Page 27 - Grapevine JanFeb 2022

In The Winery

you develop that will affect your business’s market-
ing, sales, and finances as an operating brand.

Marketing Plan

As a brand, your winery can be defined as the
relationship between your business and its con-
sumers. It is a promise to the consumer to deliver
a particular experience each and every time. This is
what makes the key element of successfully mar-
keting your business dependent on understanding
your customers, including their likes, dislikes, and
expectations.

By defining and analyzing your target market(s),
you will be better poised to integrate your gath-
ered facts into your marketing plan. You will also
need a clear understanding of what your business’s
goals are as an organization, which is where your
consumer market research — as well as your com-
petitive data set — comes back into play.

Sales Plan

Once you know what your business’s market is
and who it consists of, you can then begin con-
structing a sales plan to forecast future sales,
revenues, and prices. This plan will also let you you the ability to analyze internal capacity and
identify gaps in your supply chain such as those forecast the following factors:
in your distribution network, forecast addition-
al human resources necessary to make the sales ● Crush, production, and dry goods expenses;
you’ve forecasted, and evaluate opportunities for
direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales, and the costs of ● Barrel needs;
goods sold (COGS).
● Bottling costs, and;
Production/Winemaking Plan
● Capital expenditures
Though it may seem obvious, one integral part
of a winery’s plan that often gets overshadowed In order to create the clearest picture of these
is its production sales inventory (PSI) model. The possible, you will need to gather historical data and
PSI model allows you to forecast production and information on your business. This historical data
the tons of grapes needed to produce each case of will likewise play a key role in forming your busi-
wine made, as well as highlight vintage overages ness’s financial plan.
or shortages in sales and changes in release dates.
Your PSI should also include a plan for sourcing Financial Plan
grapes or bulk wine, as you will need to forecast
the number of needed (and excess) tons of grapes When gathering and analyzing your business’s his-
both by vintage and product, and will help your torical data, you will want to consider factors such
business determine strategies in dealing with needs as your historical crush and production expenses
or excess of product. which include your COGS. Keep in mind that sala-
ries, benefits, supplies, repairs/maintenance, utili-
Overall, your production plan’s purpose will act ties and rent, as well as depreciation all play a part
as a precursor to your financial plan, as it will grant in calculating your COGS. Along with this, your busi-

877-892-5332 The Grapevine • January - February 2022 Page 25

Grapevine Main Pages GV111221_Layout 1-1 copy.indd 25 12/16/21 3:29 PM