Deborah M. Gray - How to Import Wine: An Insider’s Guide

Deborah M. Gray

xvii

xix

Part I

Chapter 1 .......................................... 3

Chapter 2 ............................... 19

Chapter 3 ................. 29

Chapter 4 .................. 37

Part 11

Chapter 5 59

Chapter 6 .......................................................... 73

Chapter 7 .................................................. 85

Chapter 8 ....... 101

Part III

Chapter 9 ........................ 121

Chapter 10 ......................... 141

Chapter 11 ........................ 159

Chapter 12 ......................................................... 171

Part IV

Chapter 13 ............................................ 195

Part V

Chapter 16 ................................ 223

Chapter 17 .................................... 237

Part VI

Chapter 18 ................................. 245

Chapter 19 ................................................ 265

Appendixes

Writers write in solitude, but becoming an author never takes place in a vacuum. My heartfelt thanks to my editor, Bryan Imelli, who first gave substance to my publishing dreams, and to Wine Appreciation Guild publisher, Elliott Mackey, who brought them to fruition.

Thanks to my wonderful husband, Grant, and my boys, Tyler and Zachary, who always believed in my writing ability, even before they read anything I had written, and whose loving support has meant everything to me.

I am so fortunate to have three sisters who would do anything for me, but my sister, Catherine Gray, has to be singled out for going above and beyond to carefully edit my drafts, despite enormous professional and personal responsibilities of her own. My mother, Mary Gray, would not be happy unless I acknowledged her, just for being my mother, but truthfully her unwavering belief and encouragement is always appreciated.

My father was the inspiration and the guiding force behind my wine career and for that I will be eternally grateful. Not only has it provided me with an amazingly interesting, challenging and entertaining profession, but brought me into contact with remarkable people, resulting in enduring friendships.

This would not be complete without a shout out to the writing community of AW and especially my Purgatory friends, who have unselfishly supported me on this journey, kept me sane and become great friends in the process.

If you are passionate about wine and love to travel, you have undoubtedly encountered many special wines that made you dream about introducing your intriguing discoveries to others back home. However, the realities of wine importing are daunting and complex. For those of you who dare to pursue this dream, this book is an invaluable resource.

In today's wine market, plenty of room remains for you to become a wine importer. Globally, wineries are looking for representation in the expanding US marketplace. Periodically, well-known and established brands need new importers. More often, new wine regions emerge onto the scene and catch consumers' fancy. Hundreds of little known varietals are awaiting discovery. Everyday around the world people are starting new wineries. The opportunities are abundant for creating a unique portfolio of sought after wines.

Passion for wine and an ability to find rare treasures in a world of exciting wines are not the only key factors that will ensure your new importing business will flourish. You must acquire knowledge of importing and have keen business acumen to succeed. Importing and selling wine is a competitive business involving a vast array of regulations and technical issues. Those fledgling entrepreneurs who do not devote the time and energy to learning the ropes will not succeed.

Deborah M. Gray succinctly walks the reader through the vital steps of the process, from finding suppliers and brand creation to acquiring distribution and building market support. The reader will learn the many intricacies of setting up an import business, including licensing, shipping and logistics, and navigating wine's complex distribution channel. This book is a product of her rich and extensive experience as a world-class wine importer, and it is filled with examples of both her triumphs and failures. Anyone wishing to launch such a venture would do well to take advantage of the wisdom in these pages.

.janeen Olsen, Ph.D.

Professor of Wine Business, Sonoma State University

Much of life is about timing. In the mid 1980's my father, Tony Gray, embarked on an ambitious plan to export wine to the U. S. He would be considered both foolhardy and a visionary in his lifetime and this venture was no exception. The 1980's saw the introduction of a few, mass produced Australian brands into the U.S. with some success, but very little of anything from small, family-owned, single vineyard estates. Not only did Tony intend to take on the American wine buying public, but he had the temerity to call his wine brand Australian Gold. No quirky aboriginal dialect, no quaint vales or estates. This was guerrilla marketing positioning. Let's take on all ofAmerica with something that embodied the best ofAustralia. It was a bold idea and a progressive label.

Unfortunately, in this broad brush approach, he had not considered some of the more imperative aspects of export, such as appropriate importation, distribution and a little matter of payment.