Living in the heart of Sonoma County wine country gives me direct access to winemakers, occasionally in grocery stores or parking lots.
Two weeks ago, I bumped into a friend, a winemaker for a small winery, who bemoaned that prices for merlot grapes were rising a lot higher than he had anticipated, which made his job more difficult.
His winery's cabernet sauvignon always has been made with about 20% merlot. Since merlot prices are always lower than he has paid for cabernet, the winery could continue to keep the cabernet sauvignon priced reasonably.
Updated: Tue Jan 25, 2022