Bottle Prices Are Going Up in 2016

How much does this wine cost?

The Annual Wine Conditions Survey is open and delivering interesting early information on supply, price, and many other interesting questions. The survey closes next week but after the first week, almost 300 of your fellow wineries have invested 12 minutes. Why take the survey when we are all busy? Because participants are the only ones who will get complete results.

 

Is it the Right Time to Start a Second Label?

 

Can I have Seconds?

 

It's that time in the cycle again. We are between balanced and long on grape supply in certain varietals and regions and we're facing an unprecedented 'three-peat' of great yields and quality in California after the upcoming harvest. The dearth of balanced supply with inevitably be the dearth of some business models over the next several years.

 

One consequence of these types of atmospherics is that clients start calling to ask me about the availability of financing and want my thoughts on the wisdom of starting a second label. That's an idea on its surface that might seem to be a low-risk proposition - after all, you have been blessed with inexpensive grapes or available bulk - but building a business strategy on a temporary supply issue can make an already bad situation worse in most cases - but not all.

 

There are some instances where starting a second label makes a lot of sense, so please email me if you're a client and want to talk about your specific case. But for the benefit of others in the wine community to spur a little discussion hopefully, here are several real stories of wineries who faced the decision to start a second label in the last 15 years and some examples of success:

Questions You want Answered

 

The Annual State of the Industry report that Silicon Valley Bank produces takes a shrimp load of work to pull off and a lot more assistance than First Mate Dan. That’s why I stop writing the weekly blog in November. I have to dedicate my copious free time to research, composition, then production. Fortunately I have great people around me or I would drive my customers financial ships straight into the dock without their help.

 

I've been done writing since before Christmas, but the draft at this point has gone through 12 iterations. I know there are still going to be some tie-pos, ghrammaer and speeling mistakes in the 34 page report but all the read-throughs make me want to make me gouge out my eyes at this point. That's a clear sign that its ready for release.