Bay Area wine shops face uncertainty amid tariff threats

The California wine industry is looking for answers as tariff threats add to the woes already facing the industry On March the Trump administration threatened to impose a tariff on all alcoholic beverages from the European Union Then on April a import tax on items from the European Union took effect then was reversed and paused for days We checked in with a trio of Bay Area several wine shop owners to see how they re holding up with the uncertainty and what domestic wines they recommend for customers looking for alternatives for their favorite European wines Harrison Fong Vintage Wine Merchants San Jose Fans of European wines might consider California alternatives from wineries like Kathryn Kennedy Maidenstoen and Mount Eden Vineyards according to Harrison Fong proprietor at Vintage Wine Merchants in Santana Row Courtesy Harrison Fong For Harrison Fong proprietor at Vintage Wine Merchants in San Jose the uncertainty is scary It s challenging to plan and run our businesses in this wild conditions he says noting that imports make up more than half of his business A tariff on goods imported from the EU might hurt but would be manageable he says It s similar to what was imposed during the first Trump administration We didn t like it but we got through it And we ll get through this again But a tariff I ve got A LOT of prepaid inventory on the water on the way from France and Italy he noted in an email If the proposed tariff goes through and the wine arrives at the wrong time it might be the end of us Besides he notes the hospitality business is already struggling due to inflation and consumers post-pandemic habits of going out less His strategy right now is to pivot and focus on selling more American wines Recommendations From the Santa Cruz Mountains look for local Cabernets in the European style from Kathryn Kennedy Winery Mount Eden Vineyards Ridge Vineyards and Testarossa Winery he says If you like French Burgundy wines scout out Oregon wineries like EIEIO Company Walter Scott Wines and OO Wines Details Open a m - p m Monday-Saturday and - p m at Santana Row San Jose vintagewinemerchants com Jim Meyers Wine Thieves Lafayette Wine Thieves owner Jim Meyers in his shop on Tuesday April in Lafayette Calif A proposed tariff on European wines would lead to higher prices for consumers at the East Bay wine store Aric Crabb Bay Area News Group Jim Meyers who has been running Wine Thieves a more budget-minded wine shop in Lafayette for years seems less worried about the threatened import tax on European wines Yes sales will be impacted but generally wine consumers in California have plenty of high-quality alternatives to European ones often at lower price points he says The bigger challenge is tackling declining consumption which he s working to address through consumer mentoring one tasting at a time Having a tasting room goes a long way toward allowing curious visitors to sample wines before they buy he adds Use independent retailers to find those hidden gems that will keep you from having to spend a lot of money he says There are so numerous good wines in the realm right now more so than ever before all across the world Keep an open mind Recommendations If you like Rh ne-style wine Meyers recommends Sonoma County s Cochon Wines If you like a Bordeaux-style straight Cabernet go for Brady Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon from Paso Robles at just a bottle Prefer a Bordeaux blend Try Novelty Hill s wines from Washington state he says Details Open a m - p m Monday a m - p m Tuesday-Saturday and a m - p m Sunday at Mt Diablo Blvd Lafayette winethieves com John Graham-Taylor The Bottleshop Wine Bar Kitchen Redwood City Bottleshop owner John Graham-Taylor displays national and European wine and champagne bottles for sale as customer Isabel Jimenez buys a limited in Redwood City Calif on Thursday April After five years Graham-Taylor closed its business and is selling its remaining inventory at discounted prices Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Even beyond the tariff threats wine shops face existential challenges according to John Graham-Taylor who s in the present in the process of closing his business Bottleshop in Redwood City Related Articles Library wines prove worth checking out at Grand Tasting in Saratoga Uncork past celebrate present at Santa Cruz Mountains Grand Tasting Industry experts discuss state of the wine business at California conference President Trump vows tariff on EU wine and champagne escalating agreement tensions AI made its way to vineyards Here s how the tool is helping make your wine He started to shutter his shop the day before the import tax on items from the European Union was publicized then paused The five-year-old wine and bites shop had seen tough times The shop opened in under different ownership and was struggling when Graham-Taylor took over in March just days after the COVID- lockdowns began At the time federal small business loans helped him stay afloat until things started to bounce back And at first they really seemed to was a fantastic year Then came and it was a fiscal cliff he says His shop had a relatively high proportion of European wines which he prefers to pair with food over California wines which tend to be more of a cocktail wine in that they re built to stand alone without food pairings he says This has been a five-year romance and the hardest saddest and greatest thing I ve done in my life he says adding I m down but not out I m not dead I m not bankrupt I m just closing Bottleshop owner John Graham-Taylor right displays national and European wine and champagne bottles for sale as customers look on in Redwood City Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Recommendations Graham-Taylor is in the process of selling his remaining inventory with a discount Details Open daily - p m at Broadway Redwood City for the next inadequate weeks or until inventory is gone thebottleshoprwc com