Rising fees highlight changes in winery visits and tastings
Recent articles in several trade publications point to the same trend. The wine industry is facing a wide range of setbacks. Health concerns around alcohol are growing, oversupply is increasing, younger drinkers aren’t buying into winery visits and tastings, and tariffs continue to raise prices across the board.
I’ve mentioned before that Canadian wine prices, along with international bottles, have risen steadily for years. I’ve also noted that younger adults are shifting away from hard spirits and beer toward newer drinks like seltzers and fruit-based blends that are lighter in alcohol.
Some of you who have followed my column know that I no longer publish my monthly email newsletter with wine, beer and spirits recommendations. The price per bottle of wine has simply gone too high. At the end of the day, you are buying a 750-millilitre bottle of fermented grape juice. Marketing and advertising have turned wine into a cult-like product, asking consumers to pay more and more for what is, fundamentally, a simple pleasure. Costs of production have gone up, but many brands have pushed pricing to levels that affect the market in a ripple effect.
From what I’ve seen at trade tastings and during visits to breweries, wineries and distilleries around the world, some winemakers and spirits producers (especially in the single malt world) seem to believe their own hype. Prices climb along with their popularity. I won’t name names, but I’m sure many of you can think of wineries and winemakers who fit the bill.
There are, however, Canadian producers who have kept pricing in check. Paul Bosc at Chateau des Charmes, Joe Will at Strewn Estate Winery, and Herbert Konzelmann at Konzelmann Estate Winery consistently put out well-made wines at reasonable prices. Try a bottle and blind taste it against another wine of the same varietal and vintage that costs up to $9 more. See if you can truly taste the difference. In more than 25 years of trade tastings, I often can’t. For example, I once tasted five California Chardonnays from the same producer and vintage, moving from the least to the most expensive. By the fourth and fifth wines, I didn’t find the extra $10 per bottle worth it. The best value was the third-tier Estate Reserve.
Napa Valley offers the clearest example of price escalation. According to one trade article, tasting room fees have increased more than 200 per cent since 2012 and have doubled in just six years. In 2019, the average tasting fee was $30.50. Today, a standard tasting averages $81, and reserve tastings run about $128. Hotel prices follow the same trend. The average room in Napa is $412 per night, or $682 in Yountville. Luxury properties can hit more than $1,000. In 2012, the average hotel room was $279. Add food, transportation and other expenses, and a wine-country trip quickly feels like a millionaire’s errand.
In Canada, the increases haven’t been quite as dramatic, but tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian alcoholic beverages pushed Ontario consumers toward domestic products. Tariffs on aluminum will also affect Canadian beer can production, hurting breweries and raising prices as stockpiles shrink.
In spirits, single and blended malt whiskies have climbed sharply. My longtime favourite Balvenie DoubleWood single malt was $54 a couple of decades ago. It’s now $134.95 at the LCBO.
So what are we to do? Like anything in a tight economy, we have to choose wisely and within our means. We may swap steak for chicken or pork. In wine, beer and spirits, we can explore new options that cost less than what we used to buy.
For example, I enjoy Maclay’s Traditional Pale Ale from Alloa, Scotland. It tastes good and costs $2.45, compared with $3.35 for Alexander Keith’s IPA from Nova Scotia. (Besides, my dad was born in Alloa.) If you’re looking for the least expensive beer, you can always try some of the American offerings. You’ll save money and support the USA, elbows up.
You might just be pleasantly surprised by what you can get for your hard-earned dollar.
Cheers!
Brian Preston – The Travelling Sommelier
brianpreston@hotmail.com
613.272.3129
The Travelling Sommelier column is a regular feature in our print/digital edition.
