Blake Leonard, president of wines and spirits at Stew Leonard’s, tells “ the mornings with Maria ” on the uncertainty of consumers in the threat of President Donald Trump to impose 200% of European alcohol prices.
Spirits could soon be raised – at least it is the concern for certain alcohol buyers who were shopping in a popular family grocery chain.
The president and spirits of Leonard’s stew, Blake Leonard, said on Fox Business on Monday on Monday The fact that the threat of President Donald Trump to impose a 200% rate on European alcohol imports inspired some buyers to leave an increase in potential prices and to fill up on their favorite drinks.
“During the weekend … customers have refueled, and it’s an uncertain moment,” Leonard told Maria Bartiromo. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, but it doesn’t hurt to go out and grasp your favorite wine or spirit bottle at the moment, especially tequila or champagne.”
Trump threatens 200% price on French wine, other EU alcohol products
Bottles of French and Italian wine are presented on a shelf in a grocery store on March 13, 2025 in San Anselmo, California. President Donald Trump threatens a 200% rate on alcohol in European Union countries. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images / Getty Images)
Trump published the pricing threat after the European Union recently announced that it would proceed at a planned 50% rate on American whiskey, writing in part on Truth Social that placing prices on European drinks “would be great for wine and champagne companies in the United States”
His threat comes in the midst of a wave of other imposed rates and pricing proposals.
The prices offered on European alcohol products would target popular articles such as French and Italian wines, which has potentially pushed American consumers to consider wines and spirits produced at national level.
From an example, Leonard organized a bottle of European champagne which generally sells for about $ 60. Californian sparkling wines Made in the same style, sell about half of the price.
President Donald Trump crosses the southern lawn to get on the navy one at the White House on March 7, 2025 in Washington, DC (Kayla Bartkowski / Getty Images / Getty Images)
“You have a lot of these opportunities where you can change consumer. During the covid, as we saw, they had to rotate. They had to try something new,” she said.
“”[It’s] The same thing here, Sancerre de France can only be done in this certain region. You can find an excellent bottle of some of your California white, so consumers will have to do so because the cost of these imported products would be so expensive on the shelf. “”
On the other hand, products like Tequila, which can only be manufactured Mexico, could challenge buyers if Alcohol import prices also had to be imposed on it.
The “Barron Round Table” panelists discuss the impact of prices and choices of actions.
“Our suppliers … They have refueled. They planned this. They really anticipated this to come, so they stored their warehouses with as much wine and spirits as possible to maintain the maintenance for about six months,” said Leonard.
Half of the wines and spirits The Stew Leonard is currently selling in Europe. Leonard said the price would have an impact on the sale of these products.
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Daniella Genovese de Fox Business contributed to this report.
