Affording the Habit...

[jswordy]

People forever ask me to buy my wine or ask me for bottles of it. I tell them, "It's one of those things where you have to be in the right place at the right time." That not only holds down on the actual number of bottles I give away, it imparts a desirability and cachet to the wine that increases demand. I stole this trick from moonshiners, who market the "gotta know somebody" rarity of their product.

This works out well for my friends who like to take my wine to wine and cheese parties far and wide. They arrive with a bottle or two of this unique concoction you can't just get at the corner store, people like it and it of course goes too quickly, leaving guests clamoring for more. "Well, ya gotta know the guy, and he doesn't just give it out to anyone..."

I have to do this, or every run I make will be gone almost as soon at it is bottled. For example, I made 119 bottles of strawberry and there are now 90 left, and it has not even been released yet. That's around a quarter of the wine gone before I even say it's ready to drink.

I have done some barter deals, where I get someone's homemade soaps in exchange for so many bottles of my wine. Technically legally shady. But we are gifting each other and we do not exchange products at the same time.

I suppose you could ask people to give you raw materials - sugars, concentrates, etc. - and you give them wine. It ought to be technically a legal gray area as long as the two are not quid-pro-quo transactions.

 

[Sammyk]

reefman yes that is the one, there is a Wal-Mart in the same complex.
Yes drop me a note when you get down this way. It totally depends on the time of they year. We are now into peak shipping season for our business so life is pretty hectic for us. We slow down again in the fall.

There is another wine maker on here not far from me in the opposite direction. He makes, I think mostly muscadine and some apple. We have never met though.

 

[bkov]

do you think people actually think highly of skeeter pee gift bottles or are they just being kind?

 

[cohenhouse77]

I gift more skeeter pee then anything else. I have never had a complaint. If they complain about that, they sure ain't getting my good stuff.

Skeeter pee is a good white wine. What you talkin about Cletis?

 

[Pumpkinman]

I think that if you tell them it is called Hard Lemonade, their expectations are higher, we know what it is, but to most everyone else, the name is the first thing that they "taste", think of it as marketing, would you be more receptive to a burger from "the burger bin" or "McDonalds", a brand is everything, it doesn't matter how good the product is.

 

[lonesomechicken]

I will always trade wine for fruit. I have a few good friends that always have apples, pears, cherries, ANd grapes. This helps my own fruit go a little farther as most of my own trees and vines are young. I also have a close friend that sometimes helps at bottling for wine payment. And it is always nice to get those bottles back. Much more willing to give then.
One thing I did learn from my father in law was in his wine room he keeps a tip jar with a few bucks in it all the time. He never says anything about it but when people are over it always seems to find itself a litter fuller. He has a label on that reads sugar fund

 

[bein_bein]

I have a family member that will supply the ingredients for a 50-50 split of the bottled batch. Either that or I just accept that there is a cost involved for every hobby and just bite the bullet!

 

[the_rayway]

I've recently started a 'Wine Co-op' with some girlfriends. We buy two of the Mist kits every month, splitting the cost. Then we all help with the process and we have a bottling party at the end of the month.

That way we all go home with 6-8 bottles of two different kinds every month for very little cash. They supply their own pre-washed bottles, and if there is an odd bottle or two out - I take it for an 'equipment rental fee'

 

[Runningwolf]

I've recently started a 'Wine Co-op' with some girlfriends. We buy two of the Mist kits every month, splitting the cost. Then we all help with the process and we have a bottling party at the end of the month.

That way we all go home with 6-8 bottles of two different kinds every month for very little cash. They supply their own pre-washed bottles, and if there is an odd bottle or two out - I take it for an 'equipment rental fee'

Can I join, I promise to keep Wade out!

 

[the_rayway]

You can, but it'll be a bit of a drive!

 

[Runningwolf]

Yeah but I love Canadian girls. I always get a great rating from them. First thing they say when they see me is "A". They even repeat it half the time at the end of each sentance A!

 

[the_rayway]

It's true, 'Eh' is our word of choice to end every sentence! They would eat you up! Lol

 

[arh13p]

Here is my rule: for every bottle off wine I give you, you must in return give me 2 empties. Works great !

 

[John Prince]

I sold my left kidney in Mexico last year. ha

 

[JohnT]

Yeah but I love Canadian girls. I always get a great rating from them. First thing they say when they see me is "A". They even repeat it half the time at the end of each sentance A!

I dated a Canadian teacher once. If I did something wrong, she would make me do it over again. but, she always ended up giving me an "EH".

 

[UBB]

My family is full of wine drinkers. My brother and his wife so much so, that they have 'donated' 5 or 6 carboys, multiple 'high end' kits, cases of empty bottles, 25lb bags of sugar from SAMS Club ect ect. It has been a HUGE help otherwise there is no way I could afford to make as much as I do especially since my real passion is making wine out of fruits that I have grown in our orchard/vineyard since maintaining those is enough of an expense on their own.