The UK Wine Show, widely regarded as the world's first dedicated wine podcast and one of the longest-running, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, marking two decades of weekly wine education, interviews and industry insight.

The first episode was released on 2 June 2006, when podcasting was still a niche medium. Twenty years later, co-founders Chris Scott and Jane Scott of ThirtyFifty have produced more than 850 episodes featuring guests from across the global wine industry, and the show continues to publish every week.

Hosted by Chris Scott, with contributions from co-host and co-producer Jane Scott, the podcast has explored every aspect of wine, from vineyard science and winemaking to blind tasting, food pairing, sustainability, climate change and wine business trends. Over the years, the show has featured conversations with winemakers, sommeliers, scientists, educators, retailers and wine communicators from around the world.

What started as an experiment with a microphone and a passion for wine has grown into an incredible journey, says Chris Scott, co-founder of ThirtyFifty.

We've had the privilege of speaking to some of the most knowledgeable and inspiring people in wine, and we're hugely grateful to the listeners who have joined us week after week for the past twenty years.

The UK Wine Show launched before the iPhone and Spotify, at a time when podcasting was still finding its audience. Today, it has earned a loyal international following and maintains a 4.3-star rating on Apple Podcasts.

Jane Scott adds:

The wine world has changed enormously over the last twenty years, but what hasn't changed is people's curiosity and enthusiasm for learning about wine. It's been wonderful to share that journey with our listeners.

From Wine Podcast to Wine Education Platform

A key factor behind the show's longevity has been its ability to evolve. While the UK Wine Show began as a broad wine podcast, around 2016 the team shifted towards more in-depth educational content to support WSET students and wine professionals looking to deepen their knowledge.

That move helped transform the podcast into a widely used study resource and laid the foundations for ThirtyFifty's wider wine education platform.

The shift also led to the launch of two specialist podcasts: the ThirtyFifty L3 Wine Podcast for students studying the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, and the ThirtyFifty L4 Wine Podcast for candidates working towards the WSET Diploma. Together, they provide structured learning support for students pursuing two of the wine industry's most respected qualifications.

The podcasts sit alongside ThirtyFifty's broader suite of study tools, including flashcards, mock exams and, for UK-based students, the opportunity to taste the wines they are studying. The approach is designed to mirror how people learn best: by listening, reading, testing themselves and ultimately tasting.

Throughout its evolution, one feature has remained constant: regular wine news coverage, helping listeners stay informed about developments across the global wine industry.

A British Podcast with a Global Audience

Over the past 90 days, the UK Wine Show has been downloaded in more than 60 countries.

The United States is currently the show's largest single market, accounting for 21% of downloads, followed by the UK at 18.5%. Japan ranks third with 13% of downloads, ahead of many of the world's traditional wine-producing nations.

The show's strongest growth, however, is across Asia. Combined listenership from Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam and China accounts for approximately 24% of all downloads - making Asia a larger audience than either the UK or the United States individually.

The international audience reflects the increasingly global nature of wine education and the growing demand for accessible, expert-led content from wine enthusiasts, students and industry professionals alike.

Special 20th Anniversary Episode

To mark the anniversary this week, the UK Wine Show has revisited one of its earliest interviews.
In 2006, episode eight featured James Ellis, Director of Ellis Wines, discussing the state of the wholesale wine trade. Twenty years later, Chris Scott sits down with Ellis again to ask many of the same questions and explore how the industry has changed over two decades.
The result is a unique perspective on the evolution of the wine trade and a fitting way to celebrate twenty years of documenting the world of wine.

Highlights from Twenty Years

• First episode released on 2 June 2006
• More than 850 episodes produced
• Weekly publication schedule maintained for twenty years
• Downloaded in more than 60 countries in the past 90 days
• Educational focus introduced in 2016 to support WSET students and wine professionals
• Continuous wine news coverage throughout the show's history
• Special anniversary episode reunites Chris Scott with James Ellis, first interviewed in 2006
• ThirtyFifty L3 and L4 Wine Podcasts launched to support WSET students
• Full study platform developed, including flashcards, mock exams and wine tasting opportunities for UK-based students


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French vineyard prices have fallen for a second consecutive year, with Bordeaux suffering the steepest declines as the country’s wine industry grapples with vine removals, falling demand and a sluggish land market.

New figures from Safer, France’s agricultural land agency, show that the average price of vineyard land with a protected designation, fell 2.9% in 2025 to €171,400 per hectare. Excluding Champagne, where values remain exceptionally high, prices dropped 6.8% to €87,400 per hectare.

Bordeaux-Aquitaine saw the sharpest decline, with vineyard values falling 23.8% after an 18.4% drop the previous year. The average price reached €77,100 per hectare, while some prestigious appellations recorded even larger falls. Pauillac dropped 32% to around €1.7 million per hectare and Margaux fell 43% to €800,000 per hectare.

The picture was brighter in Burgundy and Champagne, where prices continued to rise modestly. Burgundy vineyard values increased 3.9%, while Champagne edged up 0.9%.

Despite weaker prices, vineyard transactions rose 16.3% in value to €1.65 billion. However, industry leaders warn the French vineyard market remains in a period of major restructuring, with nearly 30,000 hectares already uprooted and further removals expected as producers adapt to changing consumer habits and declining global wine consumption.

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New research suggests that adding more disease-resistance genes to grapevines does not always improve protection against downy mildew, challenging a key assumption behind modern grape breeding programmes across Europe.

Researchers have found that stacking multiple resistance genes in a single vine does not necessarily protect against downy mildew, one of the most damaging diseases.

The findings, reported by VVQ – Vigne, Vini & Qualità, challenge the practice of 'gene pyramiding', where breeders combine several resistance traits to make it harder for pathogens to overcome plant defences.

Scientists discovered that some gene combinations work well together, while others add little extra protection. As a result, breeders may need to place greater emphasis on how resistance genes interact rather than simply increasing their number.

The study could influence future breeding programmes as Europe seeks to reduce pesticide use while maintaining vineyard productivity and wine quality.

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Exchange for Change has confirmed the handling fees that retailers and other return point operators will receive under the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, providing greater certainty ahead of the scheme’s launch in October 2027.

As the UK’s official Deposit Management Organisation, Exchange for Change will oversee the not-for-profit scheme when it begins. Following industry consultation, manual return points will receive a handling fee of 3p per container. Automatic return points will be paid 5p per container for up to 225,000 eligible returns each year, falling to 1.3p per container above that threshold.

The Federation of Independent Retailers welcomed the announcement, saying the rates were broadly in line with expectations, although it would have preferred higher fees. The organisation also highlighted concerns about costs linked to labour, maintenance, equipment and lost retail space.

The DRS will carry a 20p deposit bottles and cans, paid out upon return of the container to a return point. A separate scheme is being developed for Wales.


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London Wine Fair 2026 recorded 10,539 visitors at Olympia, with attendance up 8.2% from last year's 9,741, marking the first time in six years above 10,000. Monday attendance rose 13.5%.

Under new owner Vindustrious, led by Hannah Tovey, exhibitor numbers also rose to 475 from 445 year on year. UK producers increased fivefold, reflecting strong domestic momentum and the success of the show's inaugural 'Host Nation' initiative which championed wines from Great Britain.

The UK drinks trade made up 82% of visitors, with 61 countries represented. The top five visitor countries were the UK, Italy, France, the US and Spain.

Vindustrious ownership and a management buyout signalled structural change, with the addition of a beer zone and spirits presence expanded, to add energy through a broader drinks offering. Organisers reported stronger engagement across all categories and deemed the event a resounding success.


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Winemakers across England are facing repeated severe spring frosts that have damaged young buds during a critical stage, raising fresh concerns over the 2026 harvest and adding further pressure to already rising production costs.

At Black Chalk in Hampshire, winemakers report significant financial and operational strain, with frost protection spending already far above budget and staff working overnight shifts using fog machines and frost guards.

Oastbrook Estate in East Sussex has also experienced patchy frost damage, with some vineyard areas hit hard while others near woodland remain largely unaffected. Meanwhile, growers continue deploying heaters, braziers and protective systems in an effort to limit losses as the season unfolds.

Squerryes in Kent suffered its most severe frost since 2017, though some producers remain hopeful that secondary shoots will recover yields, while others with advanced systems have so far protected vines successfully during the cold spell across key English wine regions this year.

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