BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT LUKE, THANK YOU. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS THREATENED A 200% TARIFF ON EUROPEAN WINE AND SPIRITS. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE EU ANNOUNCING IT IMPOSED 50% TARIFFS ON AMERICAN WHISKEY, PUTTING PRESSURE ON WINE RETAILERS ACROSS THE NATION. HERE IN NEBRASKA, LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE DOING THEIR BEST TO PREPARE. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S PETE CUDDIHY IS LIVE IN STUDIO, WITH THE IMPACT IT COULD HAVE HERE AT HOME. PETE QUANECIA WELL, THE TARIFF HAS NOT BEEN PUT IN PLACE. THOSE IN THE LIQUOR BUSINESS SAY THEY HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR IT, WITH THOSE SELLING AMERICAN WINE, HOPING IT HELPS BRING THEM BUSINESS. THE POTENTIAL 200% TARIFFS ON WINE, COGNAC AND OTHER ALCOHOL IMPORTS FROM EUROPE IS MAKING LIFE MORE DIFFICULT FOR THOSE IN THE BUSINESS. WE’RE ALL TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TO BRING PRICING DOWN. THE TARIFFS DON’T HELP, BUT THOSE SELLING AMERICAN MADE WINE, LIKE THE AWARD WINNING SELLER FOR 26 IN ASHLAND, NEBRASKA, COULD BENEFIT. IT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY MIGHT DRIVE SOME LOCAL CONSUMERS OUR WAY THAT WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE AFFORDABLE. RICHARD HILLS PRODUCES ALL OF HIS WINE IN NEBRASKA, GROWING 30% OF HIS GRAPES ON SITE. WHILE HE THINKS TARIFFS COULD HELP HIS BUSINESS, HE KNOWS WINE CONNOISSEURS ARE PICKY. MOST WINE LOVERS KIND OF HAVE THEIR NICHE WINES. THEY LIKE TO DRINK, AND SO IT’S HARD TO TELL RIGHT NOW IF, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THE TARIFFS LAST, LAST, IF IT WILL HAVE A LONG IMPACT OR NOT. BUT THOSE WHO RELY ON SELLING EUROPEAN WINE DON’T SEEM TOO WORRIED. IN ANY BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. JUST LIKE LIFE. YOU KNOW THINGS HAPPEN. YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IT AND, YOU KNOW, MOVE ON. AND I THINK THERE’S BETTER DAYS AHEAD. WILSON CALIXTE IS THE OWNER AND CHEF OF LES VOLTAIRE. 60% OF THE WINE AT HIS RESTAURANT IS FRENCH, AND THE OTHER 40% IS AMERICAN. HE DOES THIS TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST. I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS BEFORE THIS SITUATION WITH TARIFFS. IF IF IF IT HAPPENED, IT’S EASY FOR ME TO GET WINE FROM CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO THE CEO OF PADELLA WINES, DON MORSE, MOST OF THE IMPORT WINE INDUSTRY BOUGHT MORE WINE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR. ANTICIPATING THESE TARIFFS. WE’VE BEEN PLANNING FOR THIS FOR OVER A YEAR, SO I FEEL LIKE THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR PRICING FOR THE MAJORITY OF 2025, AND THEN WE’LL KIND OF SEE, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WATCHING AND AND WE WATCH THIS ON A DAILY BASIS. RIGHT. MORSE TOLD ME CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT EXPECT TO SEE A PRICE HIKE IN 2025, SINCE MOST BOUGHT UP STOCK BEFORE THE TARIFFS WENT INTO EFFECT. HOWEVER, IF THESE TARIFFS LAST LONGER THAN 2025, YOU COULD SEE WINE PRICE
Threatened 200% tariff on European alcohol makes liquor industry adjust
Updated: 10:38 PM CDT Mar 14, 2025
President Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on European wine and spirits. This was in response to the EU’s announcement to impose 50% tariffs on American whiskey, putting pressure on wine retailers across the nation.In Nebraska, local businesses are doing their best to prepare. But those selling American-made wine, like the award-winning Cellar 426 in Ashland, Nebraska, could benefit.”It, you know, hopefully, might drive some local consumers our way that want to have something a little more affordable,” said Richard Hilske, the owner and winemaker at Cellar 426.Hilske produces all of his wine in Nebraska, growing 30% of his grapes on-site. While he thinks tariffs could help his business, he knows wine connoisseurs are picky.”Most wine lovers kind of have their niche wines. They like to drink, and so it’s hard to tell right now if, you know, depending on how long the tariffs last, if it’ll have a long-term impact or not,” Hilske said.But those who rely on selling European wine don’t seem too worried.”In any business, you have to make adjustments, just like life. You know, things happen, and you’ve got to figure out how to deal with it and move on. I think there are better days ahead,” said Wilson Calixte, the owner and chef of Le Voltaire. He says 60% of the wine at his restaurant is French, and the other 40% is American. He does this to prepare for the worst.”I was thinking about this before, this situation with tariffs, if it happened. It’s easy for me to get wine from California,” Calixte said. According to Don Morse, the CEO of Pardela Imports, most of the imported wine industry bought more wine at the end of last year, expecting these tariffs.”We’ve been planning for this for over a year, so I feel like we’re going to be able to hold our pricing for the majority of 2025. Then we’ll kind of see, you know, we’re watching this on a daily basis,” Morse said.Morse says consumers should not expect to see a price hike in 2025 since most bought up stock before the tariffs went into effect. However, he noted that if these tariffs last longer than 2025, you could see wine prices rise dramatically.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
OMAHA, Neb. —
President Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on European wine and spirits. This was in response to the EU’s announcement to impose 50% tariffs on American whiskey, putting pressure on wine retailers across the nation.
In Nebraska, local businesses are doing their best to prepare.
But those selling American-made wine, like the award-winning Cellar 426 in Ashland, Nebraska, could benefit.
“It, you know, hopefully, might drive some local consumers our way that want to have something a little more affordable,” said Richard Hilske, the owner and winemaker at Cellar 426.
Hilske produces all of his wine in Nebraska, growing 30% of his grapes on-site. While he thinks tariffs could help his business, he knows wine connoisseurs are picky.
“Most wine lovers kind of have their niche wines. They like to drink, and so it’s hard to tell right now if, you know, depending on how long the tariffs last, if it’ll have a long-term impact or not,” Hilske said.
But those who rely on selling European wine don’t seem too worried.
“In any business, you have to make adjustments, just like life. You know, things happen, and you’ve got to figure out how to deal with it and move on. I think there are better days ahead,” said Wilson Calixte, the owner and chef of Le Voltaire.
He says 60% of the wine at his restaurant is French, and the other 40% is American. He does this to prepare for the worst.
“I was thinking about this before, this situation with tariffs, if it happened. It’s easy for me to get wine from California,” Calixte said.
According to Don Morse, the CEO of Pardela Imports, most of the imported wine industry bought more wine at the end of last year, expecting these tariffs.
“We’ve been planning for this for over a year, so I feel like we’re going to be able to hold our pricing for the majority of 2025. Then we’ll kind of see, you know, we’re watching this on a daily basis,” Morse said.
Morse says consumers should not expect to see a price hike in 2025 since most bought up stock before the tariffs went into effect. However, he noted that if these tariffs last longer than 2025, you could see wine prices rise dramatically.
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