The 2025/2026 US tariff package

Spanish wine exports to the United States face new cost pressure in 2026. Spain remains one of Europe’s relevant suppliers to the American market, but every bottle now moves through an extra price layer created by tariffs.

For small origin areas such as Lanzarote, that pressure is especially visible. The island does not produce mass wine, but bottles from limited plots, native varieties and a landscape that cannot be scaled at will.

How the glass price is built

A bottle of Malvasía Volcánica passes through importer, wholesaler and restaurant before it reaches a New York wine list. Each step adds margin, tax, logistics and risk premium.

A bottle that looks moderate in Lanzarote can therefore cost several times more in Manhattan. In upper-end restaurants, the price per glass can land between 18 and 22 euros without the Lanzarote winery being the main beneficiary of that gap.

Why Champagne disappears from lists

New York restaurants replace European sparkling wines where a cheaper substitute is available. Champagne and Crémant come under pressure because restaurants can switch to American alternatives or other price points.

That logic hits Lanzarote less directly. A sommelier can replace a Champagne, but not with a Californian wine that tastes and sells like a wine from La Geria.

Why Lanzarote wines stay

Lanzarote wines remain on selected lists because they sell an origin that is difficult to copy. Vines grow in hoyos, round pits in black picón ash, protected from wind by half-moon stone walls.

Malvasía Volcánica and Listán Negro tell a story that New York restaurants can explain to guests. The high price is therefore not only a cost effect, but part of a positioning strategy in an upper niche market.

The Cabildo Lanzarote strategy

The Cabildo de Lanzarote and the Consejo Regulador de Vinos de Lanzarote focus on restaurants, wine clubs and targeted promotion rather than supermarket volume. That strategy fits a product that is scarce and sold through origin.

The 20-euro glass price in New York is therefore ambiguous. It shows the burden of tariffs and margins, but also that Lanzarote volcanic wines have reached a segment where origin matters more than volume.

Questions and answers

Why can a glass of Lanzarote wine cost up to 20 euros in New York?

The price comes from limited production, volcanic terroir, US tariffs, import margins and restaurant markups in upper-end hospitality.

Which grape varieties define Lanzarote volcanic wines?

Malvasía Volcánica and Listán Negro are among the most important varieties shaping Lanzarote’s international wine profile.

Why are Lanzarote wines hard for restaurants to replace?

Lanzarote wines come from a very specific volcanic landscape. There is no direct American substitute with the same origin story.

What are hoyos in La Geria?

Hoyos are round planting pits in black volcanic ash where individual vines grow protected from wind.

Who benefits from the high glass price?

The high glass price is mainly created in the international distribution chain and the restaurant. The Lanzarote winery receives only part of the final price difference.