Decanter – Katherine Cole: When Wine Met Tariffs, History Rarely Went According To Plan
On a recent trip to Boston, Katherine Cole reflects on the outsized impact of beverage tariffs—from the tea taxes that sparked the American Revolution to the quirky medieval wine duties like prisage and butlerage that shaped grape diversity and trade. She shows that political leaders have repeatedly miscalculated when imposing tariffs on high‑end drinks like wine, often with unintended, and sometimes absurd, consequences. A favorite bit from the article:
The Dutch Drainage Debacle – In the 1600s, says Rod Phillips, a professor of history at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and author of French Wine: A History (University of California Press, 2016), most wine shipped from Bordeaux actually came from inland regions, because Bordeaux was a fetid swamp. When Dutch engineers showed up, drained the Médoc and planted vineyards, France freaked out about ‘the number of foreigners’ in the region and thanked them with… punitive tariffs. Because – and this mayyyy resonate with US readers – foreign folks who know about farming should be banished.
BBC – EU-US Tariff Deal Not Finished Yet, Say Europeans Unhappy With Trump’s Terms
The bottom line. At least as I record this show, there are no carve-outs for wine. From the article:
And while negotiations continue, the US will also apply a 15% tariff on wine and spirits, the Commission said on Thursday, adding it would continue to try and achieve a carve-out.
And this little bit from Yahoo Finance:
EU wine and spirits are expected to be subject to a 15% US tariff as negotiations continue on securing exemptions. France’s wine and spirits industry expects to lose 1 billion should the US go ahead with imposing a 15% import tariff on their products next week, as the European Union makes a last-ditch effort to obtain an exemption.
San Francisco Chronicle – A Prime Napa Valley Winery Hits The Market For $65 Million
In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jess Lander reports that Vineyard 29, a high-tech Napa estate with 38 acres of vines and a striking visitor center, is up for sale at $65 million. Owner Chuck McMinn hopes to pass the torch to another family, while longtime winemaker Keith Emerson continues operations during the listing. Have some lose change lying around? From the article:
The winery is set on coveted grape growing soil on the slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains, which it shares with several revered neighbors, including Grace Family Vineyards and Colgin Cellars’ Tychson Hill property. Vineyard 29 is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, which was once awarded 100 points by wine critic Robert Parker and sells for roughly $200 a bottle.
Wine Enthusiast – This Formerly Illegal Cult Wine Is Taking Over the United States
In Wine Enthusiast, Sarah Strong explores Jura’s famed vin jaune—an intensely oxidative white wine made solely from late‑harvest Savagnin grapes, aged at least six years and three months under a veil of yeast in oak barrels before being bottled in the region’s distinctive 620 ml clavelin. Once illegal in U.S. imports due to its unconventional bottle size, Vin Jaune is now gaining traction stateside following regulatory changes in January 2025 that legalized the clavelin format. Yep. We regulate the bottle size which wine can be sold in. From the article:
…the Department of the Treasury Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulates the size of vessels in which alcohol can be imported, bottled or sold in the United States.
The punchy “yellow wine” (direct translation) is bottled in a distinctly squat container called a clavelin. These portly 620 ml containers didn’t meet long-established rules, which specified wine could only be sold in the standard 750 ml, 500 ml and 375 ml sizes.
But, after more than half of a decade of petitioning the TTB to expand the standard fill guidelines for wine and spirits, these irregularly shaped and sized bottles were made legal as one of the 13 new fill levels the agency approved in January 2025.
Art of Wine: Sedona’s Ultimate Wine Tasting Experience
Art of Wine isn’t your typical tasting room—it’s an oasis for wine lovers in the middle of Sedona’s red rock beauty. Located in The Shops at Piñon Pointe, this cozy yet sophisticated space has carved out a niche as the premier wine-tasting destination in Arizona.
The focus here is on variety and education. Art of Wine boasts the largest selection of wines in the state, offering a carefully curated mix of local Arizona wines, domestic favorites, and international gems. But this isn’t just a place to sip and shop—it’s a hub for wine exploration. From monthly educational tastings to guided flights led by knowledgeable staff, Art of Wine makes learning about wine as enjoyable as drinking it.
Syrah can be a bit of a chameleon, shifting in style depending on where it’s grown. In warmer climates, it leans into bold fruit and high alcohol, while in cooler regions, it develops an earthier, spicier edge. The 2019 Melville Estate Syrah lands in the latter camp, showcasing the elegance and complexity that Sta. Rita Hills can coax from this grape. This is not an inky, fruit-bomb Syrah; instead, it’s a wine of depth and restraint, layered with pepper, smoke, and savory herbs. Whether you enjoy it now or let it evolve over the next several years, this Syrah has plenty to offer.
Zuma Las Vegas: A Showstopper of Japanese Flavors in the Desert
Nestled inside the swanky Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Zuma isn’t your run-of-the-mill sushi bar. This is polished Japanese dining with a sultry edge. The concept, born in London but raised across the globe, takes the informal, shareable essence of a traditional izakaya and gives it a cosmopolitan (no pun intended) facelift. Think bold sushi presentations, grilled skewers sizzling from a Robata, and plating that has you instinctively reaching for your phone.
But make no mistake: Zuma isn’t just a pretty face. The food is outstanding, and we’re not the only ones saying so—Google reviews give it a hearty 4.5 stars out of nearly 850 guests. We had the full Chef’s Premium Omakase experience and walked out with stars in our eyes and a vow to return. If you’re looking for somewhere to splurge on sushi and sip some seriously good wine, Zuma delivers a Las Vegas dining experience that feels like an event.
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