the EU, and it signals how serious the bloc is about dealing with wine oversupply and climate challenges. Euronews has the details on what's driving this scheme and what it means for the industry.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The WHO's pushing for stricter alcohol policies and Europe's actually listening—the EU is reviewing its Alcohol Taxation Directive while tying new regulations to the Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. This could shake up how wine gets marketed and sold across the bloc, so it's worth watching to see what restrictions actually make it through.