Did the Lees just hit the fan? ...

(Lees: the sediment of wine in the barrel)

Unlike our President I chose not to publicly ask if S*%t hit the fan in the email's subject line, but you probably got the allusion.

I'm referring to the just announced

25% tariffs on many European goods in response to the EU subsidy of Airbus airplanes.

Many categories subject to the tariffs such as aircraft (only a 10% tariff!), anoraks, wool suits, down pillows, bed linens, axes, pneumatic tools and backhoes probably won't be felt directly by most of us - unless of course you're jackhammering out your driveway or basement and installing an underground wine cellar.

But ...

If you enjoy European wine, cheeses, olives sausages sweet biscuits, Scotch, etc. etc.

- and we KNOW you do -

the announced tariffs are certainly going to be felt soon.

It seems as if dinner, if not lunch and breakfast are going to cost more, even if you don't shop at The Market Hall or Whole Foods ;)

For many of the wines in the shop we imagine that prices will go up on the next containers being prepared to ship -probably arriving in November or December.

I know we had hoped that wine would avoid Mr. Trump's trade wars and they seemed to be doing so until this announcement.

We'll hope that producers and distributors can mitigate the large tariff by a bit and will as always, continue to search for affordable wines (and mark them up less than others) for you.

Perhaps it's an opportunity for some smaller local producers to fill some gaps they couldn't due to pricing.

Not the end of the world of course, but another small example of stuff hitting the fan lately.

Our Oddest Bestseller Ever

Most of you know that that we have a small but nice selection of beers and ciders (& a bit of Sake) in our tasting area but those who venture sideways into that area sometimes come upon an odd inclusion to the lineup:

Paleokerisio is an Orange Wine (extended skin contact results in coloration from "white" grapes) from Greece and has been a highly unusual bestseller for us over the last year. We used to buy a case of it and that lastet well over a month but we now bring in three at a time and reorder more often than before. Very odd!

We display it with the ciders because it has many characteristics found in those - lightly sparkling, a bit of funky earthiness and a very light sweetness as well.

The winery describes it thusly:

A unique in its kind orange semi-sparkling and semi-dry wine, which impresses with its distinctive and totally traditional vinification. It is produced from the indigenous white wine grape variety Debina with the addition of a small percentage of the red variety Vlahiko. It is a special type of wine, which revives the well-known traditional semi-sparkling wine of Ioannina, produced in the past by the locals.

Rich, refreshing and well - balanced with main aromas of apple, butter flavour with a mild oxidation, as well as aromas of cinnamon and a hint of vanilla. Aftertaste reminiscent of sweet cherry and refreshing bubbles that highlight the complexity of aromas in every sip. It's refreshing and fun with low alcohol and a reasonable price ($13). Well worth trying if you ever enjoy Ciders, Orange Wines or just are feeling Greek (which my father in law would approve)! Give it a try in these early days of Fall - you'll have fun with it.