Bibendum releases new Vinonomics graph following Budget

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 02 December, 2025

The premium wine distributor Bibendum has released a new ‘Vinonomics’ graph (pictured) which breaks down the different costs that make up the price of a bottle of wine, following the Autumn Budget.

In the Budget, the Chancellor announced that from 1 February 2026, the UK government will be uprating alcohol duty by 3.66%, in line with RPI inflation. The graph shows that this uprated duty will contribute £2.87 to the cost of each bottle of wine with an ABV of 12.5% sold in the UK.

Commenting on these increased rates, Jamie Avenell, group buying director at Bibendum, explained: “Whilst not unexpected, at a time when consumers are already under pressure in their spending, this increase adds further strain on everyone in the supply chain, all the way through to producers – many of whom have nothing left to squeeze. It risks reducing consumer choice and diminishing the experience of the wine category as more wines are pushed out of affordability.”

Read more: Australian wine supply outstripping demand

The graph also shows how the cost of higher-priced bottles of wine typically contributes more to the cost of making the wine itself – for the average bottle of wine sold in the UK (costing £7.07), only £0.62 goes to the cost of making the wine, as opposed to £10.88 for a bottle costing £30.

Founded in 1982, Bibendum has been supplying premium wine to the UK on-trade for over 40 years. The company was acquired by the C&C group in 2018.

Printer friendly version