Nobody is "trying to soften the impact of tariffs". Everyone was and is trying to maximize profits. Who ends up paying has to do with "elasticity" which roughly is about how much the tax actually impacts you.

In this case, it ended up that the retailer raised prices, probably because the retailer can just sell domestic wine for cheaper (close substitute). Retailer profits still didn't increase because of reductions in sales (~12% iirc) and increase in after-tariff inventory prices. This is textbook econ 101. Substitute, profit maximization of a firm, supply and demand etc.

You're confusing exporter and importer lowering prices with the retailer facing lower after-tariff inventory costs. Inventory costs still went up.