Great Northwest Wine
January 12, 2023 by Jim Thomssen
NAMPA, Idaho — Is there ever too much of a good thing in retail? In some cases, yes, but how that growth is managed sets folks apart.
There is growing demand throughout Idaho for the award-winning wines coming out of our winemakers’ cellars. And the economist in me says, “If the demand exceeds the supply, you can raise prices or increase the supply, but that all depends on the elasticity of your demand and supply curves.”
With all the competition in the beverage world, boosting prices may not work out well. In the Lewis-Clark Valley, one highly decorated producer had no more wine to sell for a couple of months. Demand outstripped supply.
Farther south, Earl and Carrie Sullivan at Telaya Wine Co., gambled on the supply side and with the continued and growing demand for their wines. They made an aggressive move to bump production from the 2022 vintage by 250%, which translates into an annual production for Telaya surpassing 11,000 cases — vaulting it among the top five largest wineries in Idaho.