On the eve of New Year reforms for the wine industry, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay today welcomed the scrapping of outdated rules inherited from the EU.
The reforms made possible by leaving the EU will uncork innovation, encourage sustainable practices and reduce burdens for businesses.
In addition to the UK’s longstanding status as a global wine trading hub, with a wine market worth over £10 billion last year, England and Wales have a fast-growing winemaking industry.
Now boasting almost 900 vineyards, hectares under vine in the UK have more than quadrupled since 2000. Viticulture – the cultivation and harvesting of grapes – is now Britain’s fastest-growing agricultural sector, employing around 2,300 people full time with a predicted 50% growth in jobs by 2025.
WineGB also reports 2023 is Great Britain’s largest-ever grape harvest, expected to produce an estimated 20-22m bottles and over 50% bigger on Britain’s previous record year in 2018.
Benefiting from perfect growing conditions in the south of England, English Sparkling Wine has seen a surge in popularity in recent years with 8.3 million bottles produced last year. The home-grown fizz is expected to be a popular choice for Brits to see in the New Year.
From tomorrow (1 January 2024), makers of English Sparkling Wine will no longer have to use mushroom-shaped stoppers and foil covers on bottlenecks, giving producers the choice to opt for simpler packaging to reduce both waste and costs.
Restrictions will also be scrapped on the making and selling of piquette – a lower-alcohol drink dating back to antiquity, made by extracting the remaining goodness from grapes left over after winemaking. This gives producers the option to create new income streams and tap into consumer demand for lower-alcohol drinks.
In a move welcomed by wine traders, the government will also remove the requirement for imported wines to have an importer address on the label, reducing administrative burdens for businesses.