Daniel and I are well aware that our weekly newsletters go out to a mixed audience of friends and customers, including neighbors, dear relatives, fellow small business owners, oenophiles, wine professionals, enthusiasts and the odd misanthrope – you know who you are – so we try not to bore you by writing about wine. Drinking wine is one thing, but talking or writing about it quickly grows tiresome, especially if you don’t have a full glass in hand, a tall order for 10am on a Thursday.
So, at the risk of boring those fully familiar with the proposed tariffs on wine from the EU, and those already levied last October, I will briefly lay it out for the rest of you. Three months ago, in retaliation for European Airbus subsidies, deemed unfair by the WTO, the US imposed a 25% tariff on French, Spanish, and German wines, along with single-malt Scotch and other European food products, including Italian cheeses. Now, in reaction to France’s Digital Services Tax, and other perceived infractions, our president has proposed a 100% tariff on all European wine.
In order to maintain a varied and interesting selection, we buy from over 50 distributors, and it’s no exaggeration to say they are all in a terrible panic; this would effectively kill the businesses they’ve spent their lifetimes building, and uproot an American industry of warehouse workers and delivery drivers. Would you buy a $15 Cotes du Rhone for $30? Even California winemakers have come out against the tariffs, because most of the companies that distribute their wines make most of their money selling European wines, so crippling these companies will hurt domestic producers as well.
We feel we are at the mercy of our capricious leaders, but public commenting with the US Trade Representative is open until January 13th, so if you’re concerned about the outcome and have yet to send a comment, please do it now!
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2019-0003-2518 (click COMMENT NOW at top right if you would like to make your voice heard)
In the meantime, we’ll be tasting French, Italian, and Spanish wines this week, while we can still afford them. Come drink to the strangely mysterious future.
TONIGHT: Thursday Night Flights! Tutto Italiano...Rosso e bianco. Montepulciano, Ruche, Nero d’Avola, Favorita, Arneis & Verdicchio Flights $12 from 5-9 and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SATURDAY 1/11: Vino Tinto Natural de España: Organically farmed, unspoofulated, low-tech, vivacious Spanish reds. Flights $15 from 2-6pm and wines by the glass until 9pm.
SUNDAY 1/12: Vin Rouge Naturel de France: Traditional, rustic, uniquely expressive French reds made without chemicals or centrifuges. Flights $15 from 2-6 and wines by the glass until 8pm.
Cheers,
Max