WineShop At Home Career FAQs:
How do you find the people and homes where you do a tasting?
One of the best ways to start is to host a wine tasting at your home. As a new business owner, this is a great opportunity to ask your closest friends and family members for help in launching your business. Often your friends will book a tasting at your party. After that, you do a lot of networking to find people who would like to host a wine tasting.
When I’m at a networking event, I ask someone what they do; I express interest; I find out how I can help them. When they turn it around and ask me what I do, I say “I lead wine tastings in your home.” The response, nine times out of ten is “What! Tell me more!” People love the idea of getting to try wine in their home with their friends.
Describe the participants – more male or female, younger, older, totally new to wine or very knowledgable?
Some of my tastings are all women. Some are mixed. I would say that overall it’s probably 60 to 70% women and 30 to 40% men.
The wine knowledge of guests varies greatly. Some people are brand new to wine and eager to learn. Some people are win pros and are interested in exploring new wines. Usually we have a mix of people at a single tasting.
The other night, I did a wine tasting for a sorority alumni group; nine women ranging in age from 25 to 63. Some wine newbies, some wine experts. It was a ton of fun! In the beginning, I acknowledged that we had a wide range of wine knowledge in the room and that this could make the evening even more fun. Newbies can learn from oldies, but the most important thing is to trust what you experience. If you like a wine, then that wine is good for you, even if nobody else likes it. If you don’t like something, leave it behind, even if everybody else likes it.
What are your goals for each tasting – sales and wine education wise?
My #1 goal is to help people have more fun with wine. My #2 goal is to give people an opportunity to try great wine before they buy it. In wine stores, you don’t have that opportunity. It’s all guesswork. I love it that I can let people taste and learn about wine before they buy.
I think of myself as a wine “edutainer”, since I get to educate and entertain at the same time.
A typical tasting results in the sale of two to three cases of wine between the guests, we usually book two to three guests for tastings of their own and two to three people join the wine club (notice a theme?) often one of the guests wants to become a consultant themselves.
How are wines selected?
WineShop At Home creates and releases four new wines each month. The company creates five different Wine Tasting Samplers that we choose from. I ask my hosts whether they prefer more red or more white, sweeter or drier, etc. Depending on their responses, I choose the sampler that I believe will best meet their needs.
What about food during the tasting?
Our hosts provide simple, wine-friendly appetizers such as cheese, crackers, chocolate and fruit.
What does being a host involve?
The host pays $29.95 plus tax and shipping for the Wine Tasting Sampler and for the expertise of the Wine Consultant to guide friends through the Wine Tasting. The host also provides very light appetizers and stemware. We keep this very, very simple. A few chocolates, crackers, fruit and cheese. Most importantly, the host gathers WINE-LOVING FRIENDS together for a great time.
Beyond that, I bring order boards, pen, calculator, corkscrew, extra wine glasses and a smile.
What does the host get for holding the tasting?
- The first real “get” is that Wine Tasting Sampler for $29.95 plus tax and shipping. The wine she receives is actually valued at way over $100. Where else can you provide a wine tasting for your friends for that price? In Napa Valley, many wine tasting rooms charge $10 to $30 per person! She also receives a “Host Bottle” along with her sampler that she can enjoy herself or share with her guests. Total value of Sampler is approx. $150.
- Discounted “direct to your door” shipping on 6-, 9- and 12-bottle orders placed at the Wine Tasting for both host and all guests.
- Half price specials on luxury wine accessories.
- If the tasting was booked at a previous tasting host receives $10 off her order.
- One bottle free with any 6-bottle order or two bottles free with any 12-bottle order.
- 50% off first months Wine Club order.
Are all wines from California?
Many of our wines come from California. We are a winery, not a vineyard. We search the small vineyards of California and the world for the best samples. Then our winemaker creates his magic and finishes the wine to our specifications. It is then bottled at our facility in Napa. We have recently introduced wine from Chile, Argentina, and Bordeaux.
How did you become a consultant and why?
I was newly married and my husband was (still is) in the military. I realized that I we would face many, many moves in his career and I needed a business that would move with me and that gave me a solid income but the flexibility to raise a family. Plus, I couldn’t think of anything more fun than wine even though I knew very little about it at the time. More…
Do you recruit other consultants – and how?
Yes, for many wine consultants, building a team is a fun, lucrative part of the business. Many times, at tastings, I hear, “what you do looks like a ton of fun, can I do it too?” Of course you can. I also find new wine consultants through social media and other networking events and sites. Everyone would love a career in the world of wine! It is a joy to see people succeed in this business.
WineShop At Home Tasting FAQs:
How do you find the people and homes where you do a tasting?
One of the best ways to start is to host a wine tasting at your home. As a new business owner, this is a great opportunity to ask your closest friends and family members for help in launching your business. Often your friends will book a tasting at your party. After that, you do a lot of networking to find people who would like to host a wine tasting.
When I’m at a networking event, I ask someone what they do; I express interest; I find out how I can help them. When they turn it around and ask me what I do, I say “I lead wine tastings in your home.” The response, nine times out of ten is “What! Tell me more!” People love the idea of getting to try wine in their home with their friends.
Describe the participants – more male or female, younger, older, totally new to wine or very knowledgable?
Some of my tastings are all women. Some are mixed. I would say that overall it’s probably 60 to 70% women and 30 to 40% men.
The wine knowledge of guests varies greatly. Some people are brand new to wine and eager to learn. Some people are win pros and are interested in exploring new wines. Usually we have a mix of people at a single tasting.
The other night, I did a wine tasting for a sorority alumni group; nine women ranging in age from 25 to 63. Some wine newbies, some wine experts. It was a ton of fun! In the beginning, I acknowledged that we had a wide range of wine knowledge in the room and that this could make the evening even more fun. Newbies can learn from oldies, but the most important thing is to trust what you experience. If you like a wine, then that wine is good for you, even if nobody else likes it. If you don’t like something, leave it behind, even if everybody else likes it.
What are your goals for each tasting – sales and wine education wise?
My #1 goal is to help people have more fun with wine. My #2 goal is to give people an opportunity to try great wine before they buy it. In wine stores, you don’t have that opportunity. It’s all guesswork. I love it that I can let people taste and learn about wine before they buy.
I think of myself as a wine “edutainer”, since I get to educate and entertain at the same time.
A typical tasting results in the sale of two to three cases of wine between the guests, we usually book two to three guests for tastings of their own and two to three people join the wine club (notice a theme?) often one of the guests wants to become a consultant themselves.
How are wines selected?
WineShop At Home creates and releases four new wines each month. The company creates five different Wine Tasting Samplers that we choose from. I ask my hosts whether they prefer more red or more white, sweeter or drier, etc. Depending on their responses, I choose the sampler that I believe will best meet their needs.
What about food during the tasting?
Our hosts provide simple, wine-friendly appetizers such as cheese, crackers, chocolate and fruit.
What does being a host involve?
The host pays $29.95 plus tax and shipping for the Wine Tasting Sampler and for the expertise of the Wine Consultant to guide friends through the Wine Tasting. The host also provides very light appetizers and stemware. We keep this very, very simple. A few chocolates, crackers, fruit and cheese. Most importantly, the host gathers WINE-LOVING FRIENDS together for a great time.
Beyond that, I bring order boards, pen, calculator, corkscrew, extra wine glasses and a smile.
What does the host get for holding the tasting?
- The first real “get” is that Wine Tasting Sampler for $29.95 plus tax and shipping. The wine she receives is actually valued at way over $100. Where else can you provide a wine tasting for your friends for that price? In Napa Valley, many wine tasting rooms charge $10 to $30 per person! She also receives a “Host Bottle” along with her sampler that she can enjoy herself or share with her guests. Total value of Sampler is approx. $150.
- Discounted “direct to your door” shipping on 6-, 9- and 12-bottle orders placed at the Wine Tasting for both host and all guests.
- Half price specials on luxury wine accessories.
- If the tasting was booked at a previous tasting host receives $10 off her order.
- One bottle free with any 6-bottle order or two bottles free with any 12-bottle order.
- 50% off first months Wine Club order.
Are all wines from California?
Many of our wines come from California. We are a winery, not a vineyard. We search the small vineyards of California and the world for the best samples. Then our winemaker creates his magic and finishes the wine to our specifications. It is then bottled at our facility in Napa. We have recently introduced wine from Chile, Argentina, and Bordeaux.
How did you become a consultant and why?
I was newly married and my husband was (still is) in the military. I realized that I we would face many, many moves in his career and I needed a business that would move with me and that gave me a solid income but the flexibility to raise a family. Plus, I couldn’t think of anything more fun than wine even though I knew very little about it at the time. More…
Do you recruit other consultants – and how?
Yes, for many wine consultants, building a team is a fun, lucrative part of the business. Many times, at tastings, I hear, “what you do looks like a ton of fun, can I do it too?” Of course you can. I also find new wine consultants through social media and other networking events and sites. Everyone would love a career in the world of wine! It is a joy to see people succeed in this business.