The Wine GB Awards winners has been unveiled by the trade body, with still wine entries and medals surpassing sparkling for the second year on the trot.
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It has been nearly a decade since Britain voted to leave the EU on 23 June, 2016. Many years on, this decision – one of the most consequential in recent British politics – continues to be felt across the country, not least in the wine trade. And, with its anniversary fast approaching, Brexit is back in the headlines once again – rapidly developing into an issue for prospective Labour leaders Streeting and Burnham.
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Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) chief executive Miles Beale used a platform at the opening of this year’s London Wine Fair (LWF) to call for an ongoing and urgent drink and hospitality industry reset with regard to lobbying government.
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In defiance of the axiom about reopening old wounds, Labour has brought Brexit back into the headlines. According to a recent BBC report, the UK and the EU are exploring a potential deal to more closely align food and drink standards – including wine – within the single market framework.
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In a latest twist, the long-awaited EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement has been delayed after the European Parliament voted to refer the deal to the EU Court of Justice following opposition from the French agricultural sector. It took 25 years for the EU Council to sign the Interim Trade Agreement in January, but its completion is now, however, in sight.
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“This is not about UK vs EU vs US – it is industry vs government.” So said the typically measured Miles Beale, chief executive of the UK’s Wine & Spirit Trade Association, speaking on a panel entitled Tariffs: The Spirits Industry Under Pressure at Wine Paris.
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One grey February morning our tasting team were ploughing through a bench of wines. Our task was a familiar one to many Harpers readers – to decide which, if any, might be suitable to add to our range.
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This week marks the release of our 50 Best Indies 2026 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.
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This week marks the release of our 50 Best Indies 2026 results, celebrating the leading wine and spirits merchants from across the UK.
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The Society of Vintners has hit the ground running in 2026, with the appointment of Claire Greenwood (pictured) as its first commercial director as of 5 January.
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To mark its 40th anniversary, the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino (GOVC) has announced the six inaugural recipients of its new mentorship programme.
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Indian and British Prime Ministers, Narendra Modi and Keir Starmer, have formally signed a free trade agreement which will include an easement of Indian tariffs on Scotch whisky.
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The annual English Wine Week celebration of homegrown still and sparkling wine is back from 21-29 June with its busiest roster of consumer-facing events to date.
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The British and Indian governments have agreed to a trade deal touted to increase bilateral trade between the nations by £25.5bn. The deal saw a softening of Indian tariffs on imports of British gin and whisky which could spark growth for the UK's domestic spirits industry.
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In 2023, 1.5 million visits were made to UK vineyards and wineries, up 55% on 2022. These visits provide vital support to UK estates, with wine tourism accounting for 25% of total winery income on average.
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A new report on English sparkling wine from Wine Lister, the fine wine consulting agency, shows that on average critics’ score the category 90.6, which compares favourably with sector-leading Champagne wines (90.8).
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Bancroft Wines has added South Norfolk-based winery Flint Vineyard to its portfolio. The partnership means Bancroft will now become the exclusive UK distributor of the East Anglian winery’s two sparkling wines, a Charmat and a Charmat Rose.
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Plumpton College, home of the UK’s National Wine Training Programme, has announced the launch of the National Competency Framework (NCF). The new initiative is designed to define essential skills and competencies for employment across key sectors of the UK wine trade.
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Recent reports indicate the UK government could introduce an Australia-style youth mobility scheme for EU citizens as part of efforts to reset post-Brexit relations. The decision could have significant implications for the hospitality sector which has faced recruitment challenges since Brexit.
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Figures from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) reveals that the total global export value for Scotch whisky stood at £5.4bn for 2024. This represents a slight decline of 3.7% in exports by value compared to 2023.
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