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Government extends off-sales licence after backlash

Published:  18 July, 2022

The government has announced that it will extend the alcohol off-sales easement, introduced during the pandemic, to September 2023, following a campaign led by UKHospitality and other sector bodies.

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Herdade dos Grous joins IWCA

Published:  13 July, 2022

Herdade dos Grous has joined the International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), committing to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions annually and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

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‘It’s not the job of businesses to solve global problems’ says Mangrove MD

Published:  30 June, 2022

A new taxpayer-funded ad campaign will ask businesses to cut prices to help with the cost-of-living crisis from July.

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Vodka's wild ride

Published:  29 June, 2022

The corporate world is very fond of quoting an old adage: “Commerce hates noise.” Yet vodka brands cannot hide from the upheaval caused by Ukraine, rising inflation and post-pandemic behavioural shifts. With the political, economic, and social environment in a state of realignment, spirit brands have been presented with a unique set of opportunities, and threats, in 2022.

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Nusrat Ghani, MP, calls for more support for UK vineyards

Published:  21 June, 2022

Nusrat Ghani, MP for Wealden and co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Wine and Spirits, wants to see the government do more to help English and Welsh winemakers.

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The weighty burden of alcohol’s rising costs

Published:  30 May, 2022

When chancellor Rishi Sunak announced his proposed changes to alcohol duty in the October Budget, he described them as the “most radical simplification of alcohol duties for over 140 years”. Under the present system, there are three duty rates on wine – one for still wine, a slightly higher one for sparkling wine and an even higher one for fortified wine.

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Miles Beale speaks out against the government’s £300m tax increase on wine

Published:  23 May, 2022

As the latest Wine Drinkers UK communique suggests, taxing alcohol is set to cost the wine industry an estimated £300 million and push up prices for UK consumers, without bringing any significant boost to Treasury funds.

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Portman Group updates alcohol labelling guidelines

Published:  11 May, 2022

Today, the Portman Group, the alcohol social responsibility body and alcohol marketing self-regulator, has updated its Alcohol Labelling Guidelines, providing best practice guidance to alcohol producers.

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Labelling warning: how cigarette-style labels could affect alcohol

Published:  11 May, 2022

For 20 years, graphic warnings have been emblazoned on cigarette packets in the UK, warning consumers of the health risks associated with tobacco. A couple of decades later and alcohol might be subjected to similar labelling, potentially dissuading young people from buying beer, wine and spirits in the future.

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Major prices hikes for wine drinkers, as VAT rises to 20% for the industry

Published:  01 April, 2022

In a sector facing soaring costs and plummeting consumer confidence, today’s increase in VAT gives operators a tough decision to make on price rises.

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Less choice and higher prices from new import checks, says Daniel Lambert

Published:  01 April, 2022

Yesterday, the cross-party, cross-business UK Trade and Business Commission heard that post-Brexit import checks would create less choice and higher prices for UK wine consumers.

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Glass bottles to be excluded from DRS in England and Northern Ireland

Published:  29 March, 2022

DEFRA has announced today that they will not include glass bottles in the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for England and Northern Ireland.

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UK removes ‘retaliatory’ tariffs on American whiskeys

Published:  24 March, 2022

The Bourbon Alliance and its members have welcomed the announcement of a resolution to a trade dispute, which resulted in destructive tariffs on American Whiskeys. 

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Morrisons among UK retailers to boycott Russian vodka

Published:  04 March, 2022

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, there have been calls to boycott Russian brands with the country’s most famous commodity, vodka, on the radar of UK retailers.

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New Zealand trade deal could mean cheaper wine for UK shoppers

Published:  01 March, 2022

The UK has signed a far-reaching trade deal with New Zealand to remove trade barriers on many UK goods and services and provide new opportunities for British businesses.

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Broadcaster Helena Nicklin slams alcohol duty hikes as sexist

Published:  27 January, 2022

A member of the Amazon Prime series Three Drinkers has condemned Rishi Sunak’s proposed changes to the duty system as “punishing female consumers”, highlighting that wine is the most popular alcoholic drink among women in the UK.

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Duty and import confusion intensifies in 2022

Published:  21 January, 2022

Red tape and potential duty rises are going to push up prices for wine, as James Lawrence reports.

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Portman celebrates high compliance on 25th anniversary

Published:  26 January, 2021

A new report out today from The Portman Group reveals an all time high in compliance with its Code of Practice for the UK drinks industry.

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Hard calls on Brexit

Published:  18 September, 2020

With end of transition fast approaching, concern is growing over lack of clarity on UK-EU trade. Ahead of the WSTA Industry Summit 2020, Andrew Catchpole spoke with Miles Beale about goverment's current plans to impose unnecessary red tape and barriers to business. 

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WSTA Summit: ‘Once in a lifetime’ opportunity for excise duty review

Published:  15 September, 2020

Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has highlighted the potential of an upcoming government review into excise duty, which could have a major impact on the robustness of the industry to face challenging times.

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