With
the new year comes New Year’s resolutions – a chance to change what you didn’t
like about the past year, and to focus on new personal growth, a new job, or
new, exciting plans for the future.
Maybe
this will be the year you get to travel; to move into the type of home you’ve
always wanted, have the chance to start a family, begin a new career, or become
your own boss. I was thinking of
resolutions and new starts when I stumbled upon several websites encouraging people to
start their own wineries with phrases like “Romantic endeavor”, “Exciting
business”, “Become a wine expert”, “Rewarding lifestyle”.
Now,
don’t get me wrong – being a winery owner can be romantic, exciting, and
rewarding, as these sites suggests; but it can also be time-consuming, full of
mountains of paperwork and forms, (TTB, state, and county tax paperwork that needs
filed every month, every quarter, and every year.) And, if you’re thinking this is a
way to make quick, easy money, keep in mind the old adage; “How do you make a small fortune in the wine business? Start with a large one.”
Consider:
While
I love dealing with the customers, teaching those new to wine the basics of
tasting, and helping them find what they like; owning a winery is not all a
chilled glass of well-oaked Chardonnay. You’ll be investing your time, your
money, and your life in this endeavor - for years.
Why?
If
you want to own a winery so that you can drink all of the ‘free’ wine you want,
(Yes, I’ve actually heard this!) –
This is sooo not the industry for you.
You, as a winery owner, should be setting an example by not drinking too much. And there is no such thing as free wine – it all must be
accounted for to the TTB, and other agencies; even the wine that you loose,
dump, or pour out.
If
you don’t like writing and doing paperwork, don’t consider owning a winery.
Besides the above-mentioned alcohol agencies and their various tax forms,
you’ll be filling for licenses for the federal, state, and possibly county or
city/township level. You’ll also
have the USDA Census of Agriculture to complete, plus various state agriculture
and wine surveys to fill out.
You’ll need to keep up-to-date tasting notes for your bar. Then
there’s the marketing aspect of writing press releases on awards won, and how
your wines and winery are faring in the wine industry, in general. There’s also newsletters/wine club
letters to write, social media to keep current, and your winery's wine blog that keeps in touch with your customers, and potential customers.
Please
remember, this in NOT the business to get into to meet (fill in the blank)….
cool dudes, hot chicks, the rich and famous… Believe it or not, this is a service business, just like a restaurant or a package
delivery service. If you’re not here because you have a passion for wine and
want to share it – Keep looking, there’s something else out there for you.
If
you just love the ‘atmosphere’ of a winery – make sure you really understand
what that atmosphere entails by volunteering at other wineries. Yes - volunteering. Find out if you really do love the real
life-style. Offer to learn everything you can, and
remember, no job is too menial for you to do if you’re serious about owning a
winery. Learn how to clean tanks,
help on the bottling line, sweep the floors, crush grapes, order for the
tasting room, work the bar, organize winery events, and yes, scrub the
bathrooms. Those are all jobs you
can, and usually do, end up doing when it’s yours.
What?
Now
for the basic questions –
* What types of wine do you want to
craft?
* Do you know who your competition will
be?
*
What kind of winery do you want? A
winery with a vineyard - A retail winery - A winery with a restaurant?
*
Will you be the winemaker, or do you have someone in mind? Do you know anything about making wine? If not…
*
Do you know how much it costs to hire a good winemaker?
*
Will you do your own marketing? Do
you understand the necessity of marketing this business?
*
Are you going to lease or buy the equipment?
*
Will you hire employees, or contract labor, as needed?
*
Do you plan to have your wines distributed to wine shops, grocery stores, and
liquor marts for retail sales there? Do you know how to go about this?
There
are hundreds more questions to consider, but you get the idea – this isn’t a
business where you say, “I can do that, it sounds like fun,” without A LOT of
serious thought.
Where?
And
remember, when owning a winery – location is everything! You need traffic to sell that wine –
foot traffic, drive-by traffic, local traffic, tourist traffic, holiday
traffic. Feet in the door equal money in the till.
Who?
If
you’re serious, owning a winery can be one of the most interesting and exciting
jobs in the world. But start by
learning the ropes. Then find out
who’s who in the industry at large, in your state, even in your city. Join your state’s wine association and
attend their meetings and annual conference. Look for the national wine conferences also, like the
Eastern Winery Exposition, www.easternwineryexposition.com
and the Midwest Grape & Wine Conference, www.midwestgrape.com.
You’ll attend some great lectures, get a chance to ask questions, visit
with exhibitors, and meet others who share your interest in wine, who can offer
advice and suggestions.
Do
your research. Read up on the
industry, and base your decisions on actual wine business statistics, advice
from those in the industry, and in the end, your gut. YOU know if this is the
right business for you.
Robert
Mondavi said it best in his autobiography, Harvests of Joy:
“Wine to me is passion.
It's family and friends. It's warmth of heart and generosity of
spirit. Wine is art. It's culture. It's the essence of
civilization and the art of living.”
May you have a Happy New Year, and attain your dreams in 2013!!
~
Joy
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