For 50 years of brokering bulk wines, Turrentine Brokerage has identified 5 tips for getting the most out of your bulk wine for sale.

1. Think Customer Service. When selling excess inventory, even if you are trying to clear out bulk wine, it is still important to think and provide good customer service. Many wineries overlook marketing strategies when bulk selling their wines. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that the bulk buyer is still a customer. Treating them as such will attract more customers for your products, resulting in better prices and quicker turnover.

3. Get the Wine Ready First. Most years, there are early buyers who like to get their hands on wines as soon as possible. It’s important to cater to these buyers, but even more crucial is the rule to never send a sample of wine that you wouldn’t buy yourself. As a seller, it’s easy to overlook defects in your wine, but buyers will magnify them. Keep in mind that the winemaker on the other end is understandably cautious and doesn’t want to purchase someone else’s problem. For instance, if a bulk sample displays a little bit of H2S, the winemaker may wonder if someone else previously tried and failed to fix the issue. This could potentially lead to the seller losing out on a sale, and the buyer purchasing a wine they don’t like as much but deem safer. Ultimately, sellers should make every effort to ensure their wine presents well to even the most skeptical buyer before sending out any samples.

4. Prepare Samples that Sell. Losing a sale due to a subpar sample is a common occurrence, which is unfortunate.  A knowledgeable and responsible person must make sure that the sample is properly drawn and accurately represents the wine. The sample should be clearly labeled with all of the relevant information (percentage varietal, vintage and appellation, gallons available, how stored, tank and lot number, asking price, broker information, date sample drawn, and analysis if available – Alcohol, Total Acid, pH and VA). Samples should be sent promptly when requested. For samples sent directly to a potential buyer, Turrentine Brokerage urges notifying us by e-mail as soon as the sample has been sent, to facilitate fast, efficient follow-up.

5. Pick the Best Broker. Finally, the most important element of selling wines in bulk is choosing the right broker. It is imperative to find the right broker to present your wines and to negotiate and document a sale and to mediate any questions or problems. If you are offering high quality wines or large volumes, you will want to have a broker known for selling these wines. Turrentine Brokerage is the leading broker of premium grapes and wines in bulk. We are also experienced in helping wineries and growers plan for profit around wine business cycles.  Fortunately, Turrentine Brokerage is renowned for our expertise in premium grape and bulk wine trade. Our experience, size and proficiency in assisting wineries and growers in developing lucrative strategies during wine business cycles is unparalleled.