Old Town Wine Cellar Newsletter

Greetings from the Wine Cellar:

Given how 2020 has gone so far, with respect to the Corona virus pandemic, associated economic travails and a fair amount of social upheaval that seems to dominate the news these days, I hate to bring up one more piece of bad news, but here goes.  If you enjoy imported European wines, and I’ve certainly met a lot of people here in Yuma who do, get prepared to pay a lot more for them.  It hasn’t gotten any coverage in the media, which is understandable I guess given everything else that’s going on these days, but the U.S. Government is preparing to levy a 25% tariff (tax) on wines imported from some members of the European Union, especially Italy and France.  The issue is those countries’ recent or impending levying of a “digital service tax” (DST) on certain American companies such as Google, Facebook and others.  The firms have complained to the Feds, understandably, and our government now seeks to punish the Europeans for imposing a DST by threatening to hit them with a tariff on wines, cheese and potentially other consumer goods exported to the U.S.  The government is certainly entitled to oppose things like a DST by foreign countries on American companies, but to me at least, a highly selective tariff like this simply imposes an additional tax burden that primarily penalizes American consumers who enjoy imported wines, creates additional problems for numerous small businesses (such as myself!) who cater to them and who are having a hard enough time currently as it is, and very likely will do nothing to deter the Europeans from continuing with their DST initiatives.  Anyway, if you agree, please consider making a comment in opposition to this proposed tariff on the U.S. Trade Representative website; you can do so up until July 15^th.  I certainly did – the link is: https://www.regulations.gov/searchResults?rpp=25&po=0&s=ustr-2020-0022&fp=true&ns=true

And now, back to the wine…

NEW WINE & BEER ARRIVALS:

Hewitson 2014 Baby Bush Mourvèdre (Barossa Valley, Australia)   $21.99
Aromas of fresh sage, smoke and black olive mingle on the nose of this Mourvedre, leading  to flavors of vanilla, black cherry and mocha.  It’s full-bodied and creamy on the palate, with a savory, spicy, earthy character that enhances its rich dark fruit, coming to a smooth and silky finish.

La Carraia 2018 Orvieto Classico (Umbria, Italy)    $11.99
Orvieto is a classic Italian white, made from the native varietals – Grechetto, Procanico, Malvasia and Verdello – that are grown in vineyards surrounding the historic Umbrian hilltop town of Orvieto.  A floral nose has accents of citrus fruits.  On the palate it’s fresh and full, with balanced acidity and a brisk finish.

Rodney Strong 2016 Old Vines Zinfandel (Sonoma County)    $18.99
This Sonoma Zinfandel begins with deep, lush aromas of cherries, blackberries and plums, with an enticing hint of vanilla.  On the palate it’s classic Zin: big, dense and mouth-filling, packed full of ripe wild berry fruit enlivened by peppery, spicy accents.

Cheers!

Mike Shelhamer
Old Town Wine Cellar
265 S. Main Street, Suite E
Yuma, Arizona  85364
928-373-0405http://www.facebook.com/oldtownwinecellar