A Supply Chain Issue Could Leave Winos Without Their Wine

If you've been inside any store recently you've probably noticed the shelves are not as full as they usually are. This issue is being caused by several things including a labor shortage and a driver shortage.

Some companies are able to make their products, but there is a significant delay in getting their product across the country to your local store.

This Supply chain issue has affected tons of consumer products including:
chicken, chlorine, computer chips, gas, ketchup, lumber, metals, steel, and now glass bottles.

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Mike Eaton - SVP head of procurement of the Jackson Family Winery talked about what's currently going on with the supplier shortages and the possible impact on the wine industry.

It's a problem, but I wouldn't say it's crisis mode I mean we've, we've been dealing with challenges in our industry last several years, anybody who's paid attention. We've had about five years of wildfires and drought in labor issues as well I think what’s kind of come to a head in the past six to eight months is the labor has started to impact our suppliers and logistics providers so what you're starting to see as you know we, we've been able to accommodate things at the producer level but our suppliers are getting caught by it and so it's, it's a, it's starting to catch up to I think everybody.

Mike also said for those hoping that this glass shortage would mean an increase in good boxed wine unfortunately you're wrong.

when we're in a surplus you get a lot of good juice in box wine when we're in a supply shortage, then the box wine has to scrape the bottom of the barrel, literally.

The worst part of this supply chain shortage is that it impacts mom and pop wineries harder since they might not be able to buy in bulk and they most likely don't have as much inventory to bottle up and distribute to consumers like bigger wine producers who have inventory and leverage with suppliers do.

For the sake of the smaller business and my family's Sunday dinners, I hope the supply chains can start to catch up sooner rather than later.