A price of a bottle of wine could rise significantly after tomorrow's Spring Budget.
Favourite bottle's of plonk could go up as much as 44p in a 'two-pronged attack’ on drinkers, according to analysis from the Wine and Spirits Trade Association (WSTA) shows.
It comes ahead of expextations the Chancellor is set to raise alcohol duty in line with double-digit inflation from August 1.
On top of this, the Government will also start taxing alcohol based on strength, so a stronger drink will be taxed more than a weaker one.
It would see mean wine drinkers face a 9% duty rise across 90% of still wines.
The two policies hitting prices together means wine bottle price tags will go up by 20% – or 44p.
It would see biggest single increase in wine since rates were first set nearly 50 years ago, the WSTA says.
Fortified wine drinkers will especially feel the pinch by the double spike, with port set to rise by £1.29 a bottle and sherry by 97p, reports the Metro.
WSTA chief executive Miles Beale said: "The ' super stealth tax'con wine drinkers will do more harm than good for cash-strapped consumers.
"The UK’s 33 million wine drinkers are blissfully unaware that the price of wine is set to rocket this summer.
"If the Chancellor goes ahead with a two-pronged attack on wine drinkers by adding an inflationary duty increase on top of the stealth tax already applied when the Government’s new alcohol duty regime kicks in this summer, duty alone will add 44p to a bottle of still wine.
"If alcohol duty rates went up by RPI, this will be a crippling blow to the UK alcohol industry and consumers who will have to pay the price for tax rises during a cost-of-living crisis."
Jeremy Hunt will unveil his full plans for taxes and spending in the Budget.
The Chancellor is under pressure to improve childcare support as a way to encourage more parents back into work.
Ahead of the Budget, a majority (56%) warned that fuel duty is too high with 55% in favour of keeping in place a 5p cut that was announced last year.
Ministers have been considering a proposal to raise the state pension age to 68 from 2033, six years earlier than planned. Some 37% said they would oppose this with 33% in favour.
At present, the state pension age is 66 for men and women.
More than four in 10 (41%) say they would support the government increasing the budget of the British military in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with just 21% opposed.
Voters think Keir Starmer would be a better prime minister with 41% backing the Labour leader compared to 34% who favour Rishi Sunak.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has vowed to “completely reimagine the childcare system” if Labour wins the next election.
In a speech this week, she accused the Conservatives of “failing families” by not providing sufficient support for childcare.
Jeremy Hunt is expected to change how childcare benefits are paid through Universal Credit in Wednesday’s budget.
The credits will be paid in advance, replacing the current system of reimbursing families for childcare costs in arrears.
There will also be an increase in the level of childcare support to low-income families as part of Universal Credit.
