Covid-19 and the world of wine

Many countries involved with wine are responding to the Covid-19 crisis differently. In the UK, sales in the off-trade (shops and off licences) of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) surged 67% in the week to 21 March with some sales moving online.

Majestic’s website crashed on Saturday due to demand, while online wine retailer The Wine Society has shut down for the foreseeable future. London City Bond, one the the big suppliers of storage for many wine companies around London, has chosen to stay open allowing smaller companies to continue trading online.

In the US, off-trade sales nearly doubled last week, rising 55% in the week ending March 21, compared to the previous year.

In the Southern hemisphere, where the harvest is underway, the lockdown could have far reaching implications. Chile and New Zealand, both under lockdown, have deemed that wine making is an essential service and will continue with their harvest.