The cost of Speciality Wines Increasing

Everything is going up these days, but as the dollar gets weaker, it's even more expensive to buy things imported from Europe, and that includes some of those specialty wines.   So what does that mean for local liquor stores, and are area wineries cashing in?

As the dollar gets weaker, the next trip to get your favorite European variety of wine is going to cost you a little more.  Brent Birdsong, manager of Brooks Liquor in Salina says, "Most of them have gone up anywhere between a dollar to 5-6,  Birdsong says he started seeing the increase about this time last year.  "Yes, a lot of customers have noticed the increase."  Now many have started looking for less expensive alternatives.  "A lot of customers will buy cheaper wines, not necessarily from any certain region, but they will certainly go to cheaper wines just so they can drink more."

As liquor stores are seeing a shift to inexpensive wines, local wineries are seeing the opposite.  Norm Jennings of Smoky Hill Vineyards and Winery says "We've seen a drift towards some of our higher end wines that are lets say the mid $20 price tag, that maybe is a crowd that was into the $30 bottles of an imported wine and they're stepping out, they're looking at other things." 

Jennings says Europe is the root of the wine industry and where all the specialty equipment comes from, costing more to get what is needed.  While his business is growing, others might be thinking twice.   "A lot of wineries are saying ok, maybe now isn't the time to buy that new bottling line, maybe now isn't the time to buy that machine harvester."  Smoky Hill Winery is seeing their customer base expanding, Jennings says that's possibly due to the economy, more people staying in.

And back at the liquor store, Birdsong says their sales are steady too, despite the increase in prices.  Birdsong says there's always something to substitute.  "There's always something that will work just as well and sometimes taste just as good or even better that's more expensive."

Both Windswept Winery in Udall and Wyldewood Winery in Mulvane say they have seen the price of European wine rise, but it hasn't made a difference on their sales.  They do hope the price increase will get more people to pay attention to Kansas produced wine.