Selling bottled wine to guests

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Suzie Q

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We have a winery just a couple blocks away as the crow flies. We have the opportunity, for a $30 license fee, to sell a bottle of wine to our guests, but no one else. We would have to buy wine by the case. I think we can mix and match. Do you think our guests would be willing to purchase the wine from our bnb with a winery so close? They are closed on Monday and Tuesday. They open about noonish when they do open. I wonder if anyone else has done this. Thanks!
Also, I was wondering about selling appetizers when folks arrive, something like tortilla rollups and/or box lunches for later in the day. In our state, we can sell food to guests.
 
If all you have to pay is $30 for a liquor license for the right to sell wine to your guests..go for it! Offer it as a package with a picnic or appetizers ..whatever. It is a nice amenity.
Absolutely, Yes guest will pay for wine to sip as they relax at night or if the winery is closed you have it for them! But...Check with your insurance company as well. Ours would not let us even serve it.
 
Check out any other rulings that go along with the license...state's are weird about this stuff...I can get a license here but I have to delineate EXACTLY where alcohol can be consumed on the premises (and guests may NOT go anywhere other than those spaces), guests may NOT consume any alcohol they bring themselves in the common spaces and I may not buy my OWN wine from anywhere but the distributor (ie- nothing from the grocery store or the wine shop in town).
Otherwise, yes, I think it's a great idea if you sell the bottle only. I wouldn't get into by the glass.
Be aware that you may get guests who think their limit is 3 bottles, when it is really 1 bottle and they may get obnoxious if you refuse to sell them more.
 
You could do a package deal with the wine and appetizers or picnic.
Also I would provide wine glasses in each room and opener (with instructions_ and make it a self serve wine thing, where they can take and pay for it if they like. How do you feel about that? I bet you would sell more that way. Making sure they know it is a local specialty.
 
after you check out the rules, set up your own rules and do it.
my guests brought so many bottles of wine with them .... or were often looking for a place to pick one up last minute
if i could have offered this as an add-on ... awesome.
how about a package with a bottle of wine and a tour of the winery or whatever they offer?
and the ever popular wine and cheese package. or wine cheese and chocolate.
oh ... and don't forget to offer cork screws for sale. i looked into having the ones with inn name on it as giveaways but they were cost prohibitive
 
You could do a package deal with the wine and appetizers or picnic.
Also I would provide wine glasses in each room and opener (with instructions_ and make it a self serve wine thing, where they can take and pay for it if they like. How do you feel about that? I bet you would sell more that way. Making sure they know it is a local specialty..
JunieBJones (JBJ) said:
You could do a package deal with the wine and appetizers or picnic.
Also I would provide wine glasses in each room and opener (with instructions_ and make it a self serve wine thing, where they can take and pay for it if they like. How do you feel about that? I bet you would sell more that way. Making sure they know it is a local specialty.
I think it may be imperative for her to NOT pour the wine at all. Just sell it and be done. That's another bugaboo here...if guests are partaking in the common rooms, I absolutely cannot pour. I make a joke out of it if they ask me to help myself and then, 'if you could just top this off for me...'
Good idea to have the glasses & corkscrews in the rooms...not only for those who are partaking, but as a subtle hint to those who didn't think about it. And a nicely framed list of wines on offer, with prices. I hate looking cheap when I know a certain bottle is $6.99 at the grocery store and I'm suddenly hit with a $30 bill because I figured the place would charge $20. I'd like to know in advance.
 
I confess to not remembering where you are located. Do you have a factory near you (or in your State) where they make wine glasses? You could sell the locally made. I believe I have just talked myself into another item for my "gift shop". I have been hoarding them for "gifts". Silly me...
 
I confess to not remembering where you are located. Do you have a factory near you (or in your State) where they make wine glasses? You could sell the locally made. I believe I have just talked myself into another item for my "gift shop". I have been hoarding them for "gifts". Silly me....
Thanks for all your (collective) feedback. We do currently have a couple of wine glasses (crystal 99 cents at the Dollar Tree), set on top of our mini guest refrigerator along with a bottle opener and a wine cork. I had gotten asked so many times, I just bought the stuff and set it there, pointing it out to the guests when they arrived. Hope to have GREAT news for you on Wednesday.
 
I confess to not remembering where you are located. Do you have a factory near you (or in your State) where they make wine glasses? You could sell the locally made. I believe I have just talked myself into another item for my "gift shop". I have been hoarding them for "gifts". Silly me....
Thanks for all your (collective) feedback. We do currently have a couple of wine glasses (crystal 99 cents at the Dollar Tree), set on top of our mini guest refrigerator along with a bottle opener and a wine cork. I had gotten asked so many times, I just bought the stuff and set it there, pointing it out to the guests when they arrived. Hope to have GREAT news for you on Wednesday.
.
Wow $30!
I e-mailed a friend in Ag asking about where to start and she surprised me and answered today (within an hour of my e-mail - wow!). She sent a link to the application form (21 pages) and I still have to sort out the hoops, but it does say $150 for the license - a lot more than $30.
 
I confess to not remembering where you are located. Do you have a factory near you (or in your State) where they make wine glasses? You could sell the locally made. I believe I have just talked myself into another item for my "gift shop". I have been hoarding them for "gifts". Silly me....
Thanks for all your (collective) feedback. We do currently have a couple of wine glasses (crystal 99 cents at the Dollar Tree), set on top of our mini guest refrigerator along with a bottle opener and a wine cork. I had gotten asked so many times, I just bought the stuff and set it there, pointing it out to the guests when they arrived. Hope to have GREAT news for you on Wednesday.
.
Wow $30!
I e-mailed a friend in Ag asking about where to start and she surprised me and answered today (within an hour of my e-mail - wow!). She sent a link to the application form (21 pages) and I still have to sort out the hoops, but it does say $150 for the license - a lot more than $30.
.
21 pages sounds like a lot of regulations...
 
If all you have to pay is $30 for a liquor license for the right to sell wine to your guests..go for it! Offer it as a package with a picnic or appetizers ..whatever. It is a nice amenity.
Absolutely, Yes guest will pay for wine to sip as they relax at night or if the winery is closed you have it for them! But...Check with your insurance company as well. Ours would not let us even serve it..
Will check with our insurance company. At one point we wondered about the possibility of renting out a boat at another property. The agent said it would be OK as long as it wasn't motorized. It was a public lake. I guess if they wanted to bring their own motor boat that was fine, but not one of ours. I have his number memorized. :)
 
I confess to not remembering where you are located. Do you have a factory near you (or in your State) where they make wine glasses? You could sell the locally made. I believe I have just talked myself into another item for my "gift shop". I have been hoarding them for "gifts". Silly me....
Thanks for all your (collective) feedback. We do currently have a couple of wine glasses (crystal 99 cents at the Dollar Tree), set on top of our mini guest refrigerator along with a bottle opener and a wine cork. I had gotten asked so many times, I just bought the stuff and set it there, pointing it out to the guests when they arrived. Hope to have GREAT news for you on Wednesday.
.
Wow $30!
I e-mailed a friend in Ag asking about where to start and she surprised me and answered today (within an hour of my e-mail - wow!). She sent a link to the application form (21 pages) and I still have to sort out the hoops, but it does say $150 for the license - a lot more than $30.
.
21 pages sounds like a lot of regulations...
.
Part of it is application, part instructions & rules, part for the municipality to fill out (giving their blessing), part is the form for the tax office that I am paid up with them, amny entities are involved in getting a license - and this form is all-inclusive so parts are for booze, parts for wine, parts for clubs, etc....... I take it as a good omen that I asked and I received so quickly.
 
People will buy wine. They don't always want to get up and go out to buy it. We offer our suites with a bottle of wine and have built it into the rate. And oddly enough, about 10 percent don't drink or take it! But it makes for a nice amenity. We offer a cheese plate as an add on to be in their room on arrival and it is popular. It's a local cheese with some grapes and strawberries and crostini.
Riki
 
People will buy wine. They don't always want to get up and go out to buy it. We offer our suites with a bottle of wine and have built it into the rate. And oddly enough, about 10 percent don't drink or take it! But it makes for a nice amenity. We offer a cheese plate as an add on to be in their room on arrival and it is popular. It's a local cheese with some grapes and strawberries and crostini.
Riki.
egoodell said:
People will buy wine. They don't always want to get up and go out to buy it. We offer our suites with a bottle of wine and have built it into the rate. And oddly enough, about 10 percent don't drink or take it! But it makes for a nice amenity. We offer a cheese plate as an add on to be in their room on arrival and it is popular. It's a local cheese with some grapes and strawberries and crostini.
Riki
Maybe the guests don't know it's included in the price of the room?? You know like when you have a mini bar in a hotel room they always have outrageous prices on their contents, maybe the guests will assume they will be hit with a huge bill at the end for the wine?
 
People will buy wine. They don't always want to get up and go out to buy it. We offer our suites with a bottle of wine and have built it into the rate. And oddly enough, about 10 percent don't drink or take it! But it makes for a nice amenity. We offer a cheese plate as an add on to be in their room on arrival and it is popular. It's a local cheese with some grapes and strawberries and crostini.
Riki.
egoodell said:
People will buy wine. They don't always want to get up and go out to buy it. We offer our suites with a bottle of wine and have built it into the rate. And oddly enough, about 10 percent don't drink or take it! But it makes for a nice amenity. We offer a cheese plate as an add on to be in their room on arrival and it is popular. It's a local cheese with some grapes and strawberries and crostini.
Riki
Maybe the guests don't know it's included in the price of the room?? You know like when you have a mini bar in a hotel room they always have outrageous prices on their contents, maybe the guests will assume they will be hit with a huge bill at the end for the wine?
.
Oh no, we promote that they are getting the wine as an amenity. Our whole "thing" is wine country. No, I think they either don't drink sparkling wine or get "wine-ed out" during the tour and just can't drink any more. I also find they don't always use our expensive soaps etiher. Sometimes they don't even use the whirlpool tub.
We are also a "green" designated inn, and I think we also get a lot of people that, while they have money, don't waste.
I'm getting started on something new for me - vinotherapy! It's products created from the grape vine. Big in Europe, not here yet. Can't wait to try it!
Riki
 
Well, I might get wined-out while on the tour...but if you offered me a bottle of wine I would bring it home!!
teeth_smile.gif

While we where at the Biltmore Estate they had some grape scented lotions with a wine label on them. They felt so good and I just loved the scent. I didn't buy any though since I have so many different lotions here at home
sad_smile.gif
 
Well, I might get wined-out while on the tour...but if you offered me a bottle of wine I would bring it home!!
teeth_smile.gif

While we where at the Biltmore Estate they had some grape scented lotions with a wine label on them. They felt so good and I just loved the scent. I didn't buy any though since I have so many different lotions here at home
sad_smile.gif
.
That's interesting! But these are not grape scented. What this is, the same antioxidants (sp??) that make wine good for your insides are also good for your outsides. They use the oils from the leaves, stems and seeds in these products.
Just another fun thing since wine country is my schtick!
Riki
 
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