Reuters reports that French wine and spirits exporters have criticised Donald Trump’s renewed threat of 100% tariffs on French wine and Champagne unless France scraps its 3% digital tax on US tech companies. Exporters’ group FEVS said the threat was damaging for an export-reliant sector caught in a dispute outside its control, and called for responsible, balanced trade relations between France and the US.
USA
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Napa And Sonoma Wineries Cut Tasting Fees As Tourism Slows
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that roughly 30% of wineries in both Napa and Sonoma lowered tasting fees in 2025, responding to weaker wine tourism and criticism that visitor costs had become too high. The wider Silicon Valley Bank report found 16% of US wineries reduced fees, but early results are mixed, with only a quarter of those cutting prices reporting improved visitation.
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Bordeaux Prices Fall in US Retail
Wine-Searcher reports that Bordeaux prices are dropping sharply in US stores, with some Napa Cabernet prices also weakening, even as Burgundy and Bourbon remain less exposed to discounting. The article frames the trend as a market correction after years of high pricing, tariffs and reduced consumer enthusiasm for Cabernet and Merlot-led fine wine.
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Wine Institute Pushes to Restore US Wine Access in Canada
Wine Industry Advisor reports that a Wine Institute delegation of senior winery owners, winemakers and executives from 14 California wineries travelled to Washington, DC, to press for action on returning US wine to Canadian shelves. The group said Canadian provincial bans on US alcohol have damaged wineries, distributors, retailers, restaurants and consumers, and it wants both governments to restore full market access for US wine in Canada.
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California Responds to Vineyard Pest Found on Costco Grapevines
Wine Industry Advisor reports that the California Department of Food and Agriculture is working with Costco and county officials after glassy-winged sharpshooter insects were found on grapevines sold at selected Northern California Costco stores between 21 April and 19 May. The pest spreads the bacterium that causes Pierce’s disease, a fatal grapevine disease, and officials have begun containment efforts, customer notifications and inspection guidance across affected counties.
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Napa Valley Warned Over Unsustainable Water Use
New York Post reports that Napa Valley wineries are facing renewed concern over groundwater use, after county data showed 2025 pumping above the level considered sustainable. The report says officials are looking at conservation incentives, irrigation checks and updated water analysis, while producers are also dealing with weaker wine demand and high regulatory costs.
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American Wine Labelling Bill Faces Vote
Wine Industry Advisor reports that California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee is due to consider AB 1585, a bill requiring wine labelled “American” and sold or bottled in California to be made from 100% American-grown grapes. If approved, it will move to a full Assembly vote within the next two weeks, making it a potentially important moment for US origin labelling rules.
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Viña Concha y Toro Hit By US Weakness
Global Drinks Intel reports that Viña Concha y Toro’s first quarter sales fell 7.8% to CLP192.61bn, while quarterly wine volumes dropped 6.8%. The decline was led by the US, where sales fell 32.2% and volumes dropped 30.1%, although the company said it had made progress on premiumisation and portfolio rationalisation.
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Restaurant Wine Sales Fall As Value Leads US Growth
The Drinks Business reports that US on-trade wine sales have fallen by about 26% since 2019, but growth is still appearing in value-driven, white and sparkling wine categories. The report says restaurants and sommeliers are responding to tighter consumer budgets by offering more accessible pricing, flexible pour sizes and less familiar regions, with examples including Loire Sauvignon Blanc, Mendoza Malbec, Rías Baixas, Baga and Graciano.
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Wine Tariff Refunds on the Way
Wine-Searcher reports that the US administration has opened applications for more than US$166 billion in tariff refunds, giving wine importers a long-awaited financial reprieve after months of absorbing trade costs. The article argues that shoppers are unlikely to see dramatic price cuts, but the refunds could help prevent further rises and ease pressure on businesses that kept prices steady by taking the hit themselves. In effect, this is one of the first concrete pieces of good news for wine importers caught in tariff disruption, even if the benefit reaches consumers only indirectly.
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Robert Mondavi Winery Reopens Oakville Estate After Major Transformation
Wine Industry Advisor reports that Robert Mondavi Winery is reopening its Oakville estate on 20 April, timed to the brand’s 60th anniversary, after a three-year overhaul that adds a new hospitality wing, expanded tasting and culinary spaces, and a limited-edition commemorative Cabernet Sauvignon. The story is bigger than a simple reopening, because Constellation Brands has put more than US$200 million into the project, with new cellar technology, a stronger focus on site-driven winemaking, and a clearly more premium visitor offer aimed at restoring the estate’s status as one of Napa’s signature destinations.
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Trump Tariffs Keep Pushing Up EU Wine Prices
Bloomberg says EU wine is still feeling the after effects of US tariffs, with duties having moved from 10% to 15% last year and price rises now feeding through at different speeds depending on region, grape and label. The broader significance is that this is no longer just a trade policy story, it is now a pricing and availability story for importers, merchants and drinkers, with retailers also experimenting with ways to source European bottles already inside the US in order to soften the blow.
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New York Retailer Turns to Wine Auctions to Avoid US Tariffs
Reuters reports that Brooklyn merchant Chris Leon is trying to soften the impact of US tariffs on European wine by buying bottles that are already sitting in American cellars, then reselling them through online auctions. The idea is to avoid new import costs on wines from France, Italy and Spain, while also giving consumers access to older and sometimes discontinued bottles. The report says Leon & Son makes about 90% of its revenue from imported wine, which shows how sharply tariff policy is reshaping the trade and encouraging more creative retail models.
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There Are Plenty of Bright Sides in the Wine Industry Right Now
Wine Enthusiast reports that new Wine Market Council findings point to some encouraging signs for wine despite persistent worries about falling sales and weaker engagement among older drinkers. Its summary says millennials are now the largest wine drinking cohort in the United States, Gen Z wine spend has risen 109% between 2020 and 2026, and younger consumers are showing more frequent drinking patterns, even if their total spend remains well below that of boomers.
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US Tariffs Push Restaurants to Rework Wine Lists
Reuters reports that US restaurants, bars and retailers are increasingly swapping out imported Champagne, crémant and other European wines as tariffs bite harder, with one New York buyer seeing some bottles rise by about $3 to $5 and other suppliers warning of increases of up to 20 per cent this year. The agency says many firms held prices down in 2025 by shipping stock early or absorbing costs, but wholesalers now expect those tactics to run out. That is pushing more wine lists towards lower-cost and domestic alternatives, and giving some California brands a relative boost.