THE WINE MERCHANT. An independent magazine for independent retailers
Issue 132, February 2024
Dog of the month: Poppy Vin Neuf, Stratford-upon-Avon
Indies told: it’s our final chance to stop duty chaos Wine duty easement ends in just under a year, and next month’s budget is the last hope of keeping it, WSTA warns
T
he wine trade has one last chance
next month to avoid the “complete
madness” of duty reforms, the Wine
& Spirit Trade Association has warned. Director Miles Beale believes that, if
the new system goes ahead as planned in February 2025, it’s highly unlikely to be
reversed even if a Labour government wins power in the forthcoming general election. At present, all wines between 11.5%
and 14.5% abv are taxed as if they were
12.5% – a temporary arrangement known as the wine easement. But next year, the
new system will tax all wines according to
their exact alcoholic strength, adding costs and bureaucracy for wine importers and retailers.
“We think this budget on March 6 is
the last chance to keep hold of the wine easement,” Beale says.
“The new system is all about taxing
according to strength. And bluntly, I don’t think the government understands the impact it will have for wine.”
He adds: “Eighty per cent of wines on the
UK market are between 11.5% and 14.5% abv. That’s our estimate.
“Defra have made some changes that
mean you can label to one decimal point
[of alcohol]. So that now means that wines could be at one of 105 different rates or payment points.”
Continues page 2
Sarah Helliwell and Abi Tregenza have been learning as much as they can about cheese ahead of the launch of The Stores, their new venture in Frome. Story: page 6.