US importers have been hoarding Italian bubbly prosecco as a buffer against the potential effects of tariffs that President Trump has threatened to impose on EU products. The Union of Italian Wines trade association reports that following Trump's election, US imports of Italian sparkling wine, 90% of which is prosecco, increased by 41% in November, significantly exceeding consumer demand as importers stocked the pipeline for future sales.

“It was quite natural at the end of the year to do extra shipments,” said the trade association president, Lamberto Frescobaldi, given the uncertainty over whether tariffs would hit Italian wines or not—and the likelihood consumers would cut back on such luxuries if tariffs made them too pricey. “Can we survive without a glass of wine? Yes. Wine is a pleasure,’’ Frescobaldi told AP this week.