17 replies to this topic

[the-grape-ape-kid]

Hello all. My name is Dale and i'm almost 22. I have lived in livermore but am moving to a new location in napa or sonnoma this summer to pursue my dreams of being a million dollar winemaker and making a name for myself when i'm young. Now my background is school really hasn't been my thing. The only classes I do well in is my viticulture classes. I have an extreme drive and work ethic and always want to be the best. That's why I know I can achieve my goal of being a top winemaker. My uncle lives down in Oakville in the napa valley and every fall I go there on the weekends and help him make wine. We make fabolous wine for a great company which I will leave unnamed. I have naturally my whole life have been helping or making the wine with my uncle. We are a small winery and don't use a lot of machinery or such sort and I make more a handmade/crafted wine. The wine is really good and no dount will sell that I could personally make.

Now my question to you guys is...
How can I make it. How can and should I get my name out? Should I try to start a small label and get my name out? I could probally get a loan from family or finacial aid to help pay costs for the first year knowing I will be able to pay it back eventually. I also have acsess to about a ton of free napa valley zin grapes that could reduce costs on me. Also i'm a viticulture student and i could ask vineywards for extra grapes for a school project or something of that nature.. Now my question is would I try to have a high scale wine or a more affordable wine. How could i get my wine out there and legally on the market.
Let me know
Thanks
Any ideas or inputs are welcomed

[MinnesotaMaker]

Hello all. My name is Dale and i'm almost 22. I have lived in livermore but am moving to a new location in napa or sonnoma this summer to pursue my dreams of being a million dollar winemaker and making a name for myself when i'm young. Now my background is school really hasn't been my thing. The only classes I do well in is my viticulture classes. I have an extreme drive and work ethic and always want to be the best. That's why I know I can achieve my goal of being a top winemaker. My uncle lives down in Oakville in the napa valley and every fall I go there on the weekends and help him make wine. We make fabolous wine for a great company which I will leave unnamed. I have naturally my whole life have been helping or making the wine with my uncle. We are a small winery and don't use a lot of machinery or such sort and I make more a handmade/crafted wine. The wine is really good and no dount will sell that I could personally make.

Now my question to you guys is...
How can I make it. How can and should I get my name out? Should I try to start a small label and get my name out? I could probally get a loan from family or finacial aid to help pay costs for the first year knowing I will be able to pay it back eventually. I also have acsess to about a ton of free napa valley zin grapes that could reduce costs on me. Also i'm a viticulture student and i could ask vineywards for extra grapes for a school project or something of that nature.. Now my question is would I try to have a high scale wine or a more affordable wine. How could i get my wine out there and legally on the market.
Let me know
Thanks
Any ideas or inputs are welcomed

Dale,
It sounds like you've got some dreams and ideas; it's a start. The problem is that for every successful business person, there are 100 people with dreams that never make it either because they don't act on them or they don't know how to.
I think you've got too many big questions in your post; you're essentially asking for all the answers to build a successful business. Without knowing you really well, I don't think anyone could answers your questions, because the answers would be different for different people with different skill sets.
I'd suggest that you spend some serious time formulating a business plan laying out your thoughts, ideas, intentions, and prospective methods. THEN take that plan to people who can read it over and suggest ideas or steer you away from potential problems. Most communities have groups that help new businesses get started. Spending a few years working full-time in the business learning as much as you can would also help your success rate.
Good luck.

[tater1337]

quick! to the gramercy cellars video!

[deb_rn]

it's funny EVERY time!!

Debbie

[Calamity Cellars]

What you're asking is kind of like asking. "how do I become a rock star" Not a musician, but a rock star.

[NorthernWiner]

Dale,

You may be posing your question to the wrong group. While a couple of people on this board operate commercial wineries, the vast majority of us are amateur home winemakers.

[tater1337]

no, I think he is at the exactly right place. think for a bit.

the only classes he does well are in viticulture

he works for his uncle making wine for a famous(unnamed) company

he's been making wine his whole life

and THEN he asks

How can and should I get my name out?
Should I try to start a small label and get my name out?
Now my question is would I try to have a high scale wine or a more affordable wine. How could i get my wine out there and legally on the market.

all those years making wine with his uncle for a famous(unnamed) company haven't answered those questions?


I think he is lying.

[Hammered]

Having drunk a lot of wines in very successful wineries, my first suggestion would be for you to go back to work with your uncle. If you can be his winemaker, you can gain some respect and awards as such. That will give you some of the credibility (and hopefully a lot of cash) to be able start your own winery. Then start small, and then grow as you develop your market. Network with the other valley vintners and growers work hard, study hard, love what you're doing and you could be successful.

Best of luck.

[deb_rn]

Tater is probably on the right track here!

Debbie

[DesertDance]

Well, Dale, you got a lot of advice here, and much of it is valid. Some of it is just people joking around. I'm a grandma, so I understand your youthful exhuberance, and I wish you every success!

The business plan is really important for any business. Any bank that loans you money will want to see how you plan to make your money. You will need costs (make a list of everything it will take including rent, labor, insurance, marketing costs (getting your name out requires serious marketing and serious cash,) permits, equipment, water, fertilizer, vines, licenses, attorney fees, patents, etc. OMG gives me a headache...), losses (Broken equipment, a bad year in the vineyard, pests, some evil bacteria invades your wine, and what if your vineyard burns?), projected profits, etc. You will need collateral. Collateral is basically something the bank can reposess if you default on your loan.

What does Donald Trump do? He will NOT lend money to friends or family, but he will walk to a bank and co-sign for them because it's a tough call to haul a friend or relative into court for defaulting on a loan, but a bank will do it in a nano. What else does Donald Trump do? He believes in team players. Loyalty. Integrity. Boring stuff like that, but this grandma says, listen to those wiser (Uncle?) Learn!, Stay humble. Stay respectful. Have integrity. Be loyal to those who helped you and those you hire. I am certain you believe in YOU, and that's a big start!!

Most folks who get rich, divide and conquer. They take an acre, and divide it into lots, and they make much more than if they try to sell that whole acre. Jug wine is cheap, and they sell a lot more of that than the $100 a bottle botique wines. The Botique wineries stay small and they stay proud of their label. Take Carlo Rossi. Wine snobs stick up their noses and make fun of his wine, but he could buy the snobs 1000 times over!! There is no pride in Gallo! There is $$$!! There is no pride in Two Buck Chuck! There is $$$$$$$!! Here's one for ya from Grandma Suzi and uncle Harve, "Appeal to the masses, Live with the Classes. Appeal to the Classes, Live with the Masses."

Good luck!
Suzi

[SunDevil]

quick! to the gramercy cellars video!

LmFaOooOOoooOOooo Thats great...

[the-grape-ape-wino]

That's fine to believe but I don't know who you are or think you are. I never said my uncle worked for a famous winery. We make good quality wine in small amounts for a small winery that doesnt make lots of money. Its not our only sole income where we come from. I want wine to be my sole income.

no, I think he is at the exactly right place. think for a bit.

the only classes he does well are in viticulture

he works for his uncle making wine for a famous(unnamed) company

he's been making wine his whole life

and THEN he asks






all those years making wine with his uncle for a famous(unnamed) company haven't answered those questions?


I think he is lying.

[the-grape-ape-wino]

Well, Dale, you got a lot of advice here, and much of it is valid. Some of it is just people joking around. I'm a grandma, so I understand your youthful exhuberance, and I wish you every success!

The business plan is really important for any business. Any bank that loans you money will want to see how you plan to make your money. You will need costs (make a list of everything it will take including rent, labor, insurance, marketing costs (getting your name out requires serious marketing and serious cash,) permits, equipment, water, fertilizer, vines, licenses, attorney fees, patents, etc. OMG gives me a headache...), losses (Broken equipment, a bad year in the vineyard, pests, some evil bacteria invades your wine, and what if your vineyard burns?), projected profits, etc. You will need collateral. Collateral is basically something the bank can reposess if you default on your loan.

What does Donald Trump do? He will NOT lend money to friends or family, but he will walk to a bank and co-sign for them because it's a tough call to haul a friend or relative into court for defaulting on a loan, but a bank will do it in a nano. What else does Donald Trump do? He believes in team players. Loyalty. Integrity. Boring stuff like that, but this grandma says, listen to those wiser (Uncle?) Learn!, Stay humble. Stay respectful. Have integrity. Be loyal to those who helped you and those you hire. I am certain you believe in YOU, and that's a big start!!

Most folks who get rich, divide and conquer. They take an acre, and divide it into lots, and they make much more than if they try to sell that whole acre. Jug wine is cheap, and they sell a lot more of that than the $100 a bottle botique wines. The Botique wineries stay small and they stay proud of their label. Take Carlo Rossi. Wine snobs stick up their noses and make fun of his wine, but he could buy the snobs 1000 times over!! There is no pride in Gallo! There is $$$!! There is no pride in Two Buck Chuck! There is $$$$$$$!! Here's one for ya from Grandma Suzi and uncle Harve, "Appeal to the masses, Live with the Classes. Appeal to the Classes, Live with the Masses."

Good luck!
Suzi

Thanks you for all the good works. I am seriously dedicated and will do whatever it takes. I have had much thought of what you brought out about small boutique wineries and huge wineries and you reconfirmed to me that huge wineries are the way to make lots of money. Either that or get a really high rating on parkers scale. I know more about the botique fine wine, but am looking to make maybe some 20 dollar cheap wine and hopefully find a connection over sea's or something of that nature. Something like selling to stores like walmart or safeway. Not sure yet. Trying to soak up as much info as I can. I really feel like I can make good wine and will only get better with my curiousity and tools and resources I already have. Now i just need help and suggestions of where I should take my career.

[Calamity Cellars]

This is a home winemakers / very small winery discussion board. We really aren't the most qualified group to ask on this topic.

[Briankos]

I agree with the others. Get yourself a job with a local winery and work your way through the steps. I do not know how much wine you are used to making, but 1 ton of grapes is not nearly enough to produce something that will sell. There are people right here on this forum that make more than that for their own purposes! I do not believe you can make enough wine "by hand" to produce quantities large enough to get your name out. Also time is a factor. Look around at your wine bottles. Even in stores, the better red wines in general are 2+ years and more old. You will end up going a few years with pretty much no income initially. Think long and hard. Once you start this plan in motion, long hours, lots of work, no initial pay... etc. You really need to be dedicated. The other thing is to purchase a small winery and vinyard that is currently operating.

Not trying to knock your plans and ambitions, just want to give you a bit of reality. Arm yourself with all the knowledge so you can make a educated descision.

Just my 3 cents.

Brian