Global Freight Index continues to rise

• The composite index increased 1% or $103 this week, and also, remains 349% higher than a year ago.

Your vineyards are planning their holiday. Make sure you’re planning too.

As an importer, you need to know your suppliers’ plans and consider the impact of seasonal workflows. You’ll find that local pick-up services are busier this time of year and that lead times are longer.

Some things you can do now to help your wines arrive on time for OND:

• Contact your suppliers now 

• Place POs asap to get them in motion

• Request a later pick-up date- within one month of order submission

• Place your PO at least 2-3 weeks before your suppliers shut down for their holidays 

Thanksgiving Wine: The sooner the better

If you are on the west coast, it is time to start booking your Thanksgiving shipments. With the current state of the supply chain, EU wines to the west coast are seeing timelines of 90+ days from when a shipment is ready at the vineyard, to when it lands in your warehouse. This means shipments booked now are projected to land in early to mid November. Do not wait. If there is one thing we all need more of heading into the holiday season, it is wine.