In February 2025, the UK government updated alcohol duty rates, ending a temporary concession on wine that had been in place since August 2023. The new system calculates tariffs based on alcohol strength (ABV) rather than volume, impacting consumer pricing and the wine industry. The duty on wines with 11.5-14.5% ABV has changed, with lower ABV wines becoming cheaper and higher ABV wines facing increased taxes. This change is expected to affect sales, particularly for high-alcohol wines from warmer climates. Importers stocked up before the duty change, which may delay visible impacts on consumer behavior. The wine industry faces challenges from oversupply and changing consumer preferences towards lower ABV products. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)