fficult since 2006.
It felt like a really bad joke when the majority of the companies dealing with wine were told to renew their licenses – all at the same time, within a single year. Only a few passed the test successfully. Others had to wait for months, apply and re-apply for the necessary papers.
Some of the most powerful Russian wine-importing companies are still waiting for new licenses. Contracts are suspended, orders are canceled and companies are looking for a way to survive. Since many are famous for selling expensive wines, especially from Italy and France, some top European producers will also feel the effect of the Russian crisis.
Fewer companies leads to a general decrease in imports. The sales of Italian wines overall will go down for 2011, although perhaps not as much as we think. Some wineries have already changed partners and now deal with the lucky ones, so that could help. Market imbalance brought success to lesser-known brands, which are selling much better now.
The crisis created headaches for Russian wine lovers – they have had to change their habits and explore the wine shelves again to find new favorites. But it also brought a benefit – repeated checks of storage standards pushed the importing companies to renovate their warehouses and store their wine under perfect conditions. The situation could return to normal by mid-November.
Dmitriy Fedotov, Independent Wine Club
10/10/2011
