Tax on life's celebrations: Drinks industry hits out at excise on wine and champagne

Ireland charges more in excise on bottle of wine or champagne than any other European country

Drinks Ireland said the double excise for sparkling wine amounts to a tax on life's celebrations.

A new drinks industry report has highlighted Ireland's continued fondness for wine, despite consumers here spending more on excise than in any other EU country.

The report from Drinks Ireland shows we consumed 8.8m cases of wine last year, a 13% fall from the previous year when the hospitality industry was closed for much of the year, leading to a surge in sales for consumption at home.