Wine market up 2% in 1994

Wines & Vines, Jan, 1995

IMPORTS CONTINUED TURNAROUND

Stockpiling supplies by importers in late 1992 (fearing higher U.S. tariffs) caused European wine imports to drop sharply during the first half of 1993. For 1994, most European table wines returned to at least the pre-stockpiling levels.

Italian wines registered a 31% surge, which may indicate an ongoing consumer demand. Likewise for Spanish wines, up 33% through the first nine months. Chilean and Australian table wines also enjoyed strong demand.

Fredrikson expects all foreign wines will have grown by 11% or more last year.

If the U.S. economy doesn't falter this year, and in fact even shows more improvement, and if federal, state and local governments don't impose further burdens, tax or otherwise, Fredrikson expects 1995 to be a second positive year in a row for the wine industry. While he expects table wine to gain 4% to 369 million gallons, he expects all other categories to decline, leading to a 1% improvement in total wine shipments for 1995.

W.I. gains

Wine Institute added 21 wineries as members at the Dec. 13 board of directors meeting at the Hotel del Coronado. A total of 31 new winery members have been elected since the launch last June of a new member incentive program. The latter offers either a 50% reduction in dues for the first year or, for minimum dues wineries, free membership for a year.

Most recently elected were Alder-brook Winery, Ballentine Winery, Buena Vista Winery, Central Coast Wine Warehouse, Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Durney Vineyards, Galante Vineyards, Geyser Peak Winery, Gundlach-Bundschu Winery, Harrison Vineyards, Intaglio Wines, Judd's Hill Winery, Las Cerezas Vineyards, Liparita Cellars, Livingston Winery, Mariani Vineyards, Norman Vineyards, ONE Vineyard, One World Winery, Paraiso Springs Vineyards, Perry Creek Vineyards, Porter Creek Vineyards, Redwood Empire Wine Storage, Rombauer Vineyards, San Saba Vineyard, Silver Horse Vineyards, Sonoma County Wineries Assn., Summit Lake Vineyards, Viader Vineyards, Villa Helena Winery and Witch Creek Winery.

Brooks Firestone, president of Firestone Vineyards and a newly-elected member of the State Assembly, spoke to the group about the importance of being involved in the political process. A research group commissioned by a W.I. committee he headed in the 1980s found "our success or failure would not hinge on agricultural, international trade, promotion or advertising issues but rather on how the industry dealt with the political challenges of the day."

Firestone is one of two California winemakers elected to public office last year. George Radanovich of Radanovich Vineyards & Winery, Mariposa, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Inglenook chateau sold

Heublein, Inc. has sold the famous Rutherford chateau built by Gustav Niebaum in the last century to Francis Ford Coppola. The filmmaker/vintner produces wine under the Niebaum-Coppola label. While terms of the sale were not announced, several sources mentioned a $9 million figure.

In August, it was reported that Heublein sold Canandaigua Wine Co. in New York State its Almaden and Inglenook brands plus wineries in Madera, Reedley, Escalon and Paicines.