SOMM Laguna

In the dizzying world of politics, wine became embroiled in the fight between Boeing and Airbus (manufacturer of commercial airplanes). The short story is when Airbus competes against Boeing, Airbus is being subsidized by three major EU countries – France, Germany, and Spain. To retaliate, the Trump administration slapped a 25% tariff on wines under 14% ABV (alcohol by volume) coming from France, Germany and Spain. Recently, the Biden administration said they will not remove the tariffs anytime soon.

So what does that mean to wine buyers? For the most part, it means higher wine prices for wines coming out of France, Germany and Spain. If the tariffs are fully passed on to the consumer, a $20 wine is now $25. If you buy wine in a restaurant, the price impact is even more. The same French bottle you bought for $50 at your favorite restaurant is now $62.50 (if they pass along the entire tariff). The good news is wines from Italy, Portugal, Greece and Austria are not impacted (neither are domestic or wines from the rest of the world).

Domestic production from Napa has been impacted by the fires this fall with “smoke taint” and some wineries are not producing a 2020 vintage. The grapes won’t all go to waste though with some of the harvest being sold to makers of domestic brandy – smoky brandy is okay, smoky wine, not so much.

With all the goings on within Europe and Napa, now’s a good chance to try some new wines from mainland Italy, Sicily, and Portugal. Theses countries have a lot of good value wines, both red and white. Try the Albariño (Alvarinho in Portuguese). It’s bright, crisp and relatively low alcohol. The primary red grape in Portugal is the Touriga Nacional. It’s rich and full bodied and works well with meats and charcuterie boards.

Until next time – Love the wine you are with.

Featured Image by: Roman Odinstov PEXELS