Weekly wine tips

Readers of this column may be getting tired of my raising the issue of excise duty on wine but bear with me for just a few sentences. 

The budget is looming and if duty on wine is raised it will effect jobs and our wider economy as much as wine enthusiasts.

It should be remembered 1,100 people are employed directly by importers and tens of thousands of jobs are supported in the 13,000 pubs, restaurants and independent off-licences that sell wine. The huge majority of these jobs are in small family-owned businesses and many more will close if duty is raised.