Wine Sales Going Down - Taxes Going Up

In 2008 duty on wine increased by 17%, meaning the British are now among the most heavily taxed wine drinkers in Europe. The wine market also declined by 2% - a remarkably resilient performance in the circumstances..Perhaps as a result of it being one of the few drinks categories where people tend to mature into it when they might have been in the five pints of lager or luminous green alcopop category in their youths. And when people get into wine they tend to remain into it for life (according to a recent report by Mintel). Who said things don't ever get better?