business plan for micro winery

Winery Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Winery Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Winery business plan.

We have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Wineries.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Winery business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Great Grape Winery is a new wine producer and tasting room located in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington’s wine country. The company is founded by Nicholas Perez, an experienced winemaker who has been making wine for nearly two decades, and his wife, Angela, an operations director with a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Together, Nicholas and Angela have the expertise and education needed to start their new company, Great Grape Winery. Nicholas is confident that his ability to effectively manage the winemaking process, combined with Angela’s top-notch management skills, will allow them to run a profitable winery. The couple plans on recruiting a team of highly qualified professionals to help manage the day-to-day complexities of running a winery – winemaking, sales, marketing, quality control, and financial reporting.

Great Grape Winery will offer locally produced, high-quality fine wine for the wine connoisseur and the novice alike. Great Grape will be a one-stop shop for wine enthusiasts to purchase everything they need for hosting their own gathering featuring Great Grape’s fine wines, from bread and cheese selected specifically to accompany certain types of wine to the wine glasses and accessories needed to create an elegant presentation. Great Grape Winery will be the ultimate choice in Walla Walla for its picturesque views and high-quality wines. The winery will offer wine tasting, winery tours, and a chic outdoor seating area to meet up with friends or relax with a glass of wine.

Product Offering

The following are the products that Great Grape Winery will provide:

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Cabernet Franc
• Wine glasses
• Wine glass charms
• Wine holders

Customer Focus

Great Grape Winery will target all individuals over the age of 21. The winery will target tourists and Walla Walla locals. Great Grape will also target a range of wine drinkers, from wine connoisseurs to novices. No matter the client, Great Grape Winery will deliver the best communication, service, and high-quality wine.

Management Team

Great Grape Winery will be owned and operated by Nicholas and Angela Perez. Nicholas will be in charge of the winemaking process and oversee all production staff. Angela Perez will be the Operations Director and manage the tasting room, sales staff, and customer relations.

Nicholas Perez is a graduate of the University of California with a Bachelor’s degree in Viticulture. He has been working at a winery in California for nearly two decades as a winemaker. Now, he wants to bring his winemaking expertise to the Walla Walla, Washington wine country.

Angela Perez is a seasoned operations director with over eight years of experience overseeing the operations for a small winery. Angela has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is known for her keen attention to detail, organization, and efficiency.

Success Factors

Great Grape Winery will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Highly qualified team of winemakers, wine tasters, and experts on wine selection and pairing work side by side with friendly and knowledgeable sales and tasting room staff to ensure each customer receives personalized and attentive service and gets all of their questions answered.
• Great Grape sells its wine, food products, and wine accessories in-store and online, giving customers more flexibility in the way they can shop. The company will also have a monthly wine club subscription so customers never have to worry about running out of wine or missing out on new products.
• Great Grape Winery offers competitive pricing. The winery works with local suppliers and uses a cost-effective packaging process that allows the company to save money. This savings is then passed on to the customers.

Financial Highlights

Great Grape Winery is seeking $600,000 in debt financing to launch its winery. The funding will be dedicated towards securing and building out the facility and towards purchasing equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated towards three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing expenses. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Facility build-out: $300,000
• Equipment, supplies, and materials: $120,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $20,000
• Working capital: $10,000

Company Overview

Who is great grape winery.

Great Grape Winery is a newly established winery located in the heart of Walla Walla, Washington’s wine country. Great Grape will be the ultimate choice for its picturesque views and high-quality wines. The winery will offer locally produced, high-quality fine wine for the wine connoisseur and the novice alike. Great Grape will be a one-stop shop for wine enthusiasts. Customers can purchase everything they need to host their own gathering featuring Great Grape’s fine wines, from breads and cheeses that pair perfectly with the Great Grapes wine selection to elegant wine glasses and accessories. The winery will offer wine tasting, winery tours, and a chic outdoor seating area where customers can meet up with friends or relax with a glass of wine.

Great Grape Winery will employ a team of professionals who are highly qualified and experienced in winemaking, selection, and pairing. Great Grape Winery ensures that every customer that walks through the door receives exceptional customer service.

Great Grape Winery History

Great Grape is owned and operated by Nicholas and Angela Perez. Nicholas is an experienced winemaker who has a Viticulture degree from the University of California. Now, he wants to bring his winemaking expertise to Walla Walla’s wine country. Angela is a seasoned operations director with over eight years of experience overseeing the operations for a small winery. Together, they have begun to set up the business. Initial steps such as registering the business and securing all necessary permits and licenses have been completed.

Since incorporation, Great Grape Winery has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Great Grape Winery, LLC to transact business in the state of Washington.
• Secured all required licenses and permits to open a winery in Walla Walla, Washington.
• Has a contract in place at the facility that will become the winery and tasting room.
• Reached out to numerous local vineyards to advise them on the upcoming winery in order to start getting supplier contracts.
• Began recruiting a staff of accountants, marketing and sales associates, winemakers, and tasting room personnel to work at Great Grape Winery.

Great Grape Winery Services

• Wine Tasting Services & Events

Industry Analysis

The global wine market was estimated to be $417.85B in 2020 and is forecasted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% between 2021 and 2028. The segment of wine that had the largest share of the market in 2020 was table wine, with 84% market share. This type of wine is quite popular due to being relatively inexpensive and easily accessible. While less popular than table wine, sparkling wine is expected to gain market share between 2021 and 2028 as more people around the world, and particularly in the U.S., favor spritz beverages.

In the United States, the millennial age group drinks the most wine. Approximately 24% of wine consumers in the country belong to this demographic. Moreover, 28% of younger millennials drink wine on a daily basis. Trends in the wine market that appeal to millennials include small batch wines, natural wines, sparkling wines, lower-alcohol wines, and sustainable or biodynamic wines. Industry operators can maintain a competitive advantage by offering unique flavors, affordable and accessible products, and catering to the millennial demographic.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

The precise demographics for Walla Walla, Washington are:

Customer Segmentation

Great Grape will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Millennial age group
• Gen Z who are over the age of 21
• Boomer age group
• Wine connoisseurs
• Walla Walla locals
• Walla Walla tourists
• Wine novices

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Great Grape Winery will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Valley Winery

Valley Winery makes fine wines from locally sourced grapes. Located in Walla Walla, Valley Winery is able to save on shipping costs by using local suppliers. The winery’s list of services includes wine tasting, winery tours, and private event hosting. Valley Winery makes a range of wines including white, reds, and dessert wines.

Valley Winery promises to deliver the highest quality products at reasonable prices. The winery follows a strict quality control process and only uses the best grapes for its wines. Valley Winery’s team of experienced winemaking professionals assures the wine is made with the best of care. Customers are guaranteed to love the company’s fine wines and if they don’t like a particular wine, the company will offer another type of wine at no additional cost or provide a refund.

Hilly Valley Winery

Hilly Valley Winery in Walla Walla, Washington provides outstanding wines for the pickiest wine connoisseurs. Hilly Valley Winery offers classic wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. The owners of Hilly Valley Winery come from a family of winemaking professionals so they understand how fine wine should be produced. The winery also boasts a small cafe where customers can relax with some wine and cheese. On weekends, the winery hosts wine tasting events and tours of the production facility.

Winning Wine

Winning Wine is a trusted Walla Walla winery that provides superior wines, breads, and cheeses for wine enthusiasts in the area. Winning Wine uses organic grapes processed through sustainable methods to ensure a green operation. The winery hosts special events, tours, and winemaking classes. Customers can purchase wine accessories in addition to fine wine while in the tasting room. Winning Wine’s fine wines sell for premium prices due to the company’s use of hand-picked grapes and sustainable production methods.

Competitive Advantage

Great Grape Winery will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Great Grape Winery works with local suppliers and uses a cost-effective packaging process that allows the company to save money.

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Great Grape Winery will offer the unique value proposition to its customers:

• Friendly and knowledgeable employees ensure each customer receives personalized and attentive service and gets all of their questions answered.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Great Grape Winery is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Nicholas Perez has built a reputation over the years for producing exceptional wine. Many former customers have expressed great enthusiasm for the new winery and have expressed excitement over trying out the wine selection. Great Grape Winery will give customers discounts for referring their friends and families and spreading the word about the new establishment.

Professional Associations and Networking

Great Grape Winery will become a member of professional associations such as the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, the American Wine Society, and the Washington State Wine Commission. Nicholas and Angela will focus their networking efforts on expanding their customer and supplier networks.

Print Advertising

Great Grape Winery will invest in professionally designed print ads to display in programs or flyers at industry networking events, in Walla Walla tourism magazines, in wine trade publications, and in direct-mailers.

Website/SEO Marketing

Great Grape Winery will create and maintain an attractive, well-designed website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all of the wines and other products currently available at Great Grape. The website will also include a regularly updated blog with interesting and educational articles about wine.

The company’s marketing director will manage Great Grape’s website presence with SEO marketing tactics so that when someone searches for “Walla Walla winery” or “winery near me”, Great Grape Winery will be listed at the top of the search results.

Social Media Marketing 

The company will maintain an active presence on various social media platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. The marketing director will post new content to these accounts multiple times throughout the week to keep the brand fresh in followers’ minds.

Email Marketing

Great Grape Winery will send email newsletters and promotional offers to customers who subscribe. The newsletter will provide informative content and the promotional offers will help drive traffic to the winery and the online shop.

The pricing of Great Grape Winery will be competitive so customers feel they receive value when purchasing wine from the company.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Great Grape Winery.

Operation Functions:

• Nicholas Perez will be the Co-owner and Lead Winemaker. He will oversee the winemaking process and winemaking personnel.
• Angela Perez – Co-owner and Operations Manager who will manage the day-to-day operations of the winery, tasting room, sales staff, and customer relations.
• Justin Lee – Bookkeeper/Accountant who will provide all budgeting, accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting for the company.
• Brenda Moore – Marketing Director who will implement the marketing plan for Great Grape.
• Larry White – Inspection and Maintenance Director who will provide all maintenance on the equipment and internal quality control inspections for the winery.

Milestones:

Great Grape Winery will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

10/1/2022 – Finalize contract to lease the facility.

10/15/2022 – Finalize personnel employment contracts for the Great Grape Winery team.

11/1/2022 – Finalize contracts with grape suppliers and begin the winemaking process.

1/15/2023 – Begin networking at industry events and implement the marketing campaign.

2/1/2023 – Great Grape Winery opens for business.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Great Grape Winery are the winery fees charged to customers in exchange for wine products. The company’s price range for its fine wines is $15-$50 per bottle.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff a winery and the grapes that will be made into wine. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, winemaking supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Key assumptions.

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of cases of wine produced per year: 6,000
• Average fees per month: $60,000
• Facility lease per year: $200,000

Financial Projections

Income statement.

Balance Sheet

Cash Flow Statement

Winery Business Plan FAQs

What is a winery business plan.

A winery business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your winery business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your winery business plan using our Winery Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Winery Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of winery business , some examples include: Estate Winery, Farmstead Winery, and Custom Crush Winery.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Winery Business Plan?

Winery businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a Winery Business?

Starting a winery business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A Winery Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed vineyard   business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your winery business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your winery business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Winery Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your winery business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws. 

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your winery business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary Winery Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your winery business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your winery business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful winery business and starting a winery business plan :

• How to Start a Winery Business

Other Helpful Templates

Brewery Business Plan Template Wine Bar Business Plan Template

Micro Winery Business Plan [Sample Template]

By: Author Tony Martins Ajaero

Home » Business ideas » Food Industry » Wine Business ideas » Winery & Vineyard Business

Are you about starting a micro winery business? If YES, here is a complete sample winery business plan template & feasibility study you can use for FREE .

If you intend to start and run a winery as a profitable business, do not look forward to having immediate returns on your investment. This is why people who go into the business are generally seen as doing it not for their own gain or benefit but as a future investment they can leave behind for their children and grandchildren.

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An important decision you will have to make before starting is to know what aspect of the business you will like to do or if you will prefer to handle all aspects. For instance you can decide to own a vineyard which is a farm that grows grapes a major ingredient for wines.

After growing the grapes you can sell or export them to wineries who are involved in producing the wine. In a situation where you do not have enough money to invest, you can choose to partner with more established wineries that have their own vineyards and wineries to grow their grapes and produce their own wines.

These wineries give people the opportunity to make a barrel for their own private consumption or make hundreds of barrels for commercial purposes. Another decision to consider is where your business will be located.

When choosing where to site your business you will have to think of the climatic condition as grapes thrive in dry climates, cool days and hot nights. This is why places like Arizona and California are regarded as top wine growing and producing regions in united states of America because they have climatic conditions that suit the growth, cultivation and harvesting of grapes.

A Sample Micro Winery Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

As stated earlier, the winery business is an exciting one and can be a rewarding experience if properly done and well planned. The industry is fast growing as despite the huge capital outlay needed to start the business a lot of people are still coming in leading to it being a vibrant industry.

The Wineries industry comprises of companies that are involved in at least one component of the wine making process. The wine making process includes growing and harvesting grapes, crushing and pressing grapes into unfermented wine and fermenting the wine. The industry also makes wine blends, brandies and wines made from other fruit sources.

The wine institute which represents about 500 wineries in California states that total wine sales in the United States both from foreign and domestic avenues was around 600 million gallons some years ago which recorded a retail value of 19 billion dollars.

Also wine exports have been a good source of revenue with 79 million gallons exported providing about 500 million dollars in revenue.

California accounts for most of the wine markets in the United States but steadily over the years, the business has become very popular and there has been an increase in wine markets in various regions around the country. This has seen vineyards available in about 40 states with 49 states having wineries, leading to about 2000 wineries around the country.

In 2014, a major landmark was achieved when the United States of America for the first time became the largest wine consumer by volume with an annual consumption of 29.1 million hectoliters over taking France in the process. This has gone on to explain why wine brands from the United States are dominant in the world market and are continually on the rise.

Statistics also show that wine consumption in the United States is set to rise by 11% over the next few years and this growth will make the total market share of the country double what is expected from the market of China. There are several factors to consider like where to buy the land, cost of the land, planting of the grapes harvesting of the grapes, bottling the product, marketing and lots more making it a daunting and challenging task.

For instance, if you decide to start the business from the scratch you will have to be extremely patient and be ready to spend huge money.

It can take up to four years before you produce grapes that are commercially viable and the process of making the wine can take a further two years which means whatever you budget for the business should be for a long term basis and you should be in it for the long haul.

The industry is characterized by fierce competition which is why it is important that when entering the business you develop a particular niche as this will enable you penetrate the market and get your own customers.

Over and above, the winery industry is a profitable industry and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come in and establish his or her business; you can chose to start on a small scale (micro – winery) or you can chose to start on a large scale (mega – winery).

2. Executive Summary

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is a standard and licensed winery business that will be located in an industrial area in Indianapolis – Indiana. We have been able to secure a long term lease for a standard facility and 2 acres of farm land in a strategic location with an option of a long term renewal on an agreed terms and conditions that is favorable to us.

The facility has government approval for the kind of business we want to run and it is easily accessible and we are deliberate about that to facilitate easy movement of raw materials and finished products.

We are in the winery business to produce top taste and fine products such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot, Grigio, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Riesling and other blends that can compete with any other winery in the United States of America and in any part of the world.

We are also in business to make profits at the same to give our customers value for their money; we want to give people and businesses who patronize our products the opportunity to be part of the success story of The Vineyard Group®, Inc.

We are aware that there are several standard wineries scattered all around the United States and Canada whose products can be found in every nooks and crannies of The United States and Canada.

Which is why we spent time and resources to conduct our feasibility studies and market survey so as to enable us locate the business in an area that will support the growth of the business and also for us to be able offer much more than our competitors will be offering.

We ensured that our facility is easy to locate and we have mapped out plans to develop a wide distribution network for wholesalers all around the United States of America and Canada.

Much more than producing top taste and neatly bottled wines, our customer care is going to be second to none. We know that our customers are the reason why we are in business which is why we will go the extra mile to get them satisfied when they purchase any of our wine brands.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. will ensure that all our customers are given first class treatment whenever they visit our winery.

We have a CRM software that will enable us manage a one on one relationship with our customers no matter how large the numbers of our customer base may grow to. We will ensure that we get our customers involved when making some business decisions that will directly or indirectly affect them.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is family business that will be owned by Frank Potter and Family. Frank Potter who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Company is Graduate of Micro Biology (B.Sc.) and he holds a Master’s Degree in Business Management (MBA).

He has well over 15 years of experience working in related industry as a senior manager prior to starting The Vineyard Group®, Inc. He will be working with a team of professionals to build the business and grow it to enviably height.

3. Our Products and Services

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is going to operate a standard and licensed winery whose products will not only be sold in the United States and Canada but also in other parts of the world. We are in the winery business to make profits and also to give our customers value for their money.

These are some of our services and product offerings;

• Growing wine grapes
• Blending wines
• Bottling wines
• Marketing and retailing wines
• Manufacturing brandy, vermouth and cider
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Pinot Grigio
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Zinfandel, Riesling and other blends

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to establish standard winery whose products will be not only be sold in the United States of America and Canada, but also in other parts of the world.
• Our mission is to establish a standard winery business that will produce a wide range of wines for both low income earners and for luxury consumption.
• We want to build a winery business that will be listed amongst the top 10 wineries in the United States of America and Canada

Our Business Structure

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is a business that is established with the aim of competing favorably with other leading winery brands in the industry. This is why we will ensure that we put the right structure in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business.

We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)

Winery (Plant) Manager

Human Resources and Admin Manager

• Warehouse Manager

Merchandize Manager

Sales and Marketing Manager

Information Technologist

• Accountants / Cashiers
• Customer Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO (Owner):

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of the winery(plant)
• Part of the team that determines the quantity of drinks (wine) that are to be produced
• Map out strategy that will lead to efficiency amongst workers in the plant
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of plant workers
• Ensures that the steady flow of both raw materials to the plant and easy flow of finished products through wholesale distributors to the market
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Ensures that the plant meets the expected safety and health standard at all times.
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office and factory activities.

Warehouse Manager:

• Responsible for managing the daily activities in the warehouse
• Ensure that the warehouse facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
• Controls the supply floor inventory
• Ensures that goods and products are properly arranged
• Supervises the entire warehouse
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the CEO
• Manages vendor relations, market visits, and the ongoing education and development of the organizations’ buying teams
• Helps to ensure consistent quality of wines are produced
• Responsible for the purchase of raw materials and packaging materials (bottles and cans et al)
• Responsible for planning sales, monitoring inventory, selecting the merchandise, and writing and pricing orders to vendors
• Ensures that the organization operates within stipulated budget.
• Manages external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Models demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the company
• Manage the organization website
• Handles ecommerce aspect of the business
• Responsible for installing and maintenance of computer software and hardware for the organization
• Manage logistics and supply chain software, Web servers, e-commerce software and POS (point of sale) systems
• Manage the organization’s CCTV
• Handles any other technological and IT related duties.

Accountant / Cashier

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensuring compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the organization
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive

• Ensures that all contacts with customer (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with customers on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the store manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on The Vineyard Group®, Inc. products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to students when they make enquiries
• Responsible for cleaning the facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Cleans both the interior and exterior of the facility
• Any other duty as assigned by the winery (plant) manager.

6. SWOT Analysis

We are quite aware that there are several wineries in the United States of America and Canada which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business so as to compete favorable with them.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be welled equipped to confront our threats.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in start – up business to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives. This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for The Vineyard Group®, Inc.;

Part of what is going to count as positives for The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is the vast experience of our management team, we have people on board who are highly experienced and understands how to grow business from the scratch to becoming a national phenomenon.

So also, we grow our own grapes and the wide varieties of wine et al that we produce our large national distribution network and of course our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for the business.

A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new winery and we don’t have the financial capacity to engage in the kind of publicity that we intend giving the business especially when big names like The Wine Group, Gallo and Constellation Brand Inc. are already determining the direction of the market.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities for mega wineries with a wide range of products are enormous. This due to the fact that the average Americans and Canadians consume distilled products.

As a result of that, we were able to conduct a thorough market survey and feasibility studies so as to position our business to take advantage of the existing market for wine products and also to create our own new market. We know that it is going to requires hard work, and we are determined to achieve it.

We are quite aware that just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn and unfavorable government policies . It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new winery or distillery plant in same location where ours is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

One common trend in the wineries industry is that, over the last five years, it has become obvious that consumer drinking preferences have moved away from standard light beers, and loads of consumers have discovered wine for its perceived health benefits and increasingly diverse flavor profiles.

Going forward, the wineries industry will continue to benefit from a growing number of consumers, mostly among the millennial generation, who have expanded their palettes toward domestic wine. Also, the US wine region is increasingly becoming popular on a global stage.

Another trend in the wineries industry is that most wineries now produce expensive wines for the high end clients and also normal wine for everyday people. Statistics has it that consumers have experienced appreciable increasing disposable income since 2009, and as a result, many have sought out expensive wine brands that are perceived to be classy and of higher quality.

8. Our Target Market

When it comes to selling wines, there is indeed a wide range of available customers. In essence, our target market can’t be restricted to just a group of people, but all those who drink alcoholic drinks and non – alcoholic drinks. One thing is certain; the target market for wines, especially red wines will continue to increase.

In view of that, we have conducted our market research and we have ideas of what our target market would be expecting from us. We are in business to engage in the production and wholesale distribution of assorted wines to the following groups of people:

• Corporate Executives
• Government Officials
• Business People
• Celebrities
• Military Men and Women
• Sports Men and Women (with the exemption of under – age)
• Students (with the exemption of under – age)
• Event / Wedding Planners
• Every adult in the neighborhood where our wines will be sold.

Our Competitive Advantage

Although we are set out to establish a standard winery in Indianapolis – Indiana whose products will be sold throughout the United States of America and Canada, but that those not stop us from setting up our own unique retail outlets across major cities so as to bring our brands closer to locals. This is part of the competitive advantage that we are bringing into the market.

Another competitive advantage that we have is the vast experience of our management team, we have people on board who are highly experienced and understands how to grow business from the scratch to becoming a national phenomenon.

So also, the wide varieties of wine flavors that we produce our large national distribution network and of course, our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for the business. One thing is certain; we will ensure that we produce a wide range of distilled drinks with different flavors so as to give our customers various options.

Lastly, all our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (start – ups commercial greenhouse farms in the United States) in the industry. It will enable them to be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the wineries industry in both the United States of America and Canada and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to sell a wide range of both alcoholic and non – alcoholic wine products to a wide range of customers.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. will generate income by offering the following services and products;

• Marketing and retailing of various flavors of alcoholic and non – alcoholic wines
• Sale of Chardonnay
• Sale of Cabernet Sauvignon
• Sale of Merlot
• Sale of Pinot Grigio
• Sale of Pinot Noir
• Sale of auvignon Blanc
• Sale of Zinfandel, Riesling and other blends

10. Sales Forecast

It is important to state that our sales forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies, market survey and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field. Below are the sales projections that we were able to come up with for the first three years of operations;

• First Year-: $500,000
• Second Year-: $750,000
• Third Year-: $1,500,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and the arrival of a competitor in same location as ours within the period stated above. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Before choosing a location for The Vineyard Group®, Inc. and also the flavors of wines to produce, we conduct a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to be able to be able to penetrate the available market of those who consume wines.

We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the numbers of customers we want to attract per time and also for our products to favorable compete with other leading brands in the United States of America and Canada.

We hired experts who have good understanding of the wineries industry to help us develop marketing strategies that will help us achieve our business goal of winning a larger percentage of the available market in the United States of America and Canada.

In other to continue to be in business and grow, we must continue to sell our products to the available market which is why we will go all out to empower or sales and marketing team to deliver our corporate sales goals. In summary, The Vineyard Group®, Inc. will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to sell our distilled alcoholic drinks;

• Introduce our wine – brand by sending introductory letters to residence, alcohol merchants, hotels, event planners and other stakeholders both in the United States of America and Canada
• Open our winery with a party so as to capture the attention of residence who are our first targets
• Engage in road show in targeted communities from time to time to sell our products
• Advertise our products in community based newspapers, local TV and radio stations
• List our business and products on yellow pages ads (local directories)
• Leverage on the internet to promote our wine – brands
• Engage in direct marketing and sales
• Encourage the use of Word of mouth marketing (referrals)

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Despite the fact that our winery is a standard one with a wide range of products that can favorably compete with other leading brands, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for all our products and brand. We are going to explore all available means to promote The Vineyard Group®, Inc.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. has a long term plan of opening wine retailing outlets in various locations all around the United States of America and Canada which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Indianapolis – Indiana before venturing out.

As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for selling our products but to also effectively communicate our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise The Vineyard Group®, Inc.;

• Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, et al to promote our brand
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around major cities in the United States of America and Canada
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted communities
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
• Position our Flexi Banners at strategic positions in the location where we intend getting customers to start patronizing our products.
• Ensure that all our staff members wear our customized clothes, and all our official cars and distribution vans are customized and well branded.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

When it comes to pricing for products such as alcoholic and non – alcoholic wines, there are two sides to the coin. We are aware of the pricing trend in the winery industry which is why we have decided to produce products for both high – end customers and regular consumers of wines.

In view of that, our prices will conform to what is obtainable in the industry but will ensure that within the first 6 to 12 months our products are sold a little bit below the average prices of various alcoholic and non – alcoholic wine brands in the United States of America. We have put in place business strategies that will help us run on low profits for a period of 6 months; it is a way of encouraging people to buy into our brands.

• Payment Options

At The Vineyard Group®, Inc. our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that will be available in every of our outlets;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment via POS machines
• Payment with cash
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for farm produces purchase without any stress on their part.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

The winery business is a capital intensive venture to start and we are well prepared financially. We are aware that where you decide to locate the business, the equipment as well as structures you will build will take up a major chunk of the money you have put aside to set up the business.

We have conducted our research, analysis, feasibility studies and market survey very well before drawing up a budget and going ahead to source for funds for the business. This is the key areas where we will spend our start – up capital;

• The Total Fee for Registering the Business in the United States – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $1,300.
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of The Vineyard Group®, Inc. in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of – $3,580.
• Cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500.
• Insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
• The budget for permits, Insurance and license – $5,000
• The money needed to acquire land that will be suitable for the variety of grapes we will like to plant can cost you between – $100,000-300,000 per acre
• Construction of the vineyard facility and tasting rooms and other administrative blocks could cost about – $200, 000
• Equipment for the offices such as filing cabinets, safety gadgets, computers, printers, telephones, fax machines, furniture and electronics could cost about – $15,000
• Creating and launching an official website could cost about – $700
• Other expenses such as signage, business cards, advertisements, publicity and promotions) could cost around – $2,500

We would need an estimate of $1.2M to successfully set up our Winery Business in Indianapolis – Indiana. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of all the staff for the first 3 month of operation.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for the Vineyard Group®, Inc.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. is a family business that will be owned and financed by Frank Potter and Family. They do not intend to welcome any external business partners, which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sell of stocks
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $500,000 (Personal savings $400,000 and soft loan from family members $100,000) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $700,000 from our bank. All the papers and document have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If any of these factors is missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

The Vineyard Group®, Inc. will ensure that all the factors listed above are reinforced on a regular basis, we will continue to improvise with our products and also we will engage in continuous capacity building of our workforce. As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more.

We will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that staff welfare is well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner. We have the plans of

Check List / Milestone

• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Leasing of facility (farmland inclusive) and construction of winery: In Progress
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers / merchants: In Progress.

How To Write a Winning Winery Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for winery businesses who want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every winery business owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a Winery Business Plan?

A winery business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Winery Business Plan?

A winery business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Winery Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful winery business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a winery business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your winery company
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your winery business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your winery firm, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen winery business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a winery business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the winery industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a winery business’ customers may include wine enthusiasts, corporate clients, and retailers.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or winery services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your winery business may have:

• Superior quality wine.
• Unique and differentiated wine products.
• Strong industry reputation.
• Experienced management team with a proven track record in the wine industry.
• Extensive distribution network.

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, or launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your winery business via public relations or influencer marketing.

Operations Plan

This part of your winery business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a winery business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include increasing the number of bottles produced per year, or expanding your product line to include a new type of wine.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific winery industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Winery Business

Balance Sheet

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Winery Business

Cash Flow Statement

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup winery business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Winery Business

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your winery company. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

A well-written winery business plan is an essential tool for any business owner looking to start or grow their wine company.  By taking the time to write a comprehensive business plan, you will have a much better chance of securing the funding you need to get your business off the ground.  

Finish Your Winery Business Plan in 1 Day!

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How To Write a Wine Business Plan + Template

Winery Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 10,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their wineries. On this page, we will first give you some background information with regards to the importance of business planning. We will then go through awinery business plan template step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a Winery Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your winery as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategy for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a Winery

If you’re looking to start a winery, or grow your existing winery, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your winery in order to improve your chances of success. Your winery business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Wineries

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a winery are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans and angel investors. With regards to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to confirm that your financials are reasonable. But they will want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business.

The second most common form of funding for a winery is angel investors. Angel investors are wealthy individuals who will write you a check. They will either take equity in return for their funding, or, like a bank, they will give you a loan. Venture capitalists will not fund a winery. They might consider funding a winery with a national presence, but never an individual location. This is because most venture capitalists are looking for millions of dollars in return when they make an investment, and an individual location could never achieve such results.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a winery.

If you want to start a winery or expand your current one, you need a business plan. Below are links to each section of your winery business plan template:

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your Executive Summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the type of winery you are operating and the status; for example, are you a startup, do you have a winery that you would like to grow, or are you operating a network of wineries.

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan. For example, give a brief overview of the winery industry. Discuss the type of winery you are operating. Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers. Provide a snapshot of your marketing plan. Identify the key members of your team. And offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Analysis

In your company analysis, you will detail the type of winery you are operating.

For example, you might operate one of the following types of wineries:

• Vineyard wineries: these are traditional wineries with acres of land used to grow and harvest grapes for wine.
• Destination winery: this type of winery emphasizes location and experience and is typically situated in a scenic area.
• Urban wineries: an increasingly popular winery where grapes are shipped into an urban venue and wine is made in-house.

In addition to explaining the type of winery you will operate, the Company Analysis section of your business plan needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to question such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include placement goals you’ve reached, number of new contracts, etc.
• Your legal structure. Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the winery industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your strategy particularly if your research identifies market trends.

The third reason for market research is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of yourwinery business plan:

• How big is the winery industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential market for your winery? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of yourwinery business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: professional women, college students, event planners, couples, and bridal parties.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of winery you operate. Clearly college students would want different service options, and would respond to different marketing promotions than bridal parties, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, include a discussion of the ages, genders, locations and income levels of the customers you seek to serve. Because most wineries primarily serve customers living in their same city or town, such demographic information is easy to find on government websites.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can understand and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other wineries.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t direct competitors. This includes wine bars, liquor stores, and wine subscription services. You need to mention such competition to show you understand that not everyone interested in purchasing or tasting wine will go to a winery.

With regards to direct competition, you want to detail the other wineries with which you compete. Most likely, your direct competitors will be wineries located very close to your location.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their businesses and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as:

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What types of wine do they offer?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide superior products?
• Will you provide products or services that your competitors don’t offer?
• Will you make it easier for customers to access your wine?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For awinery business plan, your marketing plan should include the following:

Product: in the product section you should reiterate the type of winery that you documented in your Company Analysis. Then, detail the specific products you will be offering. For example, in addition to a winery, will you provide catering, food menus, or special event services?

Price: Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your marketing plan, you are presenting the products and services you offer and their prices.

Place: Place refers to the location of your winery. Document your location and mention how the location will impact your success. For example, is your winery located in a tourist-heavy area or is it near a busy retail district, etc. Discuss how your location might provide a steady stream of customers.

Promotions: the final part of your winery marketing plan is the promotions section. Here you will document how you will drive customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertising in local papers and magazines
• Reaching out to local websites
• Social media marketing
• Local radio advertising

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your winery, including all facets of the winemaking process, tank cleaning, tasting preparation, and logbook maintenance.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to serve your 1,000th customer, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to grow your client database to X amount or launch in a new location.

Management Team

To demonstrate your winery’s ability to succeed as a business, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally you and/or your team members have direct experience working in vineyards or with wine. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act like mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing wineries or successfully running small businesses.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statements.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you sell 50 bottles per day or 100? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets : Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $100,000 on building out your winery, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a bank writes you a check for $100.000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

In developing your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a winery business:

• Location build-out including design fees, construction, etc.
• Cost of equipment like cultivation equipment, fermentation tanks, and temperature control systems
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Taxes and permits
• Legal expenses

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your winery blueprint or location lease.

Putting together a business plan for your winery is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will really understand the winery industry, your competition and your customers. You will have developed a marketing plan and will really understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful winery.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Winery business plan?

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Winery Business Plan

A lot of people like fine and customized wines, but not everyone has the talent to whip up wines that’ll suit the tastes and preferences of different people.

Moreover, with people valuing experiences more than products, the popularity of wine-tasting and making sessions is growing every day.

If you are planning to start a new winery business, the first thing you will need is a business plan. Use our sample winery business plan created using Upmetrics business plan software to start writing your business plan in no time.

Before you start writing your business plan for your new winery business, spend as much time as you can reading through some examples of manufacturing-related business plans.

Industry Overview

The wine industry stood at a market value of 417.85 billion US dollars in 2020 and is expected to grow at a rapid rate going forward.

Also, according to Glassdoor , the average winemaker salary across the nation stands at $84,015 per year, being $43,000 on the lower end and $132,000 on the higher end.

The rising consumption of wine across the globe is one of the major reasons for market growth.

Alongside the growth of wine consumption across different cultures, the way people shop for wines has grown too. Most people prefer to buy wines from retail stores and online.

Also, with increased changes in people’s lifestyles, everyone prefers beverages with lesser or no alcohol content. This has led to an increase in the popularity of wines.

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Things to Consider Before Starting a Winery Business

Decide upon your distribution method.

Although you can always make the switch, it is advisable to study and pick the most profitable distribution channel for your winery business.

A winery has several distribution channels like stores, eCommerce sites, restaurants, hotels, etc., with stores and online sites being the most popular ones nowadays.

Hence, you should conduct a thorough analysis of various factors and pick the channel that fits the best for your business.

Pick a favorable location

A good location is important for a winery business. Not only should the weather and atmosphere be favorable for your winery, but it should be accessible as well.

It helps you make your business more cost-effective in terms of transport costs and also more reachable for your distributors.

Have a list of equipment and machines you’ll need

From farming equipment to tools and machines for extracting and storing wine, a winery needs a bunch of equipment.

Hence, figuring out the functioning of all the systems and tanks before you start is essential for smooth procedures and working of your winery.

Decide on a brand name and message

Though the brand building is an ongoing process, picking a memorable name and brand message is essential. It gives your customer base to remember you something by.

Also, a message that you follow through with can become a strong mark of effort and quality.

Write Your Business Plan

If you can make unique and innovative wines know how to juggle proportions and blend to suit the tastes of different people or would like to have a scenic vineyard that can also become a source of income for you, then a winery business might help you have a fulfilling and profitable profession.

Reading sample business plans will give you a good idea of what you’re aiming for. It will also show you the different sections that different entrepreneurs include and the language they use to write about themselves and their business plans.

We have created this sample Winery Business Plan for you to get a good idea about what a perfect winery business plan should look like and what details you will need to include in your stunning business plan.

Winery Business Plan Outline

This is the standard winery business plan outline, which will cover all important sections that you should include in your business plan.

• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Customer Focus
• 3 Year profit forecast
• Business Structure
• Startup cost
• Products and Services
• Industry Analysis
• Market Trends
• Target Market
• SWOT Analysis
• Sales Forecast
• Direct Mail
• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Ongoing Customer Communications
• Pre-Opening Events
• Pricing Strategy
• Service Functions
• Administrative Functions
• Important Assumptions
• Brake-even Analysis
• Profit Yearly
• Gross Margin Yearly
• Projected Cash Flow
• Projected Balance Sheet
• Business Ratios

After  getting started with upmetrics , you can copy this sample winery business plan template into your business plan and modify the required information and download your winery business plan pdf or doc file.

It’s the fastest and easiest way to start writing your business plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

Download a sample winery business plan

Need help writing your business plan from scratch? Here you go;  download our free winery business plan pdf  to start.

It’s a modern business plan template specifically designed for your winery business. Use the example business plan as a guide for writing your own.

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Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to Write a Winery Business Plan

July 9, 2023 by Gravity Wine House

A s consultants and custom crush winemakers, we work with seasoned and novice winemakers alike. When people think about making wine, they are sometimes ready to source grapes and start a wine label . However, making wine is only part of the process. The first thing we often tell aspiring vintners is that one must start with a business plan—because after all, making wine is a business. A common question relating to the business plan relates to winery finances. How do you build a budget? What numbers are important to consider? What data can give a readout of business performance? Mark Pisoni is a co-owner of Gravity Wine House and conducted investment analysis for his Master’s Degree while at Cornell University. We used that as a basis for assembling this blog post to give you some ideas for how to get started. The information was developed for wineries in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, but can apply to anywhere. If you’re ready to jump in with budgeting, skip to the Financial Data section of drafting your Business Plan below. Otherwise, follow along as we outline important concepts to keep in mind in starting your own winery.

Starting a wine business is complex, with many moving parts.

Understand who you are

Understand who you are and, more importantly, who you want to be within the wine world. While this may sound trivial, a solid understanding of your own vision will make your position and purpose as a new winery clear to future collaborators and clients.

• What region are you in? Will your wine labels carry a particular AVA or sub-AVA classification?
• How does your sense of place influence your brand?
• What type of wine do you produce? Do you have aspirations of expanding your repertoire? These insights may influence your budgeting and marketing strategies as you set yourself up for success for years to come.
• Do you aspire to be a large or small winery based on your target production volume?
• Do you have a winemaker? If not, contact us for winemaking services.
• Is it important to have your own facility, or would a custom crush facility better meet your goals?
• What price point/tier are you targeting for your wine?

Define your goals

This is another idea that may sound simple but is vital before investing money, energy, and effort into a business model that may not align with your broader aspirations. In defining your goals, first, consider where you are now and what things you bring to the table. Are there things you already do and/or have that you want to integrate into your new business plan? These may include a wine label already in production, an ongoing contract with a particular grape grower, or a connection to a particular cooper who is integral in the production of your barrel-aged wines.

Be ambitious but realistic. This is the time for honesty with yourself and your business partners about what you hope to achieve in the coming months and years. It may be useful to set a timeline and think about your goals as dreams with deadlines. In defining your goals, it is helpful to revisit the questions posed above. What metrics are crucial to reach to become the winery you strive to be? Try setting many smaller goals with tangible measures of success to build the foundation for your larger plans.

Write your business plan

Here comes the step you’ve been waiting for! Now that you know who you want to be in the wine world and the actionable steps for getting there, it’s time to create a scaffold to bring your business to life. Your business plan should begin with a broad summary of your business and drill down to details such as how you will price your consumer goods. You may realize you have missing information; for example, have you conducted a market analysis to determine how many competitors in your area produce the same varietals or considered competitor strategies for pricing wine?

The U.S. Small Business Administration has compiled business planning resources that can be accessed here , including further detail about market research and competitive analysis, writing your business plan, calculating your startup costs, and establishing business credit. For those who are serious, we recommend this resource as a platform for further research. For now, we recommend you consider the following sections as you create your plan:

• Executive Summary: Who are you? Include your vision and mission statement here, along with a brief statement of your product or service and basic information about company leadership and location.
• Company Description: Go into detail about your company. What consumers do you plan to serve? What product or service will you provide? What competitive advantages will make you a success?
• Product and Service Description: What products and services do you plan to provide, and how are they different than what already exists in the market? This section may be combined with the one above depending on how much detail you need to provide.
• Market & Consumer Analysis: An understanding of your competitors is crucial to your success. Conduct market research, assess trends, and consider what others do well and what you can do better. See Table 3 below for an example of market analysis from the Finger Lakes region in 2001 (see Table 3):
• Operations: How will your company be structured? Describe the legal structure of your business.
• Personnel & Management: Who will run your company? Consider an organizational flowchart to demonstrate the role of all team members.
• Marketing, Sales, & Brand: Describe your plan to attract and retain a customer base. What are your sales strategies? Consider how marketing may play into sales.
• Financial Data: Budgeting and financial projections are a must. To create an effective budget that will communicate that your business can be a financial success, you must be comfortable with financial jargon and concepts that will help you trace your expenditures and be clear on how your money will be used. Here are some helpful definitions to get you started. See Table 4 for an example of annual operating costs for a model winery.

Below is a market analysis of the Finger Lakes Region from 2001. (Disclaimer: Retail bottle pricing is does not reflect current market conditions but can be used as a guide for datapoints to collect in relevant analysis of your consumer market space.)

Overhead Costs

The fixed expenses inherent to running your business that cannot be linked to your product or service. What are your overhead costs?

Variable costs

The expenses that change as a function of the quantity of service or product production. What are your variable costs?

Break-Even Analysis

A financial calculation that weighs the cost of a new product or service against a proposed sale price to determine where you will break even; total cost and total revenue are equal. Can you use break-even analysis to make informed decisions about services and products you plan to sell?

Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

A metric used to estimate the potential return of an investment. Think about this as a measure of profitability, reported as a percentage. Learn more here . Can you calculate the IRR of your projects?

Net Present Value (NPV)

The difference between cash inflow and outflow over a defined period of time. The NPV tells us how much money a project will gain or lose in today’s funds. Learn more here . What is the NPV of your project?

Keep in mind that the exact sections of your business plan may look different from this list. Perhaps you prefer a more succinct Organization section rather than separate Operations and Personnel & Management sections, or you want to add detail in additional subsections. Your business plan should work for you and clearly distill the comprehensive plan for your business and your needs.

Below is a breakdown of the average annual operating costs for Mark’s model winery referenced in Tables 1 and 2. The average operating costs were calculated under the annual equivalent cost method, with production at 1,850 cases in year one with an 850-bottle annual production increase to reach 9,250 cases in year five.

Perception is everything

Although “Marketing, Sales, & Brand” may already be included in your business plan, the perception of your business from the consumer perspective deserves additional attention. Take an extra moment to consider your brand. What brings your wine business to life for your clientele beyond the physical infrastructure you buy and the personnel you employ? What does your wine stand for? Out of countless bottles on the shelf, why should consumers choose you? Your winery will only be as successful as your customers are content with the product you provide. Pay particular attention to the front-facing aspects of your business; their ethos cannot be fully captured by your budgets or estimated expenditures, take time to maintain, and will be integral in your winery’s success.

The decision to invest time, energy, and capital into a new business is a big one. For those really interested in starting a winery, it takes many hours, careful planning, a strong sense of leadership, and wine industry-specific insight. Here, we provided models and posed questions to consider as you decide how and when to bring your business aspirations to fruition. If working with our custom crush facility can assist you in your business development, contact us for opportunities. Either way, seek out resources in addition to those mentioned above – new perspectives will shed further light on how to strengthen your business plan and ensure your success.

Mark Pisoni’s sample thesis: Writing-A-Small-Winery-Business-Plan

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