Wine tours educate people about grapes, fermentation, and flavor profiles. From varietals to harvesting techniques to the best way to taste the wine, tours are meant to be as informative as they are fun. These tours can help people appreciate all that goes into a single sip, and promote local businesses by exposing their product to more people.
Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.
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Start a wine tour business by following these 10 steps:
- Plan your Wine Tour Business
- Form your Wine Tour Business into a Legal Entity
- Register your Wine Tour Business for Taxes
- Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
- Set up Accounting for your Wine Tour Business
- Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Wine Tour Business
- Get Wine Tour Business Insurance
- Define your Wine Tour Business Brand
- Create your Wine Tour Business Website
- Set up your Business Phone System
We have put together this simple guide to starting your wine tour business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.
Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.
STEP 1: Plan your business
A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:
- What will you name your business?
- What are the startup and ongoing costs?
- Who is your target market?
- How much can you charge customers?
Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.
What will you name your business?
Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Wine Tour Business Name Generator
If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.
When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:
- Your state’s business records
- Federal and state trademark records
- Social media platforms
- Web domain availability
It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.
What are the costs involved in opening a wine tour business?
Presuming you’re not going to plant your own vineyard, the costs to open a wine tour business are highly dependent on how you plan to conduct your tours. It may cost next to nothing to partner with a winery in your area if you plan to do the tours yourself. You can give the winery a cut of the tour profits as opposed to a cash offer to partner, which will save you on many of the upfront costs. Your expenses will rise quickly if you need to buy your own wine, provide food, or rent a space to conduct classes or tours. Some states or cities may need you to buy a Special Occasion License or special permit to run tours, so check your area’s local regulations and fees.
What are the ongoing expenses for a wine tour business?
Wine tour operators should prepare their budgets for the following costs:
- Cost of wine/food
- Online advertising costs
- Guide salaries
- Special permits
- Tour-specific supplies (e.g., custom wine glasses, nametags etc.)
Who is the target market?
The target market for wine tours can be large. Most people are accustomed to social drinking, and even those who prefer beer or cocktails can normally be persuaded to go on a tour if it’s presented to them in the right way. You can also section your wine tours into beginner, intermediate, and advanced, so the material can be tailored based on how much experience and expertise your clientele already has with the beverage.
Or you can go after one specific segment if you prefer. For example, say you want to cater to a wine-centric upper-class. Your target market will narrow somewhat, but if you open in the right neighborhood, you could potentially attract the vast majority of people.
How does a wine tour business make money?
Wine tours usually charge for the length of the tour, which includes the cost of any food or wine samples provided. Businesses make money by charging for the time of the guide, as well as a small mark-up on any food or wine consumed or any products sold (e.g., bottles of wine, wine-related merchandise).
How much can you charge customers?
People will pay based on how much you give them, both in terms of tangible and intangible qualities. You can charge about $15 a person for a half hour tour that includes 5 different types of wines, or $40 for an hour long tour with 7 wine samples and gourmet appetizers. People will be willing to pay top dollar for excellent food, wine, and guides.
How much profit can a wine tour business make?
A wine tour business doesn’t necessarily need to cost a lot to run. If a half hour tour group gets 10 people at $15 a head, and it only costs $35 an hour for the guide and $20 for the wine, then that’s still $95 in profit for a half hour.
How can you make your business more profitable?
Wine tour operators may consider selling specific bottles of wine during the tours, with a cut given to the winemaker. There may even be money to be made by selling the actual grapes to amateur winemakers in the area, or wine-specific merchandise like magnets, T-shirts, or wine keys.
Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!
STEP 2: Form a legal entity
One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your wine tour business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.
This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.
In practice, this means that if your wine tour business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.
More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.
Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).
STEP 3: Register for taxes
You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.
In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!
You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?
There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.
STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card
Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.
When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.
Open a business bank account
Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:
- Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
- Makes accounting and tax filing easier.
Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.
Get a business credit card
Getting a business credit card helps you:
- Separate personal and business expenses by putting your business’ expenses all in one place.
- Build your company’s credit history, which can be useful to raise money later on.
Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.
STEP 5: Set up business accounting
Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.
Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.
STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses
Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.
State & Local Business Licensing Requirements
Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a wine tour business. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.
Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.
Liquor Licensing
Businesses involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages are required to obtain a liquor license from the appropriate state or local agency. A comprehensive list of laws by state (including necessary licenses, zoning laws, etc), curated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, is included here.
Certificate of Occupancy
Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.
- If you plan to lease a location:
- It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
- Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a wine tour business.
- After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
- If you plan to purchase or build a location:
- You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
- Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your wine tour business will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.
STEP 7: Get business insurance
Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.
There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.
Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.
Find out what types of insurance your Wine Tour Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Wine Tour Business.
STEP 8: Define your brand
Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.
If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.
How to promote & market a wine tour business
Promote the tours as being both fun and educational. If you’re planning on attracting only the sophisticated wine set, show them how your tours are geared toward them in your advertising. If you’re marketing to novices, show them how you’re on their level, and won’t force them to swirl the glass 10 times before they can finally have the wine.
How to keep customers coming back
Customers need to have a good time when they’re with you. Again, this is highly subjective depending on the area you’re servicing. It will demand a lot of flexibility on your part to change the tours to each demographic you serve. Over time, you’ll learn how to switch up your approach for different tours based on your clientele.
STEP 9: Create your business website
After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.
While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.
Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:
- All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
- Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
- Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.
Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.
Other popular website builders are: WordPress, WIX, Weebly, Squarespace, and Shopify.
STEP 10: Set up your business phone system
Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.
There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.
Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com
Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.
Is this Business Right For You?
This business is good for someone who already has a healthy interest in how vineyards work, and who enjoys teaching people in an entertaining way. Ideally, it should be far less about enjoying a good bottle of wine, and far more about being a good (and organized) educator.
Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?
Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!
What happens during a typical day at a wine tour business?
A wine tour owner may conduct the following transactions on any given day:
- Providing tours
- Learning new wine techniques
- Advertising the business
- Training new employees
- Hosting special events
What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful wine tour business?
A formal education in either teaching or in winemaking may give you an instant leg-up. If you don’t have either of these skills, you’ll need to be skilled at finding people who can do the job. In addition, you’ll need to be organized, have a true eye for details, and have a sense of what your customers are trying to get from the tour. This will come in handy when you’re deciding what to include in the ‘curriculum’.
What is the growth potential for a wine tour business?
The growth potential can be quite staggering for wine tours — even in places that aren’t generally considered wine regions (e.g., Napa, Bordeaux, etc.) People may come more for the experience than they will for a taste of an expensive red.
Take the Next Step
Find a business mentor
One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.
Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.
Learn from other business owners
Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.
Resources to Help Women in Business
There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:
- Funding
- Events
- Guides
- Support
If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.
What are some insider tips for jump starting a wine tour business?
Use your creativity to drum up business. This can be as simple as holding a garden dinner party soiree in your own home to get people interested in your tours. Market yourself heavily online (including managing your own website and maintaining a blog), and promote yourself with large groups as much as possible. For example, a corporate retreat or a family reunion may be that much more memorable if it’s done with your wine tour business, and you can expose more people to your tours this way.
If you do choose to partner with a winery, ensure you have a contract that is agreeable for both parties. Include clauses about what each business can expect if business should expand quickly.
How and when to build a team
You may want to wait to build a team until you’ve firmly established your business (unless you know the demand will be particularly high.) If you’re not planning to give the tours yourself, choose one or two people who have a friendly and enthusiastic personality, and are also excellent at explaining difficult and complicated matters. Be prepared to pay for your talent as this will be a huge component of the business’ success.
Useful Links
Industry Opportunities
- Wine Institute (California wine industry advocacy group)
- Find more Business Ideas perfect for Small Towns!