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The Drinks Business •

James Bayley named Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year

James Bayley of the drinks business has won the Alan Lodge Young International Drinks Writer of the Year 2025. The announcement was made at The Spirits Business Awards 2025 in London, hosted by Rob Beckett.

The award recognises emerging drinks writers aged 35 and under from across the world.
Entries are open to journalists, columnists and bloggers who write about wine, beer, spirits and or cocktails. Previous winners include Tyler Wetherall, Felipe Schrieberg and Millie Milliken.
This year’s ju...
The Drinks Business •

English wine’s golden age faces a tiny villain

Spotted wing drosophila has gone from curiosity to complication across English and Welsh vineyards. Once the question was whether SWD had arrived; now it is about when it will bite and how quickly it might turn ripe fruit into a rot problem. James Bayley reports.
Just as English and Welsh vineyards celebrate their ripest harvest on record, a tiny fly with an outsized appetite threatens to spoil the party. The spotted wing drosophila may be reshaping how Britain makes wine.
The 2025 vintage shoul...
The Drinks Business •

Why raising taxes on wine won’t solve the UK’s drinking problem

If there’s one thing we Brits excel at, it’s a contradiction. We queue religiously yet love to complain about the waiting. We champion free speech yet deplore those with opposing views. And now, we drink less than ever, yet alcohol-related deaths have reached record levels.

For all the handwringing in Westminster about the perils of alcohol, the numbers tell an awkward story. In 2023, the UK registered 10,473 alcohol-specific deaths, yet alcohol consumption has been on a steady decline, especia...
The Drinks Business •

Medieval Wine Tour of London: a Bacchic binge through time

London: a city of soaring ambition, blue-eyed boys in finance, and – in the 14th century – a place where one could be legally force-fed soured wine as a punishment for tampering with the nation’s most sacred import. 
Dr Matthew Green’s Medieval Wine Tour of London is an intoxicating romp through the city’s oenological past, a masterful blend of history, theatre and just the right amount of alcohol to make medieval hygiene standards seem tolerable.
While modern Londoners associate alcohol with mi...
The Drinks Business •

'Nearly a quarter in the drinks trade are thinking about leaving because of the culture'

Nearly a quarter of drinks professionals have considered leaving the industry because of harassment or discrimination, according to new data from Drinks United. Michelle Brampton, CEO of the WSET, and founding member of the Drinks United Programme Board, says the scale of the findings surprised even her and warns that junior staff are paying the highest price.

From youth unemployment to student loan repayments, workers on the younger-end of the spectrum are no strangers to adversity, and it see...
The Drinks Business •

‘The role of Ozempic isn’t just about reduced consumption, it’s about a shift in values’

Weight loss medications are quietly reshaping how and why people drink, pushing alcohol towards a more selective and health-aware future. James Bayley asks whether health can be pursued without losing autonomy.

The rise of GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic is no longer a background murmur for the drinks trade. It is becoming a decisive force in how consumers approach alcohol, according to Tom Bell, founder of low-calorie alcohol retailer DrinkWell.
“We’re beginning to see signs that Ozempic and...
The Drinks Business •

How the wine industry is addressing labour standards in vineyards

As scrutiny of vineyard labour practices intensifies, James Bayley explores how the Champagne region — led by Comité Champagne — is working with state authorities, growers and service providers to strengthen protections for seasonal workers and uphold the industry’s reputation.

While seasonal work is a long-established and essential part of viticulture, evolving expectations around social sustainability have prompted producers and institutions alike to reassess not only their responsibilities b...
The Drinks Business •

‘Anytime we are not in a drought is positive’: California Wine Institute

California’s drought-free declaration marks a psychological turning point after decades of water stress. But industry leaders tell db that long-term discipline, not short-term relief, must continue to shape vineyard and winery decisions.

When California was declared 100% drought-free for the first time since Boxing Day 2000, the announcement drew national attention, as reported by the drinks business. The designation, based on data from the US Drought Monitor, reflected improvements in rainfall...
The Drinks Business •

Michael Saunders: 'Cheap wine is sort of a misnomer, almost'

Speaking to db at Hallgarten’s largest-ever tasting, Coterie Holdings CEO, Michael Saunders, argued that premium wine is no longer a niche strategy but a commercial necessity in a polarising UK market.

Hallgarten’s latest portfolio tasting may be its biggest-ever, but Michael Saunders is keen to steer attention away from the headcount (1,600 across two days) and back towards intent.
“I don’t think, from my perspective, size is the area that I focus on,” Saunders told the drinks business. Instea...
The Drinks Business •

How Gen Z turned BuzzBallz into the UK’s pre-drink essential

The cult American cocktail ball has become a British Gen Z staple, especially among students seeking bar-strength pre-drinks with Instagram appeal. Now it’s the fastest-growing RTD brand in the UK, fuelled by TikTok virality and bold branding.

BuzzBallz may have launched in Texas back in 2009, but the UK wasn’t properly introduced to the technicolour cocktail spheres until 2022. Their distribution and influence gained momentum rapidly following Sazerac’s takeover in early 2024. Since then, the...
The Drinks Business •

Tiny Wine prepares crowdfund as fine wine format divides opinion

The London startup converting premium bottles into tube-sized portions plans a public raise following Christmas trading success and corporate orders. Tiny Wine co-founder Harry Crowther sat down with James Bayley to discuss the future of the business and fine wine. 

Harry Crowther spent years watching wine samples pile up at his door. As head wine buyer for an online subscription business, he received two dozen bottles weekly, most destined for the bin. The waste troubled him, and so too the pr...
The Drinks Business •

The worst places to store wine at home

From the top of the fridge to the back of the garage, many homes unwittingly subject wine to conditions that hasten its decline. In the first of a two-part series, two experts explain to db where bottles suffer most and why good intentions so often end in disappointment.

Wine is a living thing, so says Robb Denomme, founder and CEO of Genuwine Cellars, and like any living thing, it prefers comfort over drama. “Temperature, light and vibration all affect how it ages. Store it incorrectly, and yo...
The Drinks Business •

Tequila’s purity problem under scrutiny

As a legal case challenges what “100% agave” really means, producers and regulators face growing calls for greater transparency. Industry veteran Brent Hocking weighs in on the standards, semantics and future of premium tequila.

A class-action lawsuit filed earlier this month against Diageo in New York has sparked renewed scrutiny of what Tequila producers mean when they label their bottles “100% agave”. The legal complaint alleges that two of the drinks giant’s flagship brands, Casamigos and D...
Harpers •

The Comfort of Another Round

The Comfort of Another Round

Thomas Vinterberg’s tale of midlife crisis, Another Round, begins with a booze-fuelled lakeside run that features beautiful teenagers sprinting and drinking in total abandonment.

Like it or not, alcohol brings people together – it is a facilitator for love and friendship. According to Norwegian psychiatrist Finn Skårderud, it also unlocks man’s potential. He suggests that humans are born with a blood alcohol level that is 0.05% too low (the equivalent of 1-2 glasse
The Drinks Business •

What came first – beer or wine?

It’s the drinks world’s version of the chicken-or-egg riddle: which came first, beer or wine? This age-old question has likely fueled many a pub debate and thanks to archaeology and science, we now have the evidence. James Bayley does some digging.
Long before tankards and corkscrews, nature had already been quietly experimenting with fermentation. Overripe fruit left to its own devices will ferment into something alcoholic, thanks to naturally occurring yeasts.
Anthropologists suggest that “fru...
The Drinks Business •

‘Profits before people’ – Christmas Guinness drought looms

Fresh strike action at Diageo’s Belfast site is set to place Guinness Zero supplies under festive strain. The dispute reignites scrutiny of recent shortages and arrives after major investment in Guinness 0.0 production across Ireland.

The UK is facing what unions warn will be a Christmas Guinness Zero drought as workers at Diageo’s Belfast site prepare for eight days of December walkouts. Around 90 workers unanimously voted to reject the company’s latest pay offer and will strike from Friday 5...
The Drinks Business •

Why Vatican City is the world’s top wine importer per capita

Tucked behind the colonnades of St Peter’s Basilica lies the world’s most surprising wine powerhouse. With sacred rites, papal palates and duty-free Prosecco all in the mix, James Bayley investigates how Vatican City became the globe’s top wine importer per capita – and why Italy’s grip on its cellar remains unshaken.

The Vatican City imports almost every drop of the wine it consumes. According to trade data from the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), in 2019 Italy supplied an astonishing...

Wet stones and other WSET befuddlements - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

I was hired, I think, because of my skills as a journalist rather than my knowledge of wine.
Since then, I have put my experience in news reporting to much use, and there has been no shortage of headlines in the world of wine, from the government’s VAT increase to New Zealand’s chronic Sauvignon Blanc shortage. 
When I heard I was going on a wine crash course to bring my knowledge up to speed, I was filled with the same dread my teenage self felt month after month arriving at the driving theor...
The Drinks Business •

‘Business as usual’ for Ridgeview as English sparkling wine producer enters administration

Ridgeview Estate Winery, one of England’s most prestigious sparkling wine producers, has entered administration but will continue trading while a sale is completed, according to administrators FRP Advisory.

Ridgeview Estate Winery Limited has entered administration, with Phil Harris and Neville Side of FRP Advisory appointed as joint administrators on 22 September 2025, according to a statement published on the company’s website.
The award-winning Sussex estate, founded in 1995 by Mike and Chri...
The Drinks Business •

‘We’re planning for the next 30 years’: James Davis MW on Bolney’s two-year vineyard transformation

Bolney Wine Estate in Sussex will begin a two-year project this autumn to grub up and replant its 30-year-old 18-acre vineyard. Speaking to db, James Davis MW said the move is “a very exciting evolution for Bolney” and “a strategic investment in both sustainability and relevance”.

Bolney Wine Estate will begin a phased replanting of its 18-acre vineyard from autumn 2025, marking one of the most significant vineyard renewals in its 50-year history. Around 10,000 vines will be removed and replace...

English Wine Week: Sparkling still on top - Harpers Wine & Spirit Trade News

It was just one of several events to take place to celebrate English Wine Week, an initiative that has infiltrated mainstream media thanks to the likes of Chapel Down going incognito in Champagne, or Lyme Bay offering £2.67 vineyard tours via retail partner Aldi. 
The first English Wine Week was launched in 2006 when Laura Rhys MS was a sommelier struggling to convince consumers of the merits of English sparkling, “it was like I was a dentist”, she said, noting how far the English scene had com...
Harpers •

Government consumes 1,400 bottles of wines and spirits between 2020-22

Government consumes 1,400 bottles of wines and spirits between 2020-22

The cellar, which is stored in the basement of Lancaster House in central London, provides guests of the government, from home and overseas, with wines of, “appropriate quality at a reasonable cost”.

As expected, usage of the cellar fell significantly in 2020 to 2021 (by 96%) to 130 bottles of wine. This figure increased to 1,303 bottles of wines and spirits in 2021 to 2022, but still 60% less on pre-pandemic levels.

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