The US wine market is strong. Unless it’s not. Legalized cannabis is a threat. Or it’s not. Drought and flood in California, fires in Chile.[level-members]
U.S. Wine Market is Strong
Don’t believe everything you read, not even here. Despite our report last week that things may not be looking too rosy for the US wine industry in 2017, Wines & Vines disagrees. (To be fair, we were just reporting the Washington Post’s take …)
Not So Fast …
There’s reason for concern in the US wine market because of the disruption that the legalized marijuana industry is already causing. Fortune and Wine Searcher both discuss the issues of labor shortages and whether pot smoking will cut into consumer’s appetite for drinking wine.
Fire in Chile
The news is unquestionably bad in Chile, where wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 10 people. Property damage pales in comparison to the loss of human life, but the livelihoods of those who work in the wine industry is threatened. Read the full NPR story here.
California
With California whipsawing between drought and flood, one winery is trying to store the water they have now for potential droughts in the future. Bonus: the flood may not affect vines that stay wet for a prolonged period. Read the full article here.
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