Tariffs Come Due for Wine Importers // Sonoma County Puts Wine Tax on Hold

Importers pay now, we pay later.

A tax designed to help fund a special Sonoma Wine Business Improvement District has been paused.

Harvest has begun in Washington’s Columbia Valley. Amos Rome Vineyards in the Lake Chelan appellation picked Chardonnay on August 19th.

With pound sterling trading near its strongest levels against the US dollar in almost a decade, European fine wine buyers are enjoying a rare currency advantage.

New report reinforces the need for this critical project to be completed quickly.

After nearly three years of reviewing for Decanter, North America Editor Clive Pursehouse tastes his first 100-point wine – an Oregon Chardonnay.

Champagne’s 2025 harvest has officially begun earlier than expected, with producers hailing the crop’s health and ripeness. Despite positive vineyard conditions, the region faces economic pressures, reduced yield limits and continued labour scrutiny.

Heading into the 2025 harvest, there have been a number of significant changes for Spain's DOC Rioja.

The EU-U.S. trade deal does not include wine and spirits, European Union Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Thursday, adding that the door was not closed to tariff reductions for the sector and others not included in the deal.

Vineyards have long been a feature of Europe's rural areas and a symbol of its expertise, but tariffs and duties from the US and China are putting the sector under pressure.

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has approved an order that recently went into effect to limit the amount of waste discharged by commercial vineyards in both Mendocino and Sonoma counties.

The changes outlined in HB 1476 , SB 2145 and SB 2851 mark a turning point for wine lovers in Arkansas and Mississippi and reflect a broader shift in alcohol shipping regulations and signal growing momentum for reform nationwide.

On Wednesday, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits announced that it reached an agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) to acquire its New York City distribution operation.

When a California winery or vineyard changes hands, the new owner must confront a crucial question.

Following the fire that broke out in late July, Washington producers have lost whole crops to smoke damage, while others saw wineries, crush pads, cellar buildings, tractor sheds and pumphouses destroyed, along with thousands of cases of recently bottled wine.

Thanks to funding from the Federal Government, Australian winegrape growers are set to benefit from commercialisation of an infield monitoring system that informs in real-time whether the smoke from a bushfire or controlled burns is likely to taint their winegrapes.

The veteran journalist previously edited food coverage at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Eater National. 

For 25 years and more Jill Mott has been travelling the wine world, exploring vineyards, wineries, cideries and breweries along the way.