by Serenata Wines

Annual duties paid by the wine industry and imposed by the Treasury are expected to play a huge role in the wine trends for 2012, according to an article written by wine expert, David Williams, published in the Observer.

He states that these duties, along with VAT, packaging and transport costs, now mean that wine sold in a bottle costing £5 is probably worth less than £1.

With an additional 15p set to be added to the price of a bottle in the upcoming March budget, Williams predicts that it will become harder than ever to find a good bottle for under £5.

Despite this negativity, Williams adds that varieties produced in Swartland, South Africa, will be the ones to look out for.

He states: "The flood of high-quality Rhône-inspired reds and rich dry whites from this hotspot of new winemaking talent has made this rugged, remote corner of South Africa the cult name to drop."

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