Grapes might become hard to find at US grocers
Heavy and unusual downpours in late January devastated unharvested grapes in Chile, the world’s no. 1 exporter. According to grape expert John Pandol , the rainfall left as much as 40% of Chile’s crop unusable due to damage such as mold.
However, it’s still too early to see a huge impact on retail prices, with some varieties in the US now fetching about 5% more than they were this time last year. A move in wholesale markets, though, indicates bigger price tags may be in store soon for consumers. The average wholesale price of grapes shipped from Chile into the US last week was roughly 30% higher than a year earlier.