The longshoremen strike that closed ports on the East and Gulf Coasts on Tuesday has left wine importers scrambling to secure their European shipments ahead of the busy holiday season.

Consumers will not see immediate shortages on store shelves or restaurant wine lists, but as Thanksgiving approaches, many may have to find substitutes for their favorite Champagnes or Beaujolais. For importers and others in the trade, the strike by members of the International Longshoremen’s Association union, who are seeking increased wages, comes as the wine industry struggles with lagging sales. Consumption of wine diminished over the last year, and studies pointed to the potential health risks of alcoholic beverages.

“It will obviously be a huge impediment for getting wine shipped here in a critical moment in the year as we gear up for the busy fourth quarter season,” said Douglas Polaner of Polaner Selections, an importer and distributor in Mount Kisco, N.Y. “We have containers arriving in the next couple weeks that may end up just sitting out at sea unless things are resolved.”

In anticipation of the strike, some importers, like David Bowler of Bowler Wine in New York, delayed shipments in Europe so they wouldn’t be stuck at sea, “much to the consternation of our suppliers,” he said, who will have to figure out how to store the bottles. Others already have shipments on the water and are concerned about what will happen to the wine.

“We’re a bit scared for sure,” said Zev Rovine of Zev Rovine Selections in Brooklyn, N.Y., which specializes in natural wines. “We don’t know if we can get it in and will have wine stuck on the boats. Also, because of all the uncertainty, we can’t really line up orders and plan months ahead as we’re accustomed to doing.”

Importers are on the hook for considerable surcharges from ports and shippers when wine is stranded at sea. They may have to purchase additional insurance for high-quality wines, which must be transported in refrigerated containers and may face uncertain storage conditions if they are already ashore. These fees can in turn be passed on to consumers, meaning higher prices for imported bottles.

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