In an effort to get French President Emmanuel Macron to join his newly formed Board of Peace aimed at resolving global conflicts, President Donald Trump threatened to slap an enormous import tax on French wines coming into the U.S., during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 20.
“I’ll put a 200% tariff on his wines and Champagnes, and he’ll join, but he doesn’t have to join,” Trump said.
Trump also made and subsequently rolled back threats of tariffs on European nations who opposed plans for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. But with the Board of Peace formed and France absent from the list of countries who joined, Trump has yet to bring the idea up again.
Should a 200% tariff come to pass, the average price for a bottle of French wine in the U.S. would rise by roughly $23.60, according to wine data firm VIVI Economics.
“It would be a skull and crossbones for French wine in America,” says Ian Cauble, a master sommelier and founder of U.S.-based wine business The Caubleist, adding that it would be nearly impossible to find a well-priced French wine in the U.S. if those duties were put into place.
Even as things stand, it’s become harder for wine lovers to find good bottles at attractive prices, Cauble says — especially if they’re looking to buy wine from Europe. Wines from the European Union already carry a 15% tariff rate following a 2025 trade deal.
Add in a U.S. dollar that has weakened by about 15% against the euro over the past year (meaning it takes more dollars to buy goods with the same European price tag) and you have a recipe for higher prices on wines across the board, Cauble says.
“Wines that used to cost $29 are going for $40 a bottle,” he says.
Navigating a more expensive wine shelf
The upshot of all this, Cauble says, is that it’s gotten more difficult to be assured that you’re buying quality imported European wine at certain price points.
Cauble says $40 to $70 used to be a “sweet spot” for quality Burgundies, for instance. Now, he says, you likely have to pay more to up your odds at a good bottle — or put in extra work hunting for high-quality cheaper bottles.
“You can still get good wines for those prices, but you have to know where to look,” he says. “And you have to taste 15 bottles to pick one.”
If you’re looking for a bottle of wine to bring to your next dinner party, you won’t be able to uncork a dozen bottles before you pick one, however. To give yourself the best chance of finding a good, reasonably priced wine amid rising prices, Cauble provides some tips.
Get to know your local wine seller
Cauble recommends steering away from broad-based booze sellers, such as supermarkets and liquor stores, and starting a relationship with a specialty wine store — ideally with someone who has the knowledge and passion to help you find bottles you’ll love at prices you can afford.
“If you know where to buy wine from, and you have store or person that you really trust to find the world’s great wines at great prices, that’s where you have to be right now,” he says.
Cauble says wine experts like himself are passionate about helping customers find the best bottles, no matter what they’re willing to spend.
“Not everybody has tons of extra income just to spend on wine,” he says. “My job is to help them make a good bet with their money. And there’s good bets at all price points,”
Gravitate toward ‘satellite appellations’
Generally speaking, if you’re looking for a good bottle of imported wine, get ready to spend at least $20 to $30 at a minimum, Cauble says. And from some of the more popular vineyards in famous regions, such as Burgundy and Bordeaux, you may have to pay $40 to $60.
There are still values to be had, though, in what Cauble calls “satellite” appellations, or wines from areas a little off the beaten path from their more expensive cousins in the region. In Burgundy, for instance, Cauble sees value in in the lesser-known Pouilly-Fuissé region, where good bottles can be had for $30.
He also likes bottles from the commune of Saint-Romain. “This is just five minutes as a crow flies from the most expensive vineyards in the world,” Cauble says. “But nobody knows really about it.”
While not every local store will have these particular bottles in stock, a trusted wine expert should be able to point you in the direction of affordable names that can compete with more their more expensive counterparts in terms of quality, Cauble says.
Consider buying American
If you want to avoid tariffs altogether, you can buy American wines made from the same grapes and in the same styles as many of the Old World classics.
For $30 to $50, you can get “incredible” Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from Oregon, Cauble says. “The price-to-quality is some of the best in the world,” he adds.
Cauble says terrific values can be found in Rieslings produced near the Finger Lakes in New York and Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Walla Walla, Washington, area.
And for as much as the internet dunked on the idea of the “American Champagne” industry when Trump first floated the idea of wine tariffs (to be Champagne, it must be from the Champagne region of France), you can find some very good sparkling wine from the Napa Valley in California, Cauble says.
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Dining and Cooking