Exporting wine: labels, partners and shelf life

Is your winery ready to export?

Export adds time, paperwork and cost. A winery should be able to make the same wine at the same quality, year after year. It should also have enough stock to supply an importer without running dry. If you cannot meet your home orders on time, an export order will not help.

Work out your costs before you quote. Freight, insurance, import duty, taxes and the margins of every partner stand between your price and the shelf price abroad. Our guide on pricing wine shows the price chain method.

Think about people as well as bottles. Someone must answer the importer's emails, chase documents and handle problems in a different time zone. In a small team that is a real job and it takes time away from the cellar.

Choose one market first

Pick a country by evidence, not hope. Look at who already sells wine like yours there, the price range, how alcohol is sold and what barriers exist. Some countries restrict alcohol heavily or ban it, so local law comes first. Others have state monopolies or a required importer. Read market research for a new wine brand and do the same work for the target market.

Find an importer or agent

In most markets wine reaches shops and restaurants through an importer or distributor who holds the permits, stores the wine and sells it on. Find one whose portfolio fits yours. Ask for references, ask how they sell and ask how they pay. Offer samples that match what you will ship.

Agree who owns the brand rights in that market, how long the arrangement lasts and what happens if sales are poor. Put it in writing and take legal advice on the contract.

Visit if you can. Meeting the importer and seeing their warehouse tells you how they store wine, which matters more than a brochure. Wine kept in a hot warehouse loses quality whatever you did at home.

Labels and compliance

Every country has label rules. They often cover language, alcohol strength, volume, producer name and address, allergen or sulphite statements, health warnings and origin. Some require a local importer's name or a separate back label. Check the rules for your target market before printing. Your importer should help, but the responsibility is yours as well.

Alcohol marketing rules apply abroad too. They vary widely. Do not aim promotion at minors.

Protect the wine on the journey

Heat, cold and shaking harm wine. Wine left in a hot container can cook, which brings flat, stewed flavours and leaking corks. Long sea journeys cross warm zones. Ask your freight partner about temperature-controlled containers and compare their cost against the value of the cargo. Pack bottles securely and mark cartons clearly.

Choose wines that suit the trip and the shelf life you can honestly state. A fresh young white may not survive weeks in the heat. Keep a retained sample from each shipment to compare with what arrives. See importing wine into India for the other end of the process.

Paperwork and terms

Expect an invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading or airway bill and, depending on the destination, a certificate of origin, analysis certificates and permits. Agree trade terms such as who pays freight and who carries the risk at each stage. Standard international trade terms, the Incoterms, set this out. Use a freight forwarder or customs agent who knows alcohol.

Payment terms deserve care. Consider an advance, a letter of credit or a trusted payment arrangement on a first order. Ask your bank.

Start small and learn

A first shipment of a pallet or less teaches more than a plan. Check how the wine arrived, how it sold and what the importer wants next. Then decide whether to grow. Keep cash in mind: export orders can add a further delay to the cash cycle, as in why ageing ties up cash.

Ask the importer for feedback in writing. What did buyers say? Which wine sold fastest? Was the packaging damaged? Did the label work? Keep a record of every shipment, with batch numbers and dates, so a complaint can be traced to a lot.

Common questions

Can a small winery export?

Yes, usually through an importer, but it must be able to supply consistent quality and enough stock.

Do I need a special licence to export?

Often yes. The rules differ by country and, in India, by state. Ask the regulator and a customs agent.

How do I stop wine spoiling in transit?

Use temperature-controlled transport where affordable, pack well and choose wines that travel.

Should I use an agent or sell direct?

In most markets an importer is required or practical. Check local law.