#bulkwine

Whether you are starting a new private label, trying to procure wine to meet demand or offloading excess inventory, understanding how to successfully buy and sell bulk wine is an essential part of any modern wine business.

From pre-bottled shiners to recently harvested grapes, the wide range of market opportunities available in the bulk wine industry makes it one of the most complex commodities to trade in. Regardless of if you are buying or selling bulk wine, negotiating the best deal to fit your company’s needs can be the difference between a successful year of profits and one of lack luster sales. So, how can you ensure you are getting the best deal when trading in the bulk wine market?

Here are top tips for wineries, negociants, brokers, and large volume wine buyers and sellers on how to maximize profits and build your business.

1.       Dependability Can Be Leveraged

2.       Relationships with Key Market Makers Are Important

3.       Bulk Branding Works

4.       Competitions Add Value

5.       Tradeshows are Invaluable for Networking

6.       Know the Industry

7.       Brokers Can Help

8.       Negotiate Every Penny

A key for US wine importers and distributors can grow their bulk wine business. US is the world’s biggest importer of bulk wine in terms of value, the market is surprisingly opaque.

Although the US is the world’s biggest importer of bulk wine in terms of value*, the market is surprisingly opaque. Tim Hanni MW, a wine educator and consultant, says the challenge for international producers who want to enter the US market is “learning the intricacies of how bulk wine business is transacted”. Hanni MW, who has helped to establish the USA’s first bulk wine trade fair, adds that it’s critical to establish “a network of connections to the brokers, buyers and sellers.”

With the California grape crush varying as much as 671,000 tons from year to year, and average price for wine grapes jumping as much as 25% in the state, wineries and private-label producers looking to keep production steady often consult the bulk wine market to fill gaps.

This summer the International Bulk Wine & Spirits show is coming to San Francisco, and the event includes two days of conferences and workshops where winery personnel can hear from importers, distributors, suppliers and retailers about how to find bulk wine, negotiate pricing, create blends and protect your company against quality and delivery woes.

Wine Institute CEO Bobby Koch will give the welcome address, followed by Brandy Rand, who will offer an overview of wine and spirits trends from her post as vice president of U.S. marketing and business development at International Wine & Spirits Research.

After an update on wine trends, Turrentine Brokerage president Steve Fredricks will inform attendees about the latest costs for wine and grapes from various sources, including information about which varieties are widely available and which are in limited supply. Nat DiBuduo, who represents grapegrowers as president of Allied Grape Growers, is scheduled for a talk entitled “How Current Grape Supply and Demand Affects You.”