"Could we eventually drink a California wine at an Italian restaurant? That’s drastic."
Late last week, as news of President Donald Trump’s tariffs began to sink in, Tampa Bay restaurateurs and wine merchants started crunching numbers.
Calculator apps popped up on smartphones. Restaurants and markets held impromptu meetings, consulting with suppliers and dialing in distributors.
With a 20% tariff on all European products now in effect, the wine director at a Mediterranean restaurant in St. Petersburg wondered how much she would have to start charging for that glass of French Chardonnay. The proprietor of a Tampa bottle shop questioned her margins on the selection of wines from Italy, France and Spain.
Local restaurant owners and those working in Tampa Bay’s wine distribution and retail operations largely say it’s too early to know yet how much prices will have to rise and for how long. But they are already taking steps to prepare for a change to their bottom line.
Read more at the Tampa Bay Times