Say Au Revoir to Affordable Wine: Trump vs. Macron Trade War Edition

Stock up on your favorite Bordeaux and Champagne now because prices are about to get insane. After the latest clash between Trump and Macron over that “Board of Peace” initiative, the threat of a 200% tariff on French wine is officially on the table.

We’re not just talking about a few extra dollars here. Experts are saying a 200% tax would basically triple the cost of a bottle by the time it hits U.S. shelves.

Since we’re already dealing with the 15% tariff from last summer, those price hikes are going to feel immediate. A standard $20 bottle of rosé could easily jump to over $50, and that $60 bottle of Champagne you like for special occasions might end up costing you closer to $180.

Importers are saying they don’t have the backstock they had last year to cushion the blow, so once these new shipments land, the sticker shock is going to be real.

If you’re wondering what bottles are going to disappear from the shelves first, you have to look at the big three: Champagne, Bordeaux, and Provence Rosé. These are the absolute workhorses of the French wine market in the U.S. and the ones most likely to see those triple-digit price tags.

Champagne is probably the biggest target. Bottles from the massive houses like Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot (especially the Yellow Label, which sells over 400,000 cases a year here) are staples at every American wedding.

If that 200% tariff hits, your standard $60 bottle is going to look a lot more like $180 overnight.

Then you’ve got the Rosé craze. Brands like Whispering Angel, Hampton Water, and La Vieille Ferme from Provence have basically become the official drink of American summers.

They’ve been selling millions of bottles a year, but at $50 or $60 a pop under new tariffs, people are going to start looking at domestic pink wine real fast.

Bordeaux is the other giant, especially the everyday red blends from the “Right Bank” and “Left Bank” that usually sit in the $20 to $30 range. We’re also seeing a huge surge in Sancerre from the Loire Valley and white Burgundies like Louis Latour lately, which have become super popular in U.S. restaurants.

If those prices triple, your favorite glass of crisp white wine at happy hour is going to cost more than the steak entree. It’s looking like French wine might become a luxury only the super-wealthy can afford if this trade war keeps escalating.