British Columbia devastated by frost
British Columbia devastated by frost, leads producers to import grapes from Washington.
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Wine News Search
Imported 'B.C.' wines annoy locals
British Columbian wines are the focus of media attention and consumer outrage after revelations that bulk imported wine is being sold as B.C. wine.
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British wine rides on the coat tails of English wine!
Sales of British wine made from imported grape juice are booming according to a report in The Grocer and are now worth £23 million a year with sales up more than 50%.
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Canadian wine in bag-in-box is same as bottle but different
A winery in British Columbia is to lose the prestigious B.C. Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) designation for wine it will be packing into bag-in-box instead of bottles.
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US takes protectionist Canadian wine industry to the WTO
US takes protectionist Canadian wine industry to the WTO over unfair trading practices.
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B.C. bans US alcohol in response to Trump tariffs
British Columbia this week has followed Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec last week by banning all US alcohol from government-run liquor stores
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Canadian province Alberta has banned British Columbian (BC) wines
Canadian province Alberta has banned British Columbian (BC) wines, after BC raised concerns about a proposed pipeline running through the state.
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British set to be biggest wine spenders in Europe
UK drinkers are predicted to become the biggest European spenders on wine within the next three years.
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Chardonnay top 15 clones to have their DNA mapped
Clones of the Chardonnay grape vine will be mapped to show which clone is best for which geography.
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British drinking less not more
A survey by the British Beer & Pub Association shows UK alcohol consumption has fallen for the fourth year in a row with a 6% drop in 2009.
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As the weather warms 1 in 3 British drinkers don’t know you can chill red wine
In the survey commissioned by Cono Sur, 36% of British drinkers thought that chilling a red wine was completely wrong.
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Mild weather threatens Canada's ice wine harvest
The ice wine harvest in Canada is the latest victim of the effects of global warming.
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Apprentice star selling ice wine, but has it been sweetened by Lord Sugar?
Jackie Fast, currently competing on BBC’s Apprentice, has launched a Canadian Ice Wine this week in London.
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Court rules against lower duty for web wine
Shoppers hoping to buy cut-price alcohol from other European countries via the internet were disappointed last week when judges in Luxembourg ruled that the tax laws which have benefited British cross-Channel customers won’t be extended to web ones.
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British wine drinkers lack knowledge
A survey by British supermarket chain Morrisons suggest that many of us in the UK are lacking in wine knowledge.
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UK online buying habits set for growth.
1 in 7 British adults currently buys their wine online.
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BA adds English sparkler in 1st class
British Airways first airline to offer an English sparkling wine to its airline customers
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Brits biggest drinkers when flying
British drink the most onboard but survey shows many would welcome alcohol free flights.
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Naked Wines angels come to the rescue of British winemaker
British winemaker suffers at hands of vandals but Naked Wines come to the rescue.
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Real British men drink beer not wine
A survey commissioned by Côtes du Rhône wines reveals how British men enjoy drinking wine at home but avoid ordering it in a pub.
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Bolney Estate getting more British by the second
First Wimbledon now British Airways say they will serve Bolney Estate
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British Airways sell all, including the family silver
British Airways has been decommissioning its 747 aircraft and has been selling of the family silver, or at least the first-class glasses and crockery and drinks trolley!
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Dinosaur extinction linked to the rise of grapes
Recent research has led scientists to believe that grapes prospered after the end of dinosaurs.
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Gordon Brown favours fizz over still wine in budget
Gordon Brown raises the price of wine went by 4p a bottle, but froze the duty on both Champagne and British sparkling wine
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Vin de Constance a hit with Napoleon and chef Michel Roux
Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux has written a cookery book with all the recipes designed to go with one single wine - Vin de Constance.
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Midlands winery makes wine with an international feel
Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, Californian Zinfandel and Italian Pinot Grigio might sound like a pretty standard selection of wines, but not when you hear that they are all being made by a company in the West Midlands, using grape juice and concentrate from
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New British Standard will measure carbon footprints
From next year we could be seeing a battle for the most carbon-friendly wine brands as a new standard is being drawn up to measure and promote greenhouse gases.
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Namibian vineyard proving it's possible to make dry desert wine!
Who would imagine anyone could produce good wine – let alone wine at all – on the edge of the Namibian desert, but a British-born businessman is proving just such a thing is possible.
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Medical journal debates smaller wine bottles for responsible drinking
Why does wine have to come in 75cl bottles? That’s the debate being raised by the British Medical Journal
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British think Austria is land of Sound of Music rather than wine!
In spite of the fact that exports of Austrian bottled wines soared 30% last year, growth in the UK is being limited.
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Pub closures at 5 a day
Pubs in the UK are closing at a rate of 5 a day
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Harpers issue open later to MPs
Trade magazine Harpers and the Wine & Spirit Trade Association have issued an open letter to British MPs as plans for a mandatory code of conduct for the drinks trade are leaked.
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En Primeur campaign under pressure
Bordeaux's 2008 En Primeur campaign is under pressure from British importers to reduce prices.
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Waitrose plant first vineyard
This week sees British supermarket Waitrose plant its own vines at Leckford Farm Estate in Hampshire.
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Low alcohol wine ban is lifted
British consumers will soon be able to purchase a low alcohol wine 2 years after it was banned by the French government.
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UK drinking levels are down
UK alcohol consumption is falling at the fastest rate for more than 60 years according to HM Revenue & Customs data released by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
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What a waste of wine!
According to figures collated for WRAP, the Waste & Resource Action Programme, British households are pouring £470 million worth of wine down the plughole every year.
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Brits drink more South African wine than French
Latest figures show that for the first time, the British are drinking more South African wine than French.
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Calais closes door to the booze cruise
British retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's are to close their wine outlets in northern France, signalling the death of the booze cruise.
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UK drinkers confused about alcohol units
A survey by Drinkaware amongst 4,000 British adults has revealed that only two in five adults understand how many alcohol units are in their drinks.
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VAT rises push up tax on wine
The new VAT rate of 20% came into effect this week in the UK which bring taxes on a £5 bottle of wine to 52% of the price.
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More drinkers, but we're drinking less
New research shows that the British and young Italians are drinking less.
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WineOption campaigners make case for clearer labelling
Wine campaigners, WineOption.org respond to a new study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by calling for clearer alcohol labelling for wine.
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Morrison Supermarket launches online wine cellar, using new Taste Test
British supermarket chain Morrisons has launched a wine website morrisonscellar.com
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Government to auction off their fine wine stocks
The British government is to sell off £50,000 worth of fine wines that are reaching their peak.
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A third of drinkers can't tell difference between Prosecco and Champagne
Mintel report shows 36% of sparkling wine consumers say there is little difference between Champagne and Prosecco.
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Duty rises cause a drop in government receipts
Alcohol duty collected from the British government fell for the first time on the previous year according to the Wilson Drinks Report.
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Government accused of cosying up to the drinks business
Government accused of cosying up to the drinks business but WSTA says British Medical Journal report is flawed
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Chapel Down Fizz auction to support the Arts
A 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar of Chapel Down sparkling Blanc de Blancs is to be auctioned at Christie’s to raise funds for a British arts charity.
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Bee friendly pesticide launched which kills Botrytis
British company develops new bee friendly pesticide to combat pests and botrytis
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Brits charged in New York over $100 million wine fraud
Two British men charged with defrauding people into investing nearly £100 million in loans that were claimed to be backed by wine.
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UK Hospitality needs you
With 174,000 jobs available in the hospitality industry, pay is rising and flexible hours are being offered, is it time to join the hospitality industry?
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NI/EU deal helps British drinks exports but trading with rest of EU remains costly
EU deal will help British drinks business export to Northern Ireland but non-trade barriers to the rest of Europe are high.
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Brits Banqueting Out on Beaujolais
Sales of Beaujolais have exploded in British restaurants and high end hotels with sales of its Gamay grape up 35% since 2019.
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Tesco the biggest supermarket for wine
British supermarkets saw wine sales leap forward, but who sells the most wine?
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A good year for Russell Crowe?
Following the success of Sideways, comes a new movie with a wine theme – this time set in France. Directed by Ridley Scott, A Good Year stars Russell Crowe and Albert Finney.
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Robert Parker hires Essex boy for a British view on wine
The world’s most influential wine critic Robert Parker has hired a little-known English writer to comment on wine from a UK perspective.
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French primary children to get wine education!
Along with learning how to read and write, French primary schoolchildren could soon be having wine appreciation classes as part of their curriculum.
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Loch Ness wine less of a myth than the monster!
Global warming could mean Britain has vineyards as far north as Scotland by the end of this century.
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UK poised to be top EU wine spenders
UK wine drinkers will spend more on still and sparkling wine than any other European country by 2010, according to new research.
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UK consumers ignorant about English wine
English wine is winning medals and our vineyards are growing by leaps and bounds, yet it seems UK consumers still haven’t got much of a clue about the wine we are producing in this country.
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A rosé by any other name
The popular rosé styles currently called White Zinfandel and White Grenache are having to change their names.
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UK drinkers get taste for Albarino
Spain may have just lost its place to Chile over imports to the UK, but consumers here are still discovering new Spanish wines.
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Scotland to ban buy one get one free
Three-for-two and other multi-buy discounts on alcohol are to be outlawed in Scotland as part of the country’s crackdown on binge drinking.
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Consumers uncorking more German Riesling than ever
In spite of the fact that Germany produces two thirds of the world’s Riesling, the country can’t make enough to meet consumer demand.
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RidgeView wins gastronomic prize
English sparkling wine producer RidgeView has been awarded the prestigious Grand Prix of Gastronomy.
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Bottle shortage a worry for wine industry
A glass shortage has been causing concern for the wine industry in Europe.
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Government and supermarkets working on promoting responsible drinking
Women are to be targeted in a government anti-drinking advertising campaign
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WHO aiming for a global strategy to reduce alcohol harm
World Health Organisation (WHO) has agreed a plan to develop a global strategy to reduce the harm caused by alcohol.
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Prestige fizz getting pricier
Prices of top Champagnes are shooting up despite the economy heading the other way.
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ThirtyFifty launches tastings in Oz
UK tasting company ThirtyFifty is launching down under.
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Bottle Shock, the latest wine movie, opens
We’ve had Sideways and A Good Year - now it’s time for another wine movie.
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Chapel Down opens new restaurant
Chapel Down has joined forces with Celebrity TV Chef, Richard Phillips, to launch a restaurant at the vineyard in Tenterden, Kent.
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Wine courier Amtrak in administration
Wine deliveries disrupted as courier firm Amtrak goes in administration
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Duty to rise on wine, beer & spirits
UK Government reduces VAT but increases the duty on alcohol to offset any benefits.
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American wine overtakes France
American wine sales have overtaken French wine sales in the UK for the first time ever.
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British Government rejects minimum pricing
A recommendation by UK chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson to impose a minimum price on alcoholic drinks of 50p per unit in England and Wales has been rejected by prime minister Gordon Brown.
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Laithwaites celebrates 40 years
Britain's biggest wine company celebrates its 40th birthday.
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UK drinkers trading up when out
A report by Datamonitor shows that UK drinkers are trading up to higher quality wines when drinking out.
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UK wine sales grow
UK On and Off trade figures show increase in wine sales value
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Health effects of alcohol in the UK significantly improving.
Liver disease continues to drop another 6% in the UK and likely to move back to very low historical levels soon. With the UK already well below average liver diseases in Europe.
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UK picks wine by grape variety and promotional offers
The grape variety is now just as important as promotions when it comes to buying wine in the UK.
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Jacobs Creek tries bulk shipping to offset high Australian dollar
The high Australian dollar is causing Jacob's Creek to bottle wine offshore rather than locally in Australia to offset the cost of the rising dollar.
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Paul Symington is named Decanter wine man of the year
Paul Symington of Symington Family Estates accepts award on behalf of the whole family.
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Is the booze cruise still worth it?
Exchange rates have fallen but duty will save you some money so is it still worth stocking up from over the channel?
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Olympics hits wine business hard
The London 2012 Olympics has failed to bring extra custom to central London as Londoners have stayed away, heeding messages from Transport for London to keep the transport system moving and avoid gridlock.
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Survey shows Olympics a disaster for London restaurant trade
London restaurants hit by Olympics with trade down 40% on average.
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BBC Food and Drink programme returns to our screens
Food and Drink is returning to our screens on BBC Two hosted by MasterChef star Michel Roux Jr and Kate Goodman as the drinks expert. The original series ran from 1982 to 2001.
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The Italian job, crushing grapes while doing bird
Italian inmates make wine whilst in prison.
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Wine in a paper bottle goes on sale in the US
Paper bottle for wine is world's first.
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English wine week events this weekend
English wine week Saturday 24th May to 1st June
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Heart doctor prescribes red wine
Antioxidant properties in red wine reduces risk of heart disease
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En primeur will no longer get a Parker rating
Robert Parker steps down from rating en primeur
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Wine o'clock is an official word according to the Oxford Dictionary
Wine o'clock and Beer o'clock have been added to the online Oxford Dictionary
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Wine can help prevent dementia and coffee helps protect the liver
New reports claim wine does prevent dementia and coffee helps protect the liver.
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Cloudy Bay wins at Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show and Downing Street backs English Wine
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Food & Wine at Glastonbury?
What's on offer at Glastonbury 2016 for food and wine lovers.
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Ridgeview exporting to US
British Fizz exporting to the US
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UK Parliament to debate law forcing UK embassies to serve English wine
Currently English and Welsh wines are not often shown at Embassies but is legislation the best idea?
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Wine Shops - the New Renaissance
Changing habits give Specialist wine merchants a leg up.
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Wines of GB unveil new brand identity
Wines of GB launched their new brand identity this week, receiving a mixed response from wine critics and the trade.
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Cellars in the Sky wine awards results
The Airlines wine competition Cellars in the Sky results have been announced.
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Scotland has implemented minimum alcohol pricing
As of 1st May 2018, Scotland has introduced minimum pricing. Minimum prices are based on 50p per unit of alcohol.
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The UK’s love of sparkling wine has seen a boost for Crémant de Loire
The UK’s love of sparkling wine has seen a boost for Crémant de Loire. Sales were up by 34% in 2017.
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UK Government Brexit Strategy could help larger wine companies
Brexit's 'trusted trader' proposal could make importing and exporting wine easier for larger UK wine companies.
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The new world is getting old, while the old world is new
In 2019, New Zealand one of the darlings of the New World, will celebrate 200 years of making wine. Is 200 still New?
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UK wine scene continues to evolve with Brits drinking more South American and Portuguese wines.
Portugal and South American countries Chile and Argentina saw big gains in the UK in 2018.
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WSET kick off wine education week with World Record for the biggest ever sommelier lesson.
The WSET kicked off wine education week with Guinness World Record for the biggest ever sommelier lesson with 330 participating.
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Minimum pricing in Scotland appears to reduce alcohol purchases
Report on minimum pricing for alcohol in Scotland appears to have reduced alcohol purchases.
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WSET in new Wine and Food Academy partnership
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust and the Institute of Hospitality are to run the Academy of Food & Wine Service as a joint venture.
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UK general elections - what are the main parties’ positions on wine?
All the main parties have plans that will affect the wine industry, so what are their positions?
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Conservatives win UK election, what next for wine taxes?
The Conservative party, led by Boris Johnson, has won the 2019 General election by a solid majority and will now be in a position to implement their drinks industry plans.
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Sales of Spanish Albariño from Rías Baixas take off in the UK
Spain's Albariño grape that makes fresh white wines sees 50% increase in exports to UK in 2019.
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Brexit negotiations are back into full swing as Britain prepares to leave the EU trade partnership
Britain’s trade deals are back underway as negotiation with the EU stalls, other trade partners hope that the UK will look at trade with a fresh attitude.
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UK government started free trade agreement negotiations with Australia and New Zealand
Free trade agreement negotiations have started with Australia and separately with New Zealand. Both are very important non-EU wine suppliers to the UK.
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Are we all about to enjoy the delights of South Africa?
A weak currency, a local market banned from drinking and a harvest that is both good quality and decent quantity. Is South African wine is set to over deliver on value?
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Whatever happens with Brexit, European wines will become more expensive
With Brexit negotiations still ongoing, having missed a number of deadlines, some things are certain - the new paperwork for importing wines from Europe will increase costs, limit choice and hit the fine wine market hard.
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Introduction of the VI-1 form for European wines delayed until December 2021
The VI-1 form is an import document that many in the wine industry do not believe is needed.
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Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships winners are announced
Two £12,000 scholarships have been awarded to BAME/BIPOC students to assist their studies for the Master of Wine or the Master Sommelier.
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Experienced UK wine drinkers prefer screw caps
Older drinkers prefer screw caps while younger drinkers are more inclined to prefer cork in the UK.
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British consumers still think heavy bottles of wine are premium & not bad for the environment
Research carried out has shown 40% of drinkers would pay more for a wine with a heavy bottle than a lightweight bottle, despite the known environmental effects of heavy glass bottles.
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Lower duty rates for low alcohol wines
New tax system for wine in the UK favours lower alcohol wines with lower duty rates.
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Deliveroo backers invest in canned wine company
English canned wine company The Uncommon receives investment from Deliveroo backers
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GB wine production dwarfs sales in 2023
Wine GB conference announced production and sales for 2023 that will take years to sell through
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Read the fine print it could be worth wine!
UK company offered a free bottle of Pomerol to the first person who found the offer in the small print of privacy policy statement.
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Tips law favours UK workers
New UK law ensures hospitality workers receive 100% of tips
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Wine linked to lower heart attack risk
New study links drinking sparkling & white wines (and red) to lower heart attack risk.
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