Bottle Your Own Vintage
At Water 2 Wine, we let you become the winemaker!
The process is easy and fun! Sample wines from our menu, pick your favorite and get hands-on experience with the wine-making process. You get to do the initial mixing of the grape must and and all the bottling for your 28 bottles of custom wine!
Heres how it works:
Step 1: Call us to set up an appointment to select your wine and get your batch started. When you come in, you can taste the wines and choose one from over 40 varietals with wines ranging from sweet wines to dry red blends.
Once youve found the wine you want to make, well bring out all the ingredients including the grape must and yeast.
Next, well take you into our Mixing Area and let you combine all the ingredients together to start the fermentation. Along the way well explain each part of the making process.
Plan on 30 minutes for your Tasting and 45 minutes for the Making. We recommend no more than 2 4 people for this part of the process.
Step 2: Once youve mixed your wine, well take it into our production area and our wine-making team will take care of your wine as it goes through the magic of secondary fermentation and stabilization.
While the wine is transforming, you can start gathering ideas for your custom wine label that well help you design.
Step 2: In 6-8 weeks, call us to set up your Corking Party and bottle your batch of wine.
This process generally takes about 1.5 hours, depending on how much wine you drink while you bottle!
Create A Strategic Business Plan
Sooner or later, you will need to start thinking like an entrepreneur as you expand nationally. And just as every entrepreneur prepares a detailed business plan, sketching out tactics and strategy for the next few years, you will also need to come up with a plan for going national. In the best of all worlds, this strategic plan can be a sort of playbook that you share with your co-workers and employees. It might sound trite and conventional, but you really do want everyone to be on the same page when it comes time to launch.
That being said, there are certain classic growth strategies that have proven effective:
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The concentric circles strategy
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The multi-state strategy
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The anchor accounts strategy
In this first strategy, the goal is to set your home market as your core and then to build out concentric circles around that core, in order to reach a larger and larger territory. For example, in building out its national brand, Dogfish Head Brewery used concentric circles of 100 miles to keep reaching a larger and larger target audience along the East Coast. In order to move to the next concentric circle, Dogfish Head Brewery first consolidated its gains in each inner circle. This helps to create a strong core.
How Do You Get Started If You Want To Own Your Own Private Label
The first step, say industry insiders, is to figure out the types of wines that your customers enjoy drinking and what the average price of the bottles they are ordering is. From there, you need to make a few projections about the growth projections of your business. You dont want to be ordering thousands of cases of wine, and then be stuck with dead inventory.
Also, since every label must denote the place of origin of the wine, the wines you select should be a natural fit for the restaurant in terms of region and style of wine. From there, its time to reach out to wineries that might potentially be interested in a deal. Some wineries are able to accommodate a wide range of order sizes – everything from 5 cases to 1000 cases – while other wineries prefer only to work on smaller or larger order sizes. Once youve narrowed down your choices, the vintner will work with you on every aspect of creating your own wine – down to the creation of the label and even the type of cork. There are also independent design companies specializing in designing wine labels, cases, and other promotional material.
They will design a label that meets the specifications of the country you want to sell it and the tier you want to sell the wine in. From there, all you have to do is place the order and youll soon have your private wine label, all without the time and expense of actually operating your own winery.
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Step : Define Your Brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you aren’t feeling confident about designing your small business logo, then check out our Design Guides for Beginners, we’ll give you helpful tips and advice for creating the best unique logo for your business.
Recommended: Get a logo using Truic’s free logo Generator no email or sign up required, or use a Premium Logo Maker.
How to promote & market a wine tour business
Promote the tours as being both fun and educational. If youre planning on attracting only the sophisticated wine set, show them how your tours are geared toward them in your advertising. If youre marketing to novices, show them how youre on their level, and wont force them to swirl the glass 10 times before they can finally have the wine.
How to keep customers coming back
Customers need to have a good time when theyre with you. Again, this is highly subjective depending on the area youre servicing. It will demand a lot of flexibility on your part to change the tours to each demographic you serve. Over time, youll learn how to switch up your approach for different tours based on your clientele.
Still unsure about what kind of business you want to start? Check out the latest Small Business Trends to help inspire you.
Put Your Photos Or Logo On A Bottle Label Template
Add anything you want to a label when you make your own wine labels at Bottle Your Brand. We’re not kidding when we say anything upload all files types from JPGs to EPS files, including PSD, PDF and PNG files. You don’t have to have a design degree to make a professional looking wine label from scratch on Bottle Your Brand. There are two ways to personalize a label: start at Make Your Own and choose Custom Labels > Wine Labels to begin with a blank template, or start at Labels > Wine Labels to edit pre-designed templates.
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Private Label Wine Program Benefits
Better products, lower prices, higher margin and brand building are all strong reasons for considering a private label program.
Many restaurants are finding that their private label wines are some of their customers favorites. Customers are developing loyalty to these brands.
Premium wines that deliver value are harder to find from large distributors. Through a private label wine program, retailers can offer value-priced premium wines that are equal to higher priced branded products.
Benefits of a private label wine program include:
How To Start A Wine Label
A s a custom crush winemaking facility, a common question we get asked is, how do I start a wine label? Because this is so common, we wanted to provide a brief overview of some of the factors involved in this process.
If youve ever considered starting your own wine label, its likely that you dont know where to begin. Many first-time business owners might assume that you have to own your own winery to start a wine company, but that is not the case for many new labels. There are many components to consider when thinking about making your own wine, and we are here to help. If you are thinking of potentially starting your own wine label without the burden or expense of owning your own winery, here are some pertinent details to keep in mind.
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How To Start A Winery Or Wine Business
Wine isn’t just a beverage. The flavour and character of wine is affected by the elements, geography and the fermentation process. A bottle of wine tells a story and running a wine business means telling those stories for a living sharing your passion, travelling and meeting interesting people.
Weve previously talked about working in the wine industry, becoming a sommelier and becoming a wine merchant, so in this article, we look at starting a wine business, from having your own winery to starting a wine shop or running a business online. Here are the numerous ways to get started in this fascinating field
Establishing a Business Model
Firstly, there are several ways you can run a wine business. As well as the various types of business, there are different levels of involvement. You might be an investor, manager, or running it as part of a team. If youre running a wine business, this could mean purchasing grapes, establishing a relationship with a vineyard, investing in a vineyard, starting one yourself or dealing with multiple suppliers for your shop, e-shop or wine bar.Its also worth asking who you will sell your wine to retailers, wholesalers or direct to consumers? Once youve decided on whether youre a wholesaler, retailer or service business, you can take the following steps.
First Steps in Starting a Wine Business
Regardless of what kind of business you create, there are some standard initial things to do
How to Start a Winery
Le Cordon Bleu a Fine Vintage
World Class Wines Are Grown In The Vineyard
We bring you a wide selection of the most prestigious vineyards in California. Call or email and we will guide you toward the best vineyard for your palate and desired style of wine. Once you have chosen your vineyard, follow the progress of your grapes through the growing season right up to the point of harvest to make your own wine.2020 Vineyard Guide
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Personalized Wine Labels Make Amazing Gifts
Make wine labels for all the special occasions in your life. Put a personalized wine label on a favorite wine to give friends and family at birthdays, weddings, graduations, holidays, showers or any occasion that demands an extraordinary gift. Imagine how surprised the recipient will be to see their photo or a personal greeting on their wine bottle. Personalized wine labels are a fantastic holiday gift or house warming gift and a way to say you care enough to go beyond the ordinary. Bride and Grooms will love how add a personalized touch to their special day.
Doing A Winery Business For The Right Reasons
Before you start imagining yourself sitting on a beautiful porch, sipping your homemade wine, you need to understand the realities of wine business. Running your own vineyard is by no means an easy thing to do and if you arent in it for the right reasons, you are very likely to falter chasing an impossible dream.
Although it is naturally possible to make money with a winery, you shouldnt expect to become a rich person overnight. While you can start turning in money quicker by buying an established winery , it will still take around three to five years for a particular grape type to develop into a quality wine. This means that you wont become a rich vineyard owner overnight.
Running a vineyard is definitely a long-term investment and you could have to wait for a decade or two before you start to reap benefits. If this isnt what you are looking for then you are better off searching for other types of investments.
Not everyone gets into the business as a quest to make some money. If you are just looking to turn your passion for wine into a hobby, then you dont need to bury your dreams. As you will see later on in the guide, there are different ways to get into the wine business and your goals as a winery owner might influence which of these routes you take. The key is to understand the realities of starting and running a winery and to make sure your own goals fit these realities.
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Drink Better Private Label Wine For Less Money
If you are serious about having your own private label wine, and you love Santa Barbara County wines, contact Martellotto WInery.
With access to the best vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Martellotto will make your premium quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay at a fraction of the retail price.
Minimum quantities run around 336 cases. Cost can run anywhere from $10 to $30 per bottle for wine retailing from $20 – $60 per bottle.
We do the work, so you dont have to. Interested?
Licensing And Permits For Wineries
While all businesses need licensing and permits, the wine industry is particularly strict on its regulations in this field.
Some paperwork you will absolutely come across when opening a winery include:
- Permit to operate/Business License
- Label Approval from Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
- Local regulations this will vary on country, state, and even county.
Other paperwork you may need to consider include:
- Laws on selling across state or country lines
- Trademarking your label
- Certificate of Occupancy
- Extra licenses if you plan to serve food
If youre worried you may miss a license or permit specific to your winery and location, consider hiring a wine-compliance agency. These agencies help wineries to understand and abide by all local and national regulations, preventing you from any avoidable mistakes with the government.
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Selling Online Or By Mail Order
If you intend to sell your wine over the internet or by mail order in addition to the normal Alcohol Licenses, personal and premises Licences, you will need to comply with The Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 and distance selling guidelines. Contact your Local Authoritys Trading Standards Officer for more information.
Wedding Wine Bottle Labels On Your Favorite Wine
Add a touch of personalization to your big day. Customize our wine labels to match your wedding colors or add a photo of the bride and groom. It’s an easy way to create wedding favors that are low cost yet exude luxury. Your unique wedding design will set your wedding apart from all the others. Don’t settle and use the same wedding favors all your friends have done and you’ve seen over and over at weddings for years.
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Learn About Marketing Your Product
has changed a lot with the technological revolution and you need to do some research in how your wine is best marketed. It is a good idea to look what other producers around you are doing not to copy, but to get ideas!
Learn about the traditional methods, like direct marketing and newspaper marketing, but also focus on the new marketing methods of social media. As you have a target market in mind, you can aim your marketing efforts to appeal to this audience.
Apply For Federalapproval Of Your Wine
Before starting operations, the TTB requires impacted wine businesses to submit various applications with supportive documentation under the terms of the Internal Revenue Service Code and the Federal Alcohol Administration Act . In general, bonded wineries and bonded wine cellars must complete an Application to Establish and Operate Wine Premises. Bonded wineries, bonded wine cellars planning to blend wines, and custom crush wholesalers must also also submit an Application for Basic Permit under the FAA Act.
Your wine business can begin the application process online using the TTBs Permits Online system. The TTB application process seeks information about your business structure, signatory authority, wine-making premises, wine-making activities, trade name, grape designations, labelling approvals, and any alternating proprietor agreements. As part of the application process, you must provide a Wine Bond to underwrite your payment of federal taxes on your planned wine sales. Your application may also need to include environmental and water quality information to show compliance with applicable laws.
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Overcome Red Tape Issues
Youll encounter a lot of paperwork when setting up a winery. A lot doesnt mean just a few forms here and there, running a winery will means long nights of filing forms and plenty of red tape you need to overcome.
There are some national differences naturally, but you should expect to have to deal with a number of licenses and permission from ministries in charge of alcohol and beverage departments. You also need to sort out the health and safety regulations. This is all before you can start organizing or the usual business paperwork, such as taxation, sale tracking and computing.
Make sure you understand the amount of paperwork required beforehand and look at some of the forms. If you arent comfortable with this aspect of the business, you can find help from consultancy and accountancy firms, for instance.
Step : Register For Taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN for free through the IRS website, via fax, or by mail. If you would like to learn more about EINs and how they can benefit your LLC, read our article, What is an EIN?.
Learn how to get an EIN in our What is an EIN guide or find your existing EIN using our EIN lookup guide.
Small Business Taxes
Depending on which business structure you choose, you might have different options for how your business will be taxed. For example, some LLCs could benefit from being taxed as an S corporation .
You can learn more about small business taxes in these guides:
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
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