I visited a winery this weekend and learned they want to sell products from their website.

I knew what I needed:

  • An integrated payment processor
  • A platform or tool to build a store
  • Initial capital to create products
  • Packaging for product shipping

The harder part is determining taxes determining where it’s shipped. I need to build a single proprietary system that allowed easy access without restricting the various wines.

I also have to find a shipping restriction tool (Utah, Kentucky, and other states prohibit shipping wine, and many others impose volume restrictions to protect local wineries.

Charts courtesy of big.commerce.com

I need a tool that verifies IDs and exposes fakes.

I need to connect a Google Analytics to compile profit and loss reports, as well as to see the most popular products.

The U.S. holds the highest consumption of wine in the world, a 25 percent increase from 2005. It totaled 5.78 million gallons in 2017.

I plan to start distribution in the United States and then expand internationally if there’s demand. But i need the following:

  • Certificate of Free Sale.
  • Certificate of Origin and/or Age.
  • Certificate of Health.
  • Certificate of Sanitation.
  • Certificate of Authenticity.
  • Sanitary Statement/Certificate.
  • Certificate of Manufacturing Process.

But I have to wade through tons of paperwork first:

  • Alcohol Dealer Registration. This form is used to record your business and tax information, dealer class, and subclass and must be filed and approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
  • A winery license from your state.
  • A retailer’s license from your state — Just because a company can sell locally doesn’t necessarily mean it can sell online.
  • A shipper’s license for each state to which I plan on shipping. This proves the winery is a licensed and authorized alcohol seller.
  • Direct shipping agreements with all my carriers.

You can ship alcohol through UPS and Fedex, and also sell it on Ebay.

I need to set up Google trends and set goals so I can determine cost per acquisition.

I’ll continue documenting my journey learning E-commerce and supply chain.