A steady stream of emails has been arriving in my inbox announcing increases in prices due to the recent rise in UK duty, which, if you haven’t already clocked, has gone up 10.1% on an average 11.5-14.5% ABV bottle of wine (duty is now related to alcohol strength, but more of that later), which amounts to 44p a bottle, or 53p once you add 20% VAT.
If you buy a bottle that’s over 14.5%, the duty increase is even higher, which hits fortified wines such as port and sherry particularly hard. Sherry has been underpriced for years, of course, but I’m sure fellow fans would rather see the price increase go to producers than to the Treasury.
That said – and this may be a controversial view for a wine writer, not least because I really want local independents and small producers to survive – if you are going to put up taxes, isn’t it better to slap them on alcohol, rather than health or social care? If they win the next election, I doubt that Labour will reverse them, either.
At the moment, however, the situation is all a bit confusing. While some retailers have put up their prices, others, such as The Wine Society, haven’t, though it is in the fortunate position of not having to make a profit. In some cases, price rises have been considerably higher than the recent tax increase. Tesco’s Finest Pouilly Fumé, for example, was listed at £13 at the store’s May tasting, but at time of writing it is now £15 on the supermarket’s website. Similarly, the Co-op’s excellent Château Barthes Bandol Rosé was £14 a couple of months ago, and is now £15.50 online, though I’m told you may be able to find it in store at £14.50.
There are still plenty of options under a tenner out there, but I do wonder how long the sub-£5 wine can survive – and quite right, too, you might say, because the producer is certainly not going to get very much of that and it all adds pressure on the budget. That said, I’d certainly take advantage of Asda’s zesty Vinho Verde (below), especially at £5.50, as it is at the moment.
With the current 25% off six bottles offer at Waitrose (and, doubtless, other supermarkets, too), this bank holiday weekend is a good time to stock up, but please don’t forget the independents. If you can afford to, apply the same philosophy to your wine buying as to your food buying – that is, treat yourself to a couple of decent bottles a month in much the same way you might splash out a bit at the cheese shop or buy a decent-quality chicken. Drink less, but better, dare I suggest? And develop a taste for lower-alcohol wines, which will save you a few pennies, too.
Four bottles to beat the price rises
Pedro’s Dry Almacenista Fino £9.99 Waitrose, 15%. Classic fino that’s 25% off six bottles this weekend. Super-dry, slightly salty and perfect with jamón.
Réserve du Palais Costières de Nîmes 2022 £8.99 Waitrose, 13%. Another that’s 25% off this weekend: ripe, warming and brambly – an ideal wine to take you into autumn.
Torre de Lapela Vinho Verde £5.50 Asda, 10%. Fruitier and more citrussy than typical vinho verde (it’s almost like a sauvignon blanc, in fact), but with that trademark spritz. Just 10%, too.
Taste the Difference Morador Cabernet Franc 2020 £8 (on offer, down from £9.50 until September 5) Sainsbury’s, 15%. Duty is now higher on wines over 14.5%, so grab this absolutely belting Argentinian take on cab franc while it’s still less than a tenner.
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For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
