International Wine Challenge releases its awards
Supermarkets show their value in the UK, but the winners of the top trophies for each variety are not obvious and show the development of many country’s wines.
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Wine News Archive
England leaves lockdown on Wednesday, with tighter restrictions
England left lockdown on Wednesday, but tighter restrictions for half the country is no festive cheer.
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China flexes muscle to put Australian wine producers under pressure
Importers of Australian wine are cancelling orders over confusion on whether Australian wine is banned in the country.
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English Nouveau compètes with Beaujolais Nouveau
English Nouveau is being released by Sixteen Ridges Vineyard in Herefordshire and Hush Heath Estate in Kent at the same time as this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau.
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Pink Prosecco - it’s official and arriving now!
Pink Prosecco could be this Christmas's must have new drink as Aldi, Sainsbury and Freixenet all launch new wines this month.
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UK enters four-week lockdown
The pubs and restaurants shut their doors on Wednesday as England went into lockdown lite for four weeks.
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Sexual assault charges lead to resignations in the American Court of Master Sommeliers
The American Court of Master Sommeliers is in uproar after Geoff Kruth president of GuildSomm resigned over sexual assault allegations. Co-founder Fred Dame, along with 7 others, were all suspended.
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UK's 2020 grape harvest small but perfectly formed
In a year where cellar doors have been closed, a small but high-quality year could be just the thing for the UK wine industry.
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Time to get your wines for Christmas with 25% off at Tesco, follow our 6 top tips to bag a bargain
The supermarkets regularly offer 25% off all wines at this time of the year. Sainsburys has just completed its offer, while Tesco has 25% off until 5th November.
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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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Sales results from this week show the impact on the three tier covid control plan
How badly are restaurants, pubs and bars in England being affected by the new three tier lockdown? A report compares last weeks sales with a year ago.
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UK plays whack-a-mole with Covid lockdown
The UK government's plan to avoid a second national lockdown by creating a three-tier system is lambasted as not enough by the government's own scientific advisors, while some in the hospitality industry say it goes too far.
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Liv-ex reports that investing in fine wine 10 years ago would show no return
Liv-ex, the wine investment index, announced this week that investing in wine 10 years ago would have resulted in no profit. At the same time those who invested in the 2018 vintage were most likely to have made a loss.
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Sassicaia fraudster caught with counterfeit wine worth €2 million
Fraudsters in Milan have been arrested after an investigation showing that cheap Sicilian wine was being bottled as the famous Super Tuscan Sassicaia.
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Smoke from California and Oregon fires means many grapes will go unpicked.
The Glass Fire that has destroyed 18 wineries so far is the tip of the iceberg, with many producers planning to not pick grapes because of smoke taint.
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EU set to slap $4 billion in tariffs on US wines and spirits
The WTO has granted the EU the right to put additional tariffs on the US over illegal subsidies given by the US government to Boeing.
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Scotland shuts bars and restaurants in response to rising COVID-19 cases
On Wednesday the Scottish government shut down bars and restaurants in a desperate bid to curb the rise in Covid 1-9 cases and deaths.
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California's Glass Fire claims wineries and restaurants
Wineries in Napa have been burnt by the latest wild fire to threaten the region. The fires were sparked on Sunday and fanned by flames early in the week.
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Soave create 33 new Cru vineyards
The North Eastern Italian wine region of Soave, has created 33 new vineyard based designations known in Italy as ‘Unità Geografica Aggiuntiva’
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London restaurant Silver Lining re-opens as a wine bar focused on Orange wines
The Hackney-based restaurant re-opened its doors to customers this week as an Orange wine bar.
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Decanter Wine Awards see the UK striding forwards
Decanter launched the results of its 2020 Wine Awards, with the UK starting to become a serious contender in the medal haul.
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Burgundy approves 22 new Premier Cru sites
Burgundian Pouilly-Fuissé has had 22 vineyards approved for Premier Cru from the 2020 vintage.
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UK back under partial lockdown with government support for the drinks industry
UK pubs and restaurants will be shutting at 10pm and the government announces new support.
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California a blaze as the grapes are being harvested
California grapes are being harvested as the state suffers another intense fire season. Top regions including Napa, Sonoma, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties have been affected.
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Good news for hospitality industry as insurers forced to pay out on policies for Covid-19
Insurers Hiscox and QBE have lost a case in the High Court meaning that their business interruption policy does cover Covid 19, and they must make payments.
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Liberty is offering a wine apprentice scheme
The two year scheme will see candidates move through different parts of London based importer and wholesaler, while they are sponsored through their WSET Diploma.
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UK scales backs social gatherings while South Africa is seeing the rise of bootleggers
The Rule of 6 limits social gatherings in the UK, while South Africa's on/off ban on alcohol sales has seen the rise of modern day bootleggers.
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The Wine GB 2020 awards announced this week
The Top Sparkling Wine award for the UK went to Hampshire winery Hattingley Valley for their King’s Cuvée.
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Exceptional New Zealand 2020 Vintage
The NZ harvest is, according to New Zealand Winegrowers 2020 annual report, Exceptional with volumes up just over 10%.
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Concerns of an oversupply in Prosecco leads to a reduction in yields at the top of the pyramid
Consorzio of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG this week approved a decision to reduce the yields for the 2020 harvest.
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South Africa bans alcohol again
South Africa has banned the sale of alcohol again as Covid-19 infection and death rates rise after the government released lockdown.
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WineGB announce Sustainable Wineries certification
The UK has announced the creation of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB).
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Does the UK wine scene lack diversity?
A new survey suggests that the UK wine trade may lack diversity with only 14% of those in the trade surveyed claiming a non white ethnicity
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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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UK Government launches range of measures to help restaurant and pub trade
The UK government opening of restaurants shows sales are down, but will a VAT cut an government subsidised restaurants help?
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English Wine Week starts from 20th June to 28th June
With the hospitality industry in lockdown English Wine Week will be less about visiting the 400 wineries in the UK, but we can still enjoy a bottle or two.
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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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Seltzers are growing fast in the USA and are being positioned as the drink for 2021 in the UK.
Hard seltzers are flavoured carbonated water with alcohol added and the category has seen huge growth in the US in the last year with brands now looking to launch in the UK in 2021.
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UK Hospitality on lockdown until July and Napa wineries open
The UK Hospitality sector will remain closed till at least the 4th July according to UK Business Secretary.
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Australia’s exports to the UK are down 7% on last year, but is Australia a covid-19 wine winner?
Australia’s exports to the UK were 7% down by $356m Aus (£194m) for the year ending in April, but for January to April the imports were up 3%.
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Bordeaux 2019 en primeur prices continue to soften
Bordeaux 2019 en primeur prices continue to soften. Recent releases with 2 first growths Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Haut Brion are down 30%.
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Bordeaux 2019 vintage is on sale now with big cuts in price while the quality looks good
The well regarded 2019 Bordeaux vintage is being released the main trend appears to be prices are lower.
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Wine importer buys Domaine Direct
Fine wine importer Flint Wines has completed the purchase of Burgundy specialist Domaine Direct.
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Deliveroo sampling Wolf Blass to homes
Treasury Wine Estates has joined forces with Deliveroo to launch a Wolf Blass sampling campaign.
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UK Government publishes wine tariff rates for post-Brexit trade
The UK Government's 'simplified' post-Brexit tax still has three separate taxes on wines imported, as they release new UK tariff rates.
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UK vineyard news with expansions, adaptations and a late spring frost
UK wineries adapt but are punished with a late spring frost as Rathfinny and Nyetimber continue their expansions throughout 2020.
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Covid-19 news - marathons, restaurants and home deliveries
Medoc Marathon cancelled, restaurants struggles and home deliveries are all in this week's Covid-19 News round-up.
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Austria’s Wachau region has been given DAC status
Wachau DAC has become the 15th region in Austria to gain the DAC status.
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Covid-19 Round-up
France distils, US sales surge, while Indian consumers are desperate for a drink following the lifting of a 40 day ban.
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WSET L1 & L2 courses online with the New online exam
Wine education company WSET announced this week that online exams are now available for the Level 1 and Level 2 courses.
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