London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 19, 2025

What Rishi's Sunak's 'fairer' wine duty will cost you as taxes set to rise

What Rishi's Sunak's 'fairer' wine duty will cost you as taxes set to rise

Bottles of wine are set to rise sharply in price under a new tax regime set by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The Treasury’s plan to ‘simplify’ the alcohol duty system, which it said was possible due to Brexit, will see fans of certain drinks hit more than others.

Beer and cider bought on tap is expected to come down by 3 pence, while a ‘super-tax’ on sparkling wine, prosecco and champagne will also be scrapped.

Unveiling his autumn budget last year, Sunak, who is teetotal, vowed to simplify the alcohol tax system, which he called ‘outdated and full of historic anomalies’.

The change will cut 15 bands of taxation for beer, cider wine and spirits to just six, but not everyone is happy with the change.

Research by Wine Drinkers UK (WDUK) found 95 % of the most popular wines will suffer a hike in prices as a result of the change, affecting drinks with an ABV above 11.5%.

For example, red wines such as Hardy’s Shiraz (14%) would rise by 58p to £7.58, while Barefoot Merlot (13.5%) would rise by 47p to £7.22.

What Sunak’s plans could mean for your favourite bottles of wine


Whites such as Hardy’s Crest Chardonnay (13%) would rise 35p to £7.35 and Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon Blanc (13%) would go up 35p to £8.35, MailOnline reports.

On the other hand, weaker drinks like many rose wines and liqueurs which are currently considered over-taxed, should become cheaper.

The new system is expected to come into force from February 1 2023, subject to a consultation which ends on January 30 this year.

Taxpayers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell said: ‘Simplifying duties is no bad thing but hiking taxes on our favourite wines will leave families short-changed.’

Last month the UK Spirits Alliance, which represents over 160 distillers, says Sunak’s plans will not create a ‘level playing field’ for the drinks industry.

Beer is set to come down by a whopping 3 pence, provided pubs and manufacturers don’t up their prices


Imported booze such as Italian prosecco will be cheaper thanks to a duty cut of around 25%, while home-grown spirits such as Scotch whisky and English gin will be taxed at current rates.

Spirits continue to be taxed at a higher rate per unit of alcohol than any other category – 16% more than wine and 256% more than cider.

A Spirits Alliance spokesman said: ‘We urge ministers to look closely at the proposals and ensure spirits are not treated unfairly compared to other categories.’

A Treasury spokeswoman said: ‘We have adopted a common sense approach to alcohol duty by taxing drinks in accordance to their strength, that will come into effect from February 2023.

‘This approach puts the taxation of stronger beers, wines and spirits on an equal footing for the first time.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
Bessent Accuses China of Dragging Down Global Economy Amid New Trade Curbs
U.S. Revokes Visas of Foreign Nationals Who ‘Celebrated’ Charlie Kirk’s Assassination
AI and Cybersecurity at Forefront as GITEX Global 2025 Kicks Off in Dubai
DJI Loses Appeal to Remove Pentagon’s ‘Chinese Military Company’ Label
EU Deploys New Biometric Entry/Exit System: What Non-EU Travelers Must Know
Australian Prime Minister’s Private Number Exposed Through AI Contact Scraper
Ex-Microsoft Engineer Confirms Famous Windows XP Key Was Leaked Corporate License, Not a Hack
China’s lesson for the US: it takes more than chips to win the AI race
Australia Faces Demographic Risk as Fertility Falls to Record Low
California County Reinstates Mask Mandate in Health Facilities as Respiratory Illness Risk Rises
Israel and Hamas Agree to First Phase of Trump-Brokered Gaza Truce, Hostages to Be Freed
French Political Turmoil Elevates Marine Le Pen as Rassemblement National Poised for Power
China Unveils Sweeping Rare Earth Export Controls to Shield ‘National Security’
The Davos Set in Decline: Why the World Economic Forum’s Power Must Be Challenged
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
×