Wine producers and trade members have had to withstand a storm of pressure in recent years, including climate change challenges, rising production costs, regulatory headaches and falling consumption linked to lifestyle changes.
And yet, plenty of consumers continue to enjoy wines of all styles. Market research group Mintel estimated the UK wine market alone was worth nearly £15bn in sales in 2024, despite decline in overall consumption.
‘This is a hard pass; but wine will endure,’ wrote Andrew Jefford, Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) in his column for Decanter magazine’s January 2025 issue. ‘It’s been with us for 8,000 years; its quality has never been better.
It’s critical, however, for wineries to do everything in their power to leverage sales in a tough market. Plus, under-pressure budgets mean that return on investment is crucial.
One route with a demonstrable record of success spanning more than 20 years is the DWWA. As the world’s largest and most respected wine competition, with more than 18,000 entries in 2024, DWWA has shown time and again that it offers a tangible impact for producers.
Trade professionals and consumers know that a DWWA medal is a trusted benchmark of quality, thanks to DWWA’s rigorous judging process involving nearly 250 leading experts, who specialise in a wide range of styles made in all corners of the wine world.
Snapshot: on the horizon for wine in 2025
Taxing issues
In the UK, a sliding-scale duty system based on alcoholic strength will be extended to many still wines for the first time in February 2025, despite intense trade lobbying. Duty will also rise in-line with inflation.
While duty on 11.5% abv still wines may dip, it would rise on higher-strength wines, showed projections from the UK Wine & Spirit Trade Association in late 2024. It warned that this could lead to higher prices for consumers in some cases.
Suppliers have been working to put systems in place. Jamie Avenell, wine buying director at Bibendum, told Decanter, ‘Our sales teams are actively engaging with our on-trade customers to ensure they understand the upcoming changes and their impact on wine lists. As always, we will work together to create tailored wine lists that balance value and profitability.’
Avenell added, ‘Our wine buying team has spent over a year collaborating with producers and we have invested in systems and tools to support customers.’
The Bibendum graphic below shows how duty might affect the price of an £8 bottle of wine at different strengths, although it’s not an exact science; retailer strategies and margins will vary.
A Bibendum graphic showing how duty tax changes might impact the price of an £8 bottle of wine in February 2025. Margins and retailer strategies will vary, however. Image Credit: Bibendum.
Tariff talk
Tariffs have been a renewed focus in the US, the world’s largest wine market, but it remains to be seen how president Trump’s stated support for such levies will play out for wine.
Elsewhere, trade body Wine Australia said recently that Australian wines have been flowing back into the key export market of mainland China following the end of punitive import tariffs in 2024. It’s early days, but this is a trend to watch in 2025.
Trend watch: From moderation to bag-in-box
Trends and buying habits vary by market, although moderation has been identified as a key consumer movement in several countries.
Some producers have pinpointed the rise of no- and low-alcohol categories as an opportunity. Spain’s Familia Torres said recently it was investing €6m (£5m) between 2024 and 2026 in a new non-alcoholic wine cellar, for instance.
In the key US market, premium wine has taken market share off lower-priced segments. Drinks market research specialist IWSR said last year it expected this to continue ‘as more moderate-drinking consumers seek to drink less but better’.
Amid falling overall consumption in several countries, there is also ongoing debate about how to attract more Millennial and adult-Gen-Z drinkers to wine. Sustainability cues could be important; IWSR research showed a greater proportion of regular wine drinkers in Gen Z and Millennial generations in the US associated organic wine with high quality.
In a separate report in November, IWSR said new formats, like bag-in-box or cans, might help by appealing to different drinking occasions.
UK upmarket retailer Waitrose has reported strong growth in both formats more generally. ‘We want to change the narrative around boxed wines,’ said Waitrose wine buyer Emma Penman in the retailer’s latest food and drink report. ‘They can be premium.’
Four ideas for leveraging wine sales in 2025
1. Enter respected wine competitions
Success at a prestigious international competition like DWWA has the power to amplify a producer’s wider efforts to leverage sales in today’s super-competitive marketplace.
Nearly two-thirds of DWWA submitters who responded to a recent Decanter survey said winning a medal led to ‘improved brand awareness and reputation’. Other benefits included higher sales and help breaking into a target market.
At DWWA 2024, Bodegas Frontaura won one of the 50 coveted Best In Show medals for its Aponte Plus Tempranillo 2018 from Spain’s Toro region. ‘This score [and] medal has created a distinctive seal of quality,’ said the winery.
Winning a medal opens up new promotional opportunities, from wines being poured at Decanter events and masterclasses to conversations with trade buyers and eye-catching medal stickers on bottles.
Since its creation in 2004, DWWA and its expert judges – including Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and top retail buyers – have showcased lesser-known areas, styles and grape varieties that deserve greater attention, alongside championing excellence in more established regions.
Serbia’s Aleksandrovic Winery won Gold at DWWA 2024 for its Vožd Cabernet Sauvignon, Oplenac, Šumadija-Great Morava 2017. ‘We wholeheartedly recommend DWWA to fellow wineries,’ it said.
It highlighted ‘invaluable feedback and recognition’, as well as greater visibility for its wines globally. ‘Winning a Gold medal has significantly bolstered our reputation and consumer confidence in our brand.’
2. Attend trade shows
Wine industry trade shows can be a fantastic way of connecting face-to-face with both existing and potential customers.
Seminars, tastings and talks often provide valuable insight into key trends, challenges and developments affecting the wine world.
It’s also possible to arrange to drop DWWA wine samples off at Decanter’s stand at select trade shows, to make the process of entering DWWA even easier.
Millésime Bio: Montpellier | 27 to 29 January Barcelona Wine Week: 3 to 5 February | DWWA drop-off available Wine Paris (Vinexposium): Paris | 10 to 12 February | DWWA drop-off available Vancouver International Wine Festival: 22 February to 2 March Prowein Germany: Düsseldorf | 16 to 18 March | DWWA drop-off available Vinitaly: Verona | 6 to 9 April ProWine in Asia: Tokyo 15 to 17 April | Hong Kong, 14 to 16 May | Shanghai 12 to 14 November Vinexpo: America (Miami), 7 to 8 May | Asia (Singapore), 27 to 29 May
Key upcoming trade shows include:
3. Engage with wine tourism
Cellar door visits can be a crucial part of a wider direct-to-consumer sales strategy, as long demonstrated by wineries in the US or Australia.
It can also help up-and-coming regions. UK trade body WineGB reported 1.5m visits to the country’s vineyards in 2023, up 55% on 2022. ‘Getting people to visit the vineyard is essential as it builds a real brand connection,’ said WineGB chair Sam Linter.
Tuscany-based wine writer and travel expert Filippo Magnani recently wrote for Decanter that tourists were increasingly interested in Italy’s off-the-beaten path regions, alongside renowned areas like Barolo and Chianti Classico.
Modern wine tourism is way more than simply opening the gates for passers-by. Initiatives can range from winery restaurants, hotels and members’ club tasting experiences to working with local partners to build and promote vineyards trails.
A recent United Nations global conference on wine tourism highlighted ‘a growing demand for experience-driven tourism, where visitors seek not only wine tastings but to connect with the people and places behind them’.
Other key conference themes addressed ways to make tourism more sustainable, and adoption of digital technology.
4. Communication and innovation
Finding ways to connect with consumers in a shifting landscape was a key theme identified in a new report by Prowein, which worked with Geisenheim University to survey 1,300 global wine experts.
‘The wine industry is at a pivotal crossroads,’ said professor Simone Loose, head of the Institute for Wine and Beverage Business at Geisenheim University, in the ProWein Business Report 2025.
‘Developing new products and finding innovative communication strategies will be essential to ensuring wine remains competitive against other beverages. For the sector’s value creation, it is crucial to continue conveying the benefits of premium products to today’s consumers and the next generation.’
Social media has made it easier than ever for wineries to communicate directly with trade customers, consumers and potential visitors around the world.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to leveraging wine sales, winning a medal at DWWA offers a solid foundation on which to build such conversations. Don’t miss out on the opportunity of entering DWWA 2025.
Key dates for DWWA 2025:
28 February: Consolidated shipping delivery deadline (late entry deadline of 12 March only applies for depots in France, Spain, Italy, US, Australia and Chile).
18 March: Entry, payment and direct delivery deadline.
6 to 17 May: DWWA judging period.
18 June: DWWA 2025 results announced on Decanter.com.
