Planting a vineyard, creating a brand and producing your own wine can be exhilarating. It is not only a fabulous industry to be a part of; if you get your strategy right, over time it can also be a profitable endeavour.
In our experience working across the UK and in locations around the world, we have developed a keen understanding of the factors which help clients not only plant impressive, productive, and sustainable vineyards but also navigate a path for financial and market success.
Access expert advice
The Vinescapes team is led by viti-climatologist Dr Alistair Nesbitt and ACCA certified accountant Paula Nesbitt who has more than 20 years of financial forecasting experience with Blue Chip organisations. Together they work with clients to map out business strategies and financial forecasts before any decision is made about planting a vineyard.
Recently, Vinescapes also welcomed Kerrie Lyons to the team, who has a Masters in Wine Business and more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communication including 15 years within the Australian wine industry, working across many prominent Australian wine brands and regions.
Plant with a plan
Our core message to clients and anyone thinking of planting a vineyard is to only ‘plant with a plan’.
Without a well-defined business strategy, it may become increasingly difficult to sell the 5,0000-6,000 bottles of wine produced per hectare of vines. If your stock holdings increase every vintage your business will face the critical challenge of maintaining a steady cash-flow, particularly with rising storage costs.
A clear business plan which identifies your customer marketing, promotional and product strategies, financial forecasting and investment priorities, will shape your operations, determine what grape varieties to plant and determine the size of your vineyard.
In other words, without a plan which maps your whole wine journey from ground to grape to glass, your wine business could make numerous missteps before it takes any step in the right direction.
Identify your unique selling points
Establishing a marketing and brand strategy means you can be an industry leader, rather than one which follows the pack. One of the key tactics for reaching your target consumer is by identifying your unique selling points. This requires a detailed analysis of the market, understanding your competition and building a vision for what sets your brand apart from the rest. This work will help to determine your product positioning, pricing, promotions, consumer experiences and importantly the stories you tell to reach the people you want to be a part of your wine journey.
Invest wisely
To achieve success requires a level of investment across all facets of the business. Identifying priorities and allocating funds accordingly ensures there is sufficient investment beyond the vineyard and winery. It is an exceedingly rare event when a product or brand attracts a loyal consumer base organically, without any pre-planning. Successful businesses plan to proactively manage risks and invest strategically to achieve long-term profitability.
So, if you are about to plant a vineyard, or you already have and would like support with a business strategy, marketing plans or just a review of your assumptions and product potential, get in touch with Vinescapes.
