HAINES CITY, Fla. — Local wine sellers are concerned that wine and alcohol tariffs will take a toll on their business.
Sip Haines City offers a unique self-serve wine tasting experience. European wines account for around 85% of the bar's sales.
“The bestseller here is actually imported from Italy,” said Jonathan Anglin, Co-owner of Sip Haines City.
President Donald Trump has threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, champagne and spirits if the European Union goes forward with a planned 50% tariff on American whiskey.
Anglin said he will have to foot the bill for Trump’s tariffs and, in turn, pass the costs down to customers.
“A glass of wine is normally $9; we’ll have to already look at taking up the price of that glass to about $16,” Anglin said.
Wine and spirits from the European Union comprised of 17% of the total consumed in the U.S. in 2023, according to IWSR, a global data and insight provider specializing in alcohol. Economists said tariffs will limit the availability of wine in the country.
“Especially because importers will have to make decisions about where and how much they’re bringing wine into the country. We may have to make tougher decisions on what wines we’re going to consume and from where,” said Amir Neto, Director of Regional Economic Research Institute at FGCU.
Economists believe with so much uncertainty right now, some wine retailers may stop buying European wine until the picture becomes clearer.
“To have them come in today and it’s $9 for a glass of wine and they come in next week, that same glass is $16, that’s a hard pill to swallow,” Anglin said.
"I'm not a drag on the system."
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