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Fizz Needs a Budget Boost: Wine Boss Plea
24 Nov
Summary
- Chapel Down boss urged Chancellor Rachel Reeves for Budget support.
- Call made to include sparkling wine in Small Producer Relief.
- Proposal to raise ABV threshold for duty relief to 12.5%.
Chapel Down's chief executive, James Pennefather, has appealed to Chancellor Rachel Reeves to inject some vitality into the English sparkling wine sector through the forthcoming Budget. Pennefather is advocating for the inclusion of sparkling wine within the existing Small Producer Relief, a measure designed to support smaller industry players.
Currently, this relief offers a lower alcohol duty rate for products with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of under 8.5%. Pennefather suggests that extending this relief to encompass products with an ABV of up to 12.5% would significantly aid the burgeoning English sparkling wine industry. He expressed hope that the Budget would bring clarity.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Pennefather also conveyed his anticipation that the Budget would provide essential certainty for both businesses and consumers, following a period of considerable speculation regarding potential tax increases. This plea highlights the industry's desire for supportive fiscal policies.
