Priests Hit By 'Binge-Drinkers' Tax (Church Wine)

[matcom]

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PRIESTS in New Zealand, hit by a binge drinker's tax, have been forced to switch to a low alcohol wine in church services, and they complain it does not last long enough.

The so-called "sherry tax", targetting heavy-drinking teenagers, was imposed last year putting all drinks containing 14 percent to 23 percent alcohol on the same tax rate as full-strength spirits.

Mission Estate vineyard, which supplies up to 1500 cases of altar wine each year to churches of different denominations, has knocked the alcohol content down by four percent to escape the tax and keep the product affordable to churches.

"We looked at it and saw that the parishes were not going to be able to afford the wine," he said.

Catholic priest Paddy Kinsella said the church had been an unwitting victim of the tax.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,8775548%255E13762,00.html