As costs rise for consumers and suppliers, what will this mean for the wine industry? Energy bills are expected to increase “at least 14 times faster” than wages this year, according to the Trades Union Congress. TUC analysis suggests that, while gas and electricity bills are set to rise by 54% when Ofgem’s price cap is increased next month, average weekly wages are expected to…

Garçon Wines, known for its environmentally friendly flat wine bottles, has launched a spin-off packaging business going by the name of Packamama. Using Garçon Wines’ original flat bottle design, Packamama will be responsible for all packaging supply and bottling elements to third parties that were previously handled by Garçon Wines.  Packamama will now supply to brands across Europe, Australia and the USA as Garçon Wines…

In 2020, Accolade Wines renamed its Accolade Park production site to The Park, as it looked beyond its own business to package bulk wine for third parties. Today, Richard Lloyd, general manager, European operations and supply chain, tells Lucy Britner that the facility fills 25% of the UK’s wine, with around 30% of its business now coming from outside…

Pernod Ricard’s wine business, which includes New Zealand wine brands Brancott Estate and Stoneleigh, has announced it will be unable to meet global Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc supply this year after one of the smallest New Zealand harvests in 10 years. Extreme spring frost events significantly impacted yields following an earlier than normal budburst. Bunch sizes were also down, impacting juice extraction levels. Pernod Ricard revealed…

Majestic Wine is offering customers a year’s supply of wine if they help the retailer to find new sites for future stores, as part of a renewed commitment to bricks and mortar retail. Following recent store openings in Beaconsfield, Beckenham and Henley, Majestic is now eyeing up new locations for future stores and it is enlisting the Great British public to help find them.  Although…

Co-op has announced it has helped safeguard the future of its wine producers by providing vital funding and support, as part of its global wellbeing charter. It has also doubled its rate of ordering with South African, Argentinean and Chilean Fairtrade wine producers. The community retailer said it has “gone beyond its Fairtrade commitment” and has reallocated £10,000 of funding to provide vital food parcels…

The recently-announced support package for small businesses is welcome but “the government could have gone further”, according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. Miles Beale, the WSTA’s chief executive, said: “This new support announced yesterday by the government, whereby small businesses can apply for 100% government-backed loans amounting to 25% of turnover up to £50,000 is welcome, and may support the continued survival of…