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scubaman2151

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I think I posted a topic about this a while ago, but after a couple different searches I couldnt find it so alas I post anew.


About 6 months to a year ago a place near me opened up that allowed you to make a kit wine at thier location. You would go in, choose what kit you wanted, start it in the primary with them. They would take care of the fermentation and the rackings, when it was time to bottle you came back, bottled the wine with them. You made your labels there and labeled the bottles and took them home.


Well they shut shortly after they opened, before I got a chance to get there. Well I talked to someone today who actually made some wine there.


He made 6 gals, 30 bottles of some french ice wine. They ended up charging him $355 (before tax) for the service. Ends up the guy who owned the place shut it down because he decided to go to medical school instead.


Just wanted to see what you guys thought of this idea (Im not starting one just thought it would be interesting to share.)


Scubaman2151
 
I cant believe anyone would pay that much. You could have bought all the equipment your self and if you didnt want to do it sold all the stuff or just threw it away and still be ahead of the game. Funny how people just throw away money.
 
The 'Ferment on Premises' around here shut down after a few years...It was a really fun looking place...they had probably a couple hundred carboys going.

There was a TV interview once where the state of North Dakota wanted to shut him down because he wasn't using enough N.D. fruit in the wines he was selling....He stayed open for a short time after that.

He was always very 'happy' when we went in there.

I think mostly you do 'Wine Maintenance'.
 
We have a couple in town here. The one I went to was about $200(Though it can go higher) or so. You went in for every step, though they altered the directions a bit to save a step. He only deals in Wine Expert kits. I was very impressed with it, they have all the toys like a 4 bay vacuum bottler, 30 bottle washer (that can be converted to do carboys) and an automatic corker. The place is a goldmine, last time I was in there they had about 200 batches going. They made it fun too, there was always a bottle of wine open from someone! The other place in town does Heron Bay kits and I'd like to try there too. Its an interesting business idea that has crossed my mind more than a few times but not with the economy like it is now!
 
Mike1973 said:
We have a couple in town here. The one I went to was about $200(Though it can go higher) or so. You went in for every step, though they altered the directions a bit to save a step. He only deals in Wine Expert kits. I was very impressed with it, they have all the toys like a 4 bay vacuum bottler, 30 bottle washer (that can be converted to do carboys) and an automatic corker. The place is a goldmine, last time I was in there they had about 200 batches going. They made it fun too, there was always a bottle of wine open from someone! The other place in town does Heron Bay kits and I'd like to try there too. Its an interesting business idea that has crossed my mind more than a few times but not with the economy like it is now!


Lol I know. This guy seemed genuenly happy that he got such a good deal on his ice wine. Its not bad when you think about it, about $13 a bottle. Not bad at all for ice wine. I asked him why he just didnt do it at home himself, he said he didnt want to take care of it. Which I dont blame him, I can see how some people just see it as work and not being fun. Im with you though, the economy is to sh*tty to start this type of business right now. Even though Id be the only one in a 5 county area to be doing it. :)


Scuba
 
I know of 4 locations in Austin Texas doing a great business. All of them are franchises.
 
I think that Scuba can follow my thinking. Sorry to the rest of you!!


So they sell a kit (make money off the kit) Then lend you the tools to do the job. Then store the carboys. That seems like $100 each carboy to keep the doors open store a carboy and clean up the mess.
200 carboys in store. average time3 mounths. 200/3=66 66X100= $6,600 per month.


Is that enough to keep the doors open?


I think that this would be good to get into if you already had a self storage yard or laundrymat that you had to keep up with.


"Scuba's Self Winery Self Sorage Laundrymat Mini Golf Quadraplex"


Golf balls and Carboys??? Not a good combo!!!!


My hobby metal and wood shop turns $1000 profit each month.The cash flow is around$4000 to get that$1000. It takes lots of papper work and I am just selling metal and wood products part time.
 
The up here to which Northern was referring was lots of fun. It's where I got Bert addicted. All we had to do was write a check, toss the yeast in and come back 6-8 weeks later and bottle.
When the State of N.D. first went after them they made a big fuss, but eventually the state backed down and left them sputtering. They shut down even after the state left them alone, saying they wanted to focus on their other location. Maybe this would be a better job for Poor Bert than what he's doing now!
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Rocky Top said:
I think that Scuba can follow my thinking. Sorry to the rest of you!!


So they sell a kit (make money off the kit) Then lend you the tools to do the job. Then store the carboys. That seems like $100 each carboy to keep the doors open store a carboy and clean up the mess.
200 carboys in store. average time3 mounths. 200/3=66 66X100= $6,600 per month.


Is that enough to keep the doors open?


I think that this would be good to get into if you already had a self storage yard or laundrymat that you had to keep up with.


"Scuba's Self Winery Self Sorage Laundrymat Mini Golf Quadraplex"


Golf balls and Carboys??? Not a good combo!!!!


My hobby metal and wood shop turns $1000 profit each month.The cash flow is around$4000 to get that$1000. It takes lots of papper work and I am just selling metal and wood products part time.

I know the guy here sells the kits and supplies too so thats another option for cash flow. He is making money and more and more people are going in there. The process at the store is about 6 weeks start to end so the above numbers would be doubled. I'm not saying it'll make you a millionaire, but you could get by and it would be a fun way to make a living!
 
Well that is twice as good!!! Not the 6 weeks. Just the fact that if you did go 3 months that would make 400 carboys and still be twice the money. $13,200 per month.
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You could drop the mini golf.
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I just don't get this concept here in the states. In Canada, there are a lot of these and competition is very fierce resulting in a charge of $150-200 per carboy or $5-6 per bottle. With the high alcohol tax in Canada this price per bottle is a great value.


In the states, paying $355 and up for 30 bottles of wine does not seem like a value. This works out to $12 per bottle which is not a real good deal. I like these ferment on premiseas they feed my business, especially when they can get all of the equipment and 2 15 liter kits for the same price.


We have about 6 or 7 here in Dallas. None of them are doing that well, to my knowledge and several have opened and shut down. $13,000 gross per month is not nearly enough to keep the doors open, much less make a nice profit. That is why I am sticking with the supply business.
 
Im with you George as I cant see spending that much for something that really doesnt require that much room until you get head over heels like some of us but if were doing this much wine in 1 of those shops they probably would be making good profit!
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We have a local ferment on site place and this time of year the business is great. They are located in a retirement area, in fact right next to a retirement village so the snow birds take advantage of making the wine at the shop and do not have to worry about lifting and storing the equipment and such themselves. Most of them just say "I want this wine" and then just show up to bottle. I have no idea how much they pay, but I do understand why they let the store handle the work.
VPC
 
Woohoo - first post:)

There's a place near me in New Hampshire called IncrediBrew that has one side beer and one side wine. Looks usually busy, I went in only once and they were fantastic...very friendly, answered every question.

They offer a menu, and you select what you want to make. Pretty good idea, since no fuss/cleanup for those that aren't into it. I think the range was something like $5-8/bottle...?

Seems like a great idea for starters...wedding party, birthday gift, etc.

I'll follow up if/when I try it myself.
 
Lefty, where are you in NH..I am in Hollis and know of Incredibrew as I was given a gift cert for that place some years back.
 

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