Anatomy of the Wine Business in America with Jay Youmans MW – In Person or Online

$395 – 4-class series

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This course is taught in person and on Zoom on May 22, 29, June 12, 19 from 6:30pm – 8:30pm

The wine business in America is one of the most regulated, complicated, yet unique industries in the world. Regardless if you are a student, distributor, retailer, importer, restauranteur, writer, blogger, or simply a wine lover, this course is essential to fully understanding how wine is sold in the U.S.

 

We will examine the structure of the industry, and the principal factors that determine how wine gets to market, which wines sell, why they sell, and how they are priced. Next we will assess the different channels a producer must navigate in getting a wine to the consumer. We will highlight the major players in each tier of the distribution system and reveal who really makes the most profit. We will identify the various types of wine consumer, and pinpoint what determines their purchasing behavior. Together we will survey the challenges and obstacles posed by the federal, state, and local governments; and why this is changing rapidly in some states, while hardly changing in others. Finally, you will learn how to monitor, predict, and navigate your way through this fascinating industry.

**Important: If you are registering for more than one person, please be sure to include the other participants’ email address(es) when registering if they will be viewing the class from a different location/device.

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Jay Youmans MW is owner of Rock Creek Wine Merchants, a sales & marketing consulting firm. His experience spans over three decades in the wine industry, working as a sommelier, restaurant consultant, retailer, wholesale distributor, importer, broker, wine writer, lecturer and educator. He is the owner of The Capital Wine School in Washington, DC. His credentials include: Bordeaux Wine Educator (Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin), Burgundy Wine Educator (BIVB), French Wine Scholar (FWS), Italian Wine Professional (IWP), Advanced Level Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), Certified Wine Educator (CWE – Society of Wine Educators), and Master of Wine (MW) which he passed in 2004 receiving Vina Errazuriz Trophy for writing the outstanding paper on the Business of Wine.

Jay Youmans MW is owner of the Rock Creek Wine Merchants, a sales & marketing consulting firm. His experience spans over four decades in the wine industry, working as a sommelier, restaurant consultant, retailer, wholesale distributor, importer, broker, wine writer, lecturer and educator. He is the owner of The Capital Wine School in Washington, DC. His credentials include: Bordeaux Wine Educator (Bordeaux L’Ecole du Vin), Burgundy Wine Educator (BIVB), French Wine Scholar (FWS), Italian Wine Professional (IWP), Advanced Level Sommelier (Court of Master Sommeliers), Certified Wine Educator (CWE – Society of Wine Educators), and Master of Wine (MW) which he passed in 2004 receiving Vina Errazuriz Trophy for writing the outstanding paper on the Business of Wine.

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Syllabus 

Introduction

1.    Why this is important to anyone in the wine business

2.    What we will cover

3.    How the wine business is different

Main Factors

1.    The legacy of prohibition

2.    The 3 Tier system

3.    America is not a free and open market

4.    Control states, Franchise states, DTC states

5.    Demographics of consumption

6.    Grape supply (domestic vs global)

7.    Wine Supply

8.    Neo-prohibitionists

What sells

1.    Style

2.    Varietal

3.    Import vs Domestic

4.    Price points

Why it sells

1.    Taste and quality are not the most important factors…

2.    Price

3.    Style

4.    Convenience

5.    Points of Distribution

6.    Third party endorsements and wine writers

7.    The Illusion of Scarcity

8.    Social Media

Laws & Regulations

1.    AVA’s vs AOP/AOC

2.    Who are the laws meant to protect?

3.    Who does it benefit?

4.    Looking at the DMV

The 3-Tier System: who makes the most profit?

1.    Producer / Grower / Winery

2.    Importer

3.    Distributor

4.    Retail / On-Premise

5.    DTC

Where it sells

1.    Independent retail

2.    Chain/Grocery

3.    Clubs

4.    Specialty

5.    Convenience stores

6.    On-premise HORCA /Wine Bars

7.    Direct to Consumer (DTC)

Wine Costs

1.    Land

2.    Labor

3.    Grapes

4.    Wine production equipment

5.    Distribution

6.    Marketing

Pricing

1.    Markups by distribution channel

2.    Winesearcher.com

3.    The price of a bottle of wine

1.    $100 Cabernet Sauvignon

2.    $20 Chardonnay

Consumer Profiles

1.    Age

2.    Life style

3.    Economic factors

4.    Social factors

Monitoring Trends and predicting the future

1.    Silicon Valley Bank Report

2.    Nielson

3.    Gomberg

4.    Ciatti

5.    Vintage Report Virginia

Conclusions

1.    Grape supply

2.    Sales trends

3.    Pricing

4.    Changing demographics

5.    The Future