As we prepare for Christmas we asked a number of key figures in the trade to pick out their good and bad moments from 2013 and their hopes and fears for 2014.
Matthew Hennings, Hennings Wines
2 Good:
1 A decent run of summer weather for both the on-trade and off-trade to get their teeth stuck in to.
2 Press and TV coverage by Oz Clarke and co highlighting supermarket dodgy discounts to more and more consumers.
2 Bad:
1 Ongoing misery of the duty escalator which affects the whole trade.
2 Some companies seem to think the best way to grow their business is by offering ridiculous pricing to increase turnover with no regard for profit - it is not sustainable.
2 Hopes:
1 The government wakes up and abolishes the duty escalator.
2 The consumer continues to learn more about the true cost of wine and understands the value and return for spending a little more.
3 Non business - that England avoid a whitewash in the Ashes down under - that would be unbearable!!
Fears for 2014::
1 That the government continues with the duty escalator and possibly increases it.
2 That banks and other financial institutions continue not to support independent business.