(KCBS Radio) — There is yet another victim of supply chain shortages caused by the pandemic: the wine industry.
Amid fires and droughts, Napa Valley grape growers and wineries are also facing a shortage of glass wine bottles.
The new shortage has become "a huge issue right now with sourcing glass for the entire industry," said Stephanie Honig, of the Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford, Napa County.
The deficit of glass has given new weight to alternative packaging options for such a large industry in California.
"There are alternative packaging — cans, boxes, but you can’t do that on the fly if you’re struggling with getting glass," said Honig.
And it’s unlikely that some consumers will be interested in purchasing what is normally a high-quality wine in an elegant bottle that now comes in a box.
"There is some innovation that’s going to follow down the road," said Malik Amrani of The Vice, a small-batch Napa wine brand. "But it’s going to be hard to be able to sell a luxury craft wine in some alternative packaging for now."
While growers wait for more glass to become available, this year’s vintages are just going to age a bit more than usual before hitting the market.
The shortage also comes in the wake of multiple wildfires ravaging Northern California.
In mid-August, firefighters battled Dixie, Cache, and Caldor fires that raged throughout Northern California. The Dixie Fire became the third-biggest in California history.