The Grapevine

Wine Industry News for November 21, 2016

November 21st, 2016

What a Trump presidency might mean for the wine industry, what the harvests have looked like in Bordeaux and Languedoc, a “company town” developing in California, and reports from New Zealand post-quake. [level-members]

New Zealand Earthquake
Starting in New Zealand, it seems that the wine industry mostly dodged a bullet, with limited, relatively superficial damage. As the Wine Spectator article points out, the quake was stronger than other recent quakes in the region, but centered further from population centers. The New Zealand Herald story includes a fairly calm recollection from a winery owner who lived through it.

“Company Town” in California
KQED’s website takes aim at a trend in the Salinas valley. Tough conditions, economic marginalization, and a changing business landscape lead to problems – and possible solutions. Read the full article here.

Harvest Reports
The reports from Bordeaux and Languedoc are good but guarded and guarded but good, respectively. In Bordeaux, reports were generally good, though nobody wanted to jinx their luck as there is still work to be done. Meanwhile, in the Western Languedoc, reports of little rainfall and its effect on the harvest were tempered by reports of more rainfall in other, nearby areas. As usual, it’s almost always easier to be a wind drinker than a wine producer …

President Trump and the Wine Biz
President Trump’s stance on illegal immigration has been pretty clear since early in the campaign. What that might mean for legal migrant workers is less clear. That uncertainty, and more general uncertainty in financial markets may put a damper on consumer spending and corporate investment, both of which could impact the wine industry. Click through to the Decanter editorial for a more complete look.

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