What a remarkable time of volatility we live in. Alliances, investments, education, health care, food prices, etc. are all in a state of massive flux. This includes the wine grape market. Unfortunately, the grape market in our area has softened significantly over the past couple of years with pretty much every grower I know suddenly having unsold fruit this year. Many wineries that have contracts have been trying to renegotiate for smaller quantities, opting not to renew, or have cancelled contracts outright. I hear from grower friends that some wineries have still not paid for last year’s grapes and a couple of those wineries have filed for bankruptcy. Some blocks of our family vineyard’s grapes have been sold to a large winery for the last 35 years. About 5 years ago they honored my Dad at a large company meeting as their longest running grower of high quality fruit. However, this Spring, they ended the wine programs we’ve been part of and, for the first time in three generations, we have some fruit without a home. Our winery unfortunately can’t absorb it all as distributors in many of the states we used to sell wine to have either gone out of business or narrowed their focus on ‘larger brands’. Sadly, in the case of Canada, our inventory there was ‘put on hold indefinitely’ with the ongoing turmoil of uncertain tariff levels and the governmental theatrics that accompany it. So, wholesale cash-flow really doesn’t allow for expansion on our part. I think back to the days when things were pretty stable and we could really focus on the small bits of uncertainty and geek out on the small levels of vintage variation without existential concern for those around us.
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