Britain’s new ban on goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank could remove a significant range of wines from UK shelves, particularly from the specialist kosher market.

The ban, announced by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, targets goods produced in settlements rather than Israeli products generally. For wine, that could mean the loss of brands including Psagot, Shiloh and Gush Etzion, all currently sold in Britain.

Aaron Schapiro, owner of London-based Arele’s Kosher Wines, told the Jerusalem Post that many Israeli wines stocked by UK stores come from settlement wineries. If imports are prohibited, he said, he expects to lose more than half of his inventory.

Other producers, including Tura, Gvaot and Hevron Heights, also have wines on the UK market and could be affected. The precise impact will depend on the new rules defining the origin of wine and grapes.

The ban is expected to take effect within months, giving importers time to assess their ranges.

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Researchers have found that differences in Pinot Noir grape chemistry between two vineyards were associated with soil pH, manganese and the bacteria living around vine roots.

The study, published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, found that changes in soil conditions and rhizosphere bacterial communities tracked with differences in amino acids and phenolic compounds in the grapes.

Rather than identifying a single cause, the researchers found a network of linked factors including soil pH, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable manganese and bacterial community structure.

The findings add to growing research into how conditions beneath the vines may help explain why grapes from different vineyards can develop distinctive chemistry. Amino acids are important for yeast fermentation, while phenolics influence colour, bitterness and astringency.

Although the study covered only two Pinot Noir vineyards, the researchers suggest that combining soil and microbial measurements could eventually improve precision viticulture and help growers better understand the factors shaping fruit composition.

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Three recent wine fraud cases in the UK and Italy reveal just how many ways criminals can exploit the value attached to wine, from imaginary bottles and convincing counterfeits to entirely false claims about where a wine was made.

Wine fraud is often associated with fake bottles, but the latest cases show that the deception can happen much earlier in the supply chain.

In the UK, wine executive Stephen Burton has been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in a $99 million investment fraud. Investors were told their money was being used to finance loans secured against collections of rare wine. The supposed collateral included more than 25,000 bottles, featuring prestigious names such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Château Lafleur. In reality, prosecutors said Bordeaux Cellars held just 217 bottles.

Another UK case involved a more traditional form of fraud. A 34-year-old man was arrested after 55 bottles of suspected counterfeit wine were allegedly sold to a victim for more than £500,000. At an average of over £9,000 a bottle, convincing labels and packaging could generate enormous profits.

In Italy, meanwhile, authorities seized 2.5 million litres of wine falsely certified as DOP or IGP, worth more than €4 million. Here, it was the wine's claimed identity and provenance that were allegedly falsified.

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Australia is finding an unexpected bright spot in Canada, where wine exports jumped 20% to A$188 million. But as US wines lose ground, a bigger question is emerging: how badly are tariffs hurting American wine demand?

Australian wine exports to Canada surged 20% in value to A$188 million in the year to June 2026, while volume rose 13% to 69 million litres. The gains came partly as US wines became less available during the Canada-US trade dispute, allowing Australian producers to capture market share.

The result stands out against a global slump. Australia’s total wine exports fell 7% to A$2.30 billion, while exports to the US plunged 27% to A$229 million.

And Australia is not alone in feeling the pain. US wine imports dropped 25.2% in value and 16.8% in volume during the first half of 2026. Australia, Chile and South Africa suffered particularly sharp falls, with export values down around 40%.

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Wildfire smoke triggers different genetic responses in grape varieties, offering new clues to why some fruit may be more vulnerable to smoke taint.

Researchers studying Shiraz and Chardonnay found that grapes switch on particular genes after exposure to smoke. These genes are involved in how the fruit responds to and processes smoke-derived compounds.

The response varied significantly between the two varieties. Chardonnay activated 15 glycosyltransferase genes, compared with five in Shiraz, suggesting that grape varieties may handle smoke exposure in quite different ways.

The findings build on earlier research identifying specific grape genes involved in the response to smoke. Rather than revealing a single “smoke taint gene”, the latest work points to a wider network of genetic responses.

That could eventually help breeders identify varieties with greater resilience to wildfire smoke, while giving growers and winemakers better ways to assess the risk to grapes after a fire.

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Europe’s vineyards are racing through one of their earliest harvests on record. Heat and drought have accelerated ripening from Burgundy to Valpolicella, while growers face lower yields, compressed picking windows and difficult choices over freshness, acidity and wine style.

Burgundy’s harvest has broken a record dating to 1556, with healthy fruit showing high sugars but surprisingly good acidity. In Abruzzo, drought has shrivelled grapes, caused sunburn and cut yields by up to 70% in the worst sites. Alsace has also recorded its earliest start, with heat producing uneven ripeness.

Across Europe, Spain, France, Italy and Germany are harvesting days or weeks early. Smaller berries and lower acidity are common concerns, although dry weather has reduced disease pressure in Germany and Switzerland.

Germany is deliberately picking earlier to avoid excessive sugar and high-alcohol wines, reflecting demand for lighter styles.

In Bordeaux, water availability is crucial: older vines are coping better, while heat, sunlight and water stress are producing more tannic, concentrated fruit. It is hoped the recent rain could restore more balance in the grapes.

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