• Vinopolis has hit back at Alistair Darling’s budget, citing his measures at not attacking ‘binge drinking’ Britain but going for soft targets.

• Rupert Ellwood, MD of Vinopolis said of the budget news ‘Increasing the duty on wine across the board, regardless of quality or strength, is a blow for the industry and does nothing to encourage people to gain a greater understanding of wine or promote better quality wine. It does nothing for the country’s problem with binge drinking and social nuisances. It should have been super strength drinks and alcopops which received the hit in order to tackle this problem.’ 

• Renowned wine writer and advisor to Vinopolis Robert Joseph said ‘Darling missed a golden opportunity to rethink the way alcohol is taxed in Britain. Almost
every bottle of wine on the shelf, almost irrespective of its initial cost and alcohol level is subject to the same duty level, which inevitably penalises people who want to buy a cheap bottle - which will now contain very little wine value - and does nothing to encourage moves to moderating average alcoholic strength, which has risen from 12% 25 years ago to 13-13.5% today. Why not apply the same logic that Mr. Darling has to motor taxation - by introducing duty rates that are based on cost and strength?’

www.vinopolis.co.uk