New reforms to the UK wine industry will help the UK wine industry innovate, adopt new practices and thrive, Food and Drink Secretary Mark Spencer has announced following a public consultation.
In “Wine: Reforms to EU Retained Wine Law”, the government sets out reforms for the wine sector that will start in 2024 and benefit from Brexit.
Food and Drink Minister Mark Spencer said the reforms were made possible by powers under the EU Retention Act which are being used to remove restrictions on the economy while ensuring high standards are not compromised.
Feedback from the wine industry has shown that some of the regulations within the current 400-page rulebook were stifling innovation and preventing the introduction of more efficient and sustainable practices.
The changes include removing “costly and burdensome” packaging requirements – such as ending the mandatory requirement for some sparkling wines to have foil lids and mushroom-shaped stoppers. The government says this will reduce unnecessary waste and packaging costs for businesses.
In addition, the “old” rules about bottle shapes will be abolished, allowing producers to use different shapes.
The government will also remove the requirement for the importer’s address to be on the label of imported wine – the food business operator responsible for ensuring all legal requirements are met will still need to be identified on the label, as is the standard requirement for food products. This should create smoother trade and reduce administrative burdens.
Additional reforms would give producers more freedom to use hybrid grape varieties.
The government sees this as an opportunity for farmers to choose the variety that suits them best and reduce vineyard losses due to disease or climate change, while providing more choice for consumers.
There is also scope for producers to make and market piquettes (a low-alcohol beverage made by washing wine-making by-products, including grape skins and stems, with water and then fermenting it). The lawmakers add that this would open up new revenue streams for wine producers and help meet demand for low-alcohol beverages.
Speaking about the reforms, Food and Drink Secretary Mark Spencer pointed to the UK's “diverse and dynamic” wine sector – but stressed how producers and traders were “handicapped by bureaucracy inherited from the EU”.
“The reforms we announced today eliminate outdated and burdensome rules so that our wineries, vineyards and merchants can continue to innovate and help grow our economy,” Spencer added.
Miles Bell, chief executive of the UK Wine and Spirits Trade Association, welcomed the long-awaited measures and said removing restrictive labelling rules for importers would significantly reduce the post-Brexit impact of the need to have a uniquely British mark.
“Moving to food business operator labelling would allow for a single common label for both the UK and EU markets, which would maintain the UK as an attractive destination market and support our aim of UK consumers continuing to have access to the widest possible choice of wines from around the world,” he said.
“These reforms will modernise regulations and encourage investment across the wine sector, from the local wine trade to our thriving vineyards and wineries,” said Ned Otte, interim director and CEO of Wines of Great Britain.
