Is it sensible to boycott California wines
By John Schreiner
January 23, 2005
In a moment of frustration, Mike de Jong, British Columbia’s Forests Minister, recently disclosed that he is so fed up with the unyielding American tariffs against Canadian lumber that he has stopped buying California wine.
If many others feel the same way, it just might eat into the attendance when the 25th annual California wine fair rolls into Vancouver on March 2. Some 90 wineries will pour at between 300 and 400 wines at a series if tastings, including a Zinfandel seminar. The $54 a ticket event is a fund raiser for the Arts Club Theatre.
Generally, this is a popular tasting because Vancouver is full of devotees to the wines of California. That was the theme region last year at the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival. Attendance was strong at the Playhouse Festival last year, leading to the conclusion that there is not a great deal of support for a boycott to retaliate for the never-ending kneecapping that the United States has been administering to our lumber industry.
I would argue that the California wine industry is, in any event, the wrong target for Canadian retaliation. The reasons:
* It is highly unlikely that any vintner has a connection with the American lumber industry or any influence on it.
* Winery owners are much more dedicated free traders than the American lumber barons; they may even be fair traders.
* We would deny ourselves some good wines just as the impact of changing exchange rates is beginning to roll back prices.
Several agents announced price reductions at the start of the year on their California wines (and occasionally on other imported wines). For example, Winebrenwines Inc. reduced the price of Esser Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay by $1 to $14.99; Kenwood Sonoma Zinfandel by $1 to $22.99; and the price of Ferrari-Carano Chardonnay by $2 to $39.99.
Winspeer Group rolled back prices on many imports. Among its California adjustments was a $2 cut in the price of Benziger Sonoma Merlot to $35.95. Grady Wine Marketing reduced a number of prices as well: for instance, the J. Lohr Riverstone Chardonnay dropped $1.20 to $22.79.
There are many other examples of adjustments that are making California wines a little more affordable.
It is not all exchange rates. The California wine industry has a lot of wine to sell after having expanded hugely (and would hardly welcome a boycott). In 1980, when the first California Wine Fair came to Vancouver, there were 508 bonded wineries in the state. Today, there are about 1,800. California’s grape crush has increased 53% since 1980.
California has a big stake in retaining its Canadian wine market. This is the second largest export market for California wine after Britain. In 2003, 59 million litres of American wine – 90% of it from California – was shipped to Canada, a figure than has risen 238% since 1980.
t seems that California has developed a solid market here over the years. Sorry to say it, Minister de Jong, your decision not to patronize California wine is not likely to cut much ice.
John Schreiner
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