House of Commons · Westminster Hall
25 June 2025 · 6 other contributors · 4,052 words
Opened by Katie Lam Con Weald of Kent
Responding minister: Daniel Zeichner
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Katie Lam raised concerns about english wine production in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
I ask the Government to consider implementing targeted duty relief for direct-to-consumer or tourist cellar door sales, similar to the draught relief and small producer relief available for beer and cider producers. This would help small English wine producers thrive.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The English wine industry is growing fast, producing over 21 million bottles in 2023, a new record. Sales of UK sparkling wine have nearly trebled since 2018, reaching over 6 million bottles last year. Still wine sales more than doubled over the same period.
The UK wine sector is a source of confidence, growth and success. The government aims to work with it to drive growth, boost exports and ensure rural communities benefit from its success.
The hon. Member highlighted Hampshire’s sparkling wines as the best in the country and mentioned that Sparsholt College has started vineyard curating courses, suggesting the Minister look into rolling out such training to other areas.
Proposes raising draught relief and small producer relief from 8.5% to 14% to benefit English wine producers who currently operate under two different duty systems.
Promotes the idea of purchasing and promoting English wine in Northern Ireland to support the industry's growth across all parts of the UK.
Asks for duty relief scheme extension to small vineyards, similar to that available for small brewers and cider makers.
Welcomes the growth in the UK wine sector but highlights challenges such as climate risk, export competition from Europe's state-based subsidies for wine industries, and the need for export market promotion.
Government Response
Daniel ZeichnerThe Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs
The Government recognise the rapid growth of the English wine sector and are committed to supporting rural economies. The Minister praised the industry’s success, mentioning that exports doubled from 4% in 2021 to 8%, with wines being imported by 45 countries. He highlighted the importance of skills training for future workforce needs and discussed ongoing efforts to improve geographical indication schemes to highlight distinctive regional areas. Additionally, he expressed interest in linking wine production with tourism offers and noted that fees related to packaging will be announced soon.