Getting wine into shops and restaurants
Selling to the trade is a different job from selling at the winery door. Here is how to approach buyers, price for the chain and keep the account once you win it.
Know the route before you knock
Wine reaches shops and restaurants through different routes depending on where you are. In some places a producer may sell directly. In others a distributor or importer must be used. In India licensing and state rules decide the options. Rules change, so confirm the route with the regulator or a licensing adviser before you make promises to a buyer.
Also think about where your wine will be stored by the buyer. Heat damages wine fast. In an Indian summer a van or a back room can ruin a delivery. Agree sensible handling with the trade partner and, where you can, use temperature-aware transport.
Prepare what a buyer needs
A buyer wants a short sheet, not a brochure. Include the wine name, grape or fruit, region, style, bottle size, price to trade, case size and availability. Add a line on how it tastes and what it goes with. Include contact details and the licence information the buyer may ask for.
Bring samples that are the same as what you will deliver. A hand-picked bottle that is better than the batch loses trust the first time the delivery differs.
Think about packaging from the buyer's side. Cartons should be labelled with the wine and vintage. Bottles should carry compliant labels for the place they are sold. Label rules differ by country and by Indian state, so check them before printing. A shop that has to relabel your bottles will not reorder.
Price for the chain
Work backwards from the shelf or menu price. A shop adds its margin, a distributor adds theirs and taxes apply. What is left must cover your cost and a profit. If it does not, either the wine is priced for the wrong shelf or the channel is wrong for you. Our guide on pricing wine shows the sums.
As an illustration that ignores tax, if a bottle sells at 100 units and the shop takes 30 and the distributor 20, you receive 50. In practice taxes come out of the chain too, so you receive less. The margins are made up. Ask real buyers what they need.
Restaurants think differently
A restaurant wants a wine that fits the menu, sells by the glass or bottle, arrives on time and does not run out. The sommelier or owner will taste and ask for a story that staff can tell in a sentence. Offer a staff tasting, so the team can sell it with confidence.
Restaurants often reorder only if the wine moves. Check back, ask what guests said and fix problems fast. Be careful that your wine is not poured in a way that harms it: warm storage and open bottles left for days spoil good wine.
Offer a pairing note for the menu. A line such as a light white to go with a spiced seafood dish gives the waiter something to say. Ask which dishes sell best and suggest wines for them. In hot climates, restaurants should keep wine away from kitchens and sunny windows, so offer a short storage tip when you deliver.
Supply, paperwork and payment
Agree delivery times, minimum orders, who pays freight and when the invoice is due. Late payment hurts a small producer, which already carries the ageing gap. See why ageing ties up cash. Put terms in writing and follow up on overdue invoices politely and early.
Keep records of every batch, including bottling date, so you can trace stock if there is a problem. This is standard good practice and often a legal need.
Start with small orders. A first delivery that arrives on time, in full and with clean paperwork builds more trust than a large order that arrives late. Only after a few smooth drops should you talk about larger volumes or exclusive listings.
Keep the account
Winning the first order is half the job. Visit, taste with staff and send updates. Offer a limited special for the festive season or a harvest event. Track sell-through, not just what you shipped. If the shop shelf holds the same bottles six months later, the account is not working.
Alongside the trade, keep your direct routes. A tasting room or a club protects you if a trade partner drops you.
Be ready to say no when an order stretches you. Promising stock you do not have, or cutting your price below your cost to win a name, damages the business more than a lost account.
Common questions
Do I need a distributor?
It depends on the law where you sell and on your scale. In some places it is required. Check with the regulator.
How should I price for shops?
Work back from the shelf price, subtract every margin and tax, then see whether the rest covers cost and profit.
What samples should I bring?
Bottles from the same batch you will deliver, at proper serving temperature.
How do I get restaurants to reorder?
Make the wine easy to sell, train the staff and check back on what guests said.
