Winabis is the first cannabis or CBD infused wine that the company claims is legal in Europe.

The wine uses the UK legal Cannabidiol CBD rather than the psychoactive THC that is illegal in the UK for all but a few cases on doctors prescription.

The 9.5% ABV wine is available throughout Europe and will retail for €16.95 or €45 for three bottles. The emerald-hued wine is described as medium sweet with flavours of peach.

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New Zealand continues to lead the way in the UK in wine merchants and supermarkets, with both sales volume and value growing in the UK to stretch its lead as the top premium country in the UK.

New Zealand now sells £483 million of wine to the UK, up 6.6% Nielsen data (MAT to 6 October 2018). Sauvignon Blanc is still the flagship and now accounts for 47% of all Sauvignon Blanc sold in wine retailers and supermarkets. But Pinot Noir is growing rapidly and New Zealand has cemented itself as the leading supplier of premium red wines with an average price of £9.43 for their reds which is almost a third higher than any other country.

The value of sales to the UK is up but so is the volume up 6.3% to 6,597,000 cases. The US is still New Zealand’s key export market by value, but the UK is slightly ahead in volume. In fact in the UK, with its much lauded premium pricing for NZ wines, is the country with the lowest average price of all New Zealand's top 15 key markets, according to the New Zealand Vine Growers 2018 annual report.

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The new world is getting old, while the old world is new it seems.
In 2019, New Zealand, one of the darlings of the New World, will celebrate 200 years of making wine. Australia’s first wines were on sale in the 1820’s and South Africa's world-renowned Constantia Estate was planted 333 years ago. While in America the first vines were planted at Senecu in 1629, some 389 years ago, so to call these the 'new' wines is a bit old hat.

Newer countries to turn their hand to wine include Norway, England and China. These old world countries are the New new!

New World countries were named so because British colonists would head off into the “New world” to explore. Later, the name came to mean a new wave of fruit driven style of wine, made using modern wine making techniques. However much of the old world has copied these techniques, and the new world has developed old world techniques so the difference between the two no longer exists.

The new New are often wine regions that have benefited from climate change. Yes, England grew grapes in Roman times but this all disappeared when the Romans left. It wasn't until the 1970’s that vines where re-planted and only in the last 20 years an industry has grown up.

China’s long march to wine has as much to do with it’s international opening up, and the communist party's desire to switch alcohol production to less arable land. But this ancient country is definitely New when it comes to the wine scene.

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With the UK Government preparing to pass the Brexit legislation, many in the drinks trade are concerned about supply disruption.

Majestic has announced it is planning on holding an additional £5-£8 million of additional stock during Brexit. Meanwhile wholesalers Bibendum PLB are planning on bringing more stock into the UK as Brexit day approaches on 29th March 2019. At a press conference on the day of the Hospices de Beaune sale earlier this month, the president of the Union des Maisons de Vins de Grande Bourgogne, Frédéric Drouhin advised producers to ‘overstock’ shipments to the UK, to avoid being short of wine, should customs clearance get too complicated.

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Results from the Tranche 1 of the IWC Autumn tasting competition were announced and English wine producers picked up a number of Gold and Silver medals. Ridgeview got a Gold for their Blanc de Blancs 2014, while Raimes won Gold for the Classic Brut 2014 vintage. 10 Silver medals were awarded to other English sparkling wines, and Denbies won a Silver for their Bacchus 2017.

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It's that time of year when the supermarkets have the best discounts. 25% off all wines, with several offering discounts on Champagne, the savings can really add up.

Tesco is offering 25% off until Monday 3rd December while Sainsbury's has the same offer until the 11th December.

Other wines with big Christmas discounts include Champagnes, with Tattinger available from Amazon for £26.25, a saving of £12.25 a bottle/32% off.

Meanwhile, in consumer magazine Which? Denbies Chalk Valley Brut won the best value sparkling wine in its annual review of the UK fizz market. It is available at £16 a bottle from Morrisons.

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