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Traveling Vineyard Expert Review by Brian Garvin and Jeff West
The Traveling Vineyard began in 2001 as an outgrowth of the very reputable wine cataloger, Geerlings & Wade founded in 1986. It is based on the unique concept of tasting wine in the comfort of your home. An Independent Wine Consultant conducts the wine tasting event by educating and sharing information about five different bottles of wines with guests who then have the opportunity to purchase the wine.
Those interested in becoming a Consultant can do so through a number of avenues. The best way to learn more is to call corporate headquarters 1-877-340-9869. They will put you in touch with a leader already working in your area. You can join their team and be trained by this “upline” consultant/leader. You will be able to shadow your upline at a wine tasting event that they have set up. You can also connect on Facebook, contact the company through email, or attend “Taste of the Business” meetings regularly held around the country or via conference calls.
What is the average commission/event? Consultants generally earn $100-$150 per event plus residual income through repeat internet orders. Consultants can be paid 9 ways through fees, bonuses and/or overrides based on their personal volume and building their team. Personal volume commissions run from 15-35%. There are 15 titles of recognition from Wine Aficionado to Leader and then Director. Wine is also available for personal consumption at a discount. In addition, the company offers incentive trips and regularly chooses an outstanding consultant in the field with the Spirit of the Vineyard award.
The company markets a quality product in its wines and wine accessories and offers a 100% guarantee. The grapes used in the production of its wines hail from some of the finest vineyards in the world. These sourced grapes are used to craft its private label wines, many of which have won national and
international awards.
As with most direct selling businesses, a small investment is required to begin the business. With the company’s current consultant promo, the “starter kit” is available for $99 (normally $149) plus $75 (for 2 tasting sets, usually selling for $75 each) plus $19.95 shipping and handling. A personal estate web site for 3 months is also included as are basic marketing materials (invitations, order forms, brochures, folders, etc.) and wine tasting supplies (tasting buckets, openers, etc.)
The “tasting certificate” concept is central to the operation of the business. This is, in effect, the working capital of the business used by the consultant – the wine. As long as a 5 bottle tasting set is used at a “qualified event” ($250 in interest to order wine), the consultant earns another 5 bottle set free of charge. Each qualified event then entitles the consultant to additional tasting certificates good toward a complimentary 5 bottle tasting set. Essentially, as long as you keep conducting “qualifying events” of $250 or more, your wine continues to come to you free of charge.
Rick Libby, Chief Grape Stomper and Vineyard Cheerleader (owner), regularly talks with the consultant base and actively elicits their feedback. Training is also done through the company’s “Learning with Leaders” program, a webinar series designed and administered by the company’s most experienced direct sellers. The company is privately held and governed by a corporate board of five (including Rick Libby) which guides it with larger direction decisions and funding. The company is a pending member of the Direct Selling Association and follows its code of ethics and the company is also an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau.
Communication from the corporate office happens through a monthly Consultant e-newsletter. The company also sends monthly Customer e-newsletters with a direct link to the Consultant’s website and sends an educational Wine Club e-newsletter, all of which come to you free of charge. There is an extremely supportive staff at HQ to answer all questions and your team leader will be in touch with you on a regular basis. The company also hosts an annual Harvest Convention and periodic Leadership Retreats.
Consultants do not house their own inventory of wine. They keep only enough wine on hand to conduct a few wine tasting events. The consultant brings the wine to the host’s home, but it is the host that pours the wine not the consultant. In fact, consultants are not ?selling? the wine, they are “marketing” the wine, and the tasting event results in an “interest to order” which is confirmed by the home office before the transaction is complete.
Consultants don’t need an extensive knowledge to be successful. Enthusiasm and the energy to conduct tasting events in the homes of other wine lovers is all that is required. The company regularly offers Host Rewards and Guest Rewards to encourage tasting events. It is relatively simple to set up a tasting event. There is no charge to the host for the 5 bottles of wine shown at the event.
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21 comments - add yours
Belen
April 24, 2009
Marie
May 23, 2009
I inquired about becoming a Traveling Vineyard Ind. Consultant. I gave my email address and phone number. Someone returned my call and answered every single one of my questions, including cost, time involved, training, commission payouts, tax deduction info, monthy costs for websites, selling requirements, etc. They also emailed me a copy of the contract for review WITHOUT having to give them any info other than my phone number and email. I think you are completely reviewing this information just from their website.
Dawn
July 31, 2009
I CHOSE to join the Traveling Vineyard, I researched it, and then signed up.
I have never seen a more reputable company. They are always there for every question and make it easy to bring in extra income. I truly believe you have not fully investigate the company. It is what the consultant wants it to be, and that is what is important. I believe they even go above and beyond to make sure of security. The MLM structure is not a structure that is pushed onto anyone.
I love what I do, and the people I do Tastings for love it too.
Dana
August 5, 2009
I’m surious as to where your information came from? I joined The Traveling Vineyard in Feb. I sent my email address and was quickly contacted by my now director. They haven’t shared my information with anyone else. But if I didn’t reach out to get more information how was I going to learn about this company? Most of the information is clearly spelled out on their website. http://www.vineyardwine.net Cost commission everything.
Ellen
August 7, 2009
Obviously, everyone commenting below Brian and Jeff’s original article either works for the TTV pyramid scam OR have been drinking too much of the TTV bad wine, which, by the way they can’t even get into wine stores, reputable or otherwise. The wine is awful, you can learn more about wine by using Google than from any of their “trained and educated” hosts. The day of the pressure sale neighborhood, just stop by you don’t have to buy anything “in home” party is so yesterday. To anyone reading this, save the time and the money, I have been to these parties and had this wine, they only thing they forget to tell you is that you will need asprin the next day.
Ellen
ell6751@yahoo.com
Joan
September 24, 2009
Ellen is either a sommelier or works for PartyLite or Lia Sophia.
For one thing, a pyramid scheme would require you to have people work under you for you to make money. With TTV, you don’t HAVE to have people under you make money-you can just be in business for yourself. If you want a pyramid scheme, how about Ambit Energy?
Second, the thing that makes TTV unique is that their wines they market are not available in the general market-they are exclusive to TTV. If you think they suck, that’s fine. Have you had all 70+ they carry?
Third, you may think ‘in home’ parties are “so yesterday”, but people still go to them and they make people money somehow, so good for them.
Kiersten Ray-Kuhn
November 4, 2009
I have been with The Traveling Vineyard for 5 years and have seen this company grow and change consultant’s lives. We are a DSA company and there is no ‘scheme’. Our products are 100% guaranteed and the wines come from reputable wineries from around the world and win countless wine competitions. Make sure and talk to a consultant or the corporate office before you make any assumptions. Cheers!
Joanonymous
March 22, 2010
Well, if the company is not a scam, it’s not much longer for this world…the company is about to go belly-up, so this argument/thread is about to me moot. Let the lawsuits begin!
Bee@American Wineries
March 26, 2010
I have met a few people who have been involved in the Traveling Vineyard. I didn’t realize it was an MLM at the time. I think the concept is kind of interesting and a way to get the public more exposed to wines. I do wonder what the education process is like in terms of learning about wines and if you get enough education to become a somolier.
Mary
April 1, 2010
There is no education. You can never have one drop of wine, go to one of their partys and sign up … and be having parites within a week. That is the gotcha … they want you to think you will learn about wines and wine / food combination, but you don’t. The education part is up to you. They are just pushing their cheap and bad wines. I asked at a TTV party I attended in January, and there is not ONE somolier in the whole company (including the owner, marketing people etc.) … I agree with Joanonymous, they are headed for belly up. Everyone on this thread who says otherwise works for them.
Steve
April 6, 2010
Seriously, what happened to the Traveling Vineyard? Their web site has been down for days.
Billie
April 21, 2010
The company went bankrupt. I signed up and spent a lot of money and time on this and 3 weeks later I get an e-mail saying they are regretting to inform that they are closing. I was unable to contact anyone at the corporate office. It is just a recording saying they closed. I am sure they saw this coming for awhile and the fact that they continued to take new recruits and there money is rediculouse. They went out with a lot of angry people!!!
retta@cabernetvineyards
May 19, 2010
Glad I never signed up with this company! I love wine and want to continue learning, but not with these guys.
.-= retta@cabernetvineyards´s last blog ..Hello world! =-.
care
August 12, 2010
WineShop At Home is a Napa Valley winery and a member of the Direct Sales Association. We produce our own wines and make them available through independent wine consultants exclusively. We are actively seeking consultants throughout the country.
Julie B.
August 12, 2010
Don’t want to be the bearer of bad news but look again … this company is giving it another go … re-opening for business in the fall of 2010 after the business failed miserably and they lost millions followed by filing Chapter 7. Come on! Hopefully the consultants and ignorant wine drinkers (the wine is awful!) won’t be fooled by this attempt at re-invention. Same people, same shady company, same bad wine.
KS
August 22, 2010
Julie B-
Funny thing you are the one who seems to be ignorant. Perhaps you should do some homework and find out what Chapter 7 is? The business did not fail and it did not lose millions. Victim of circumstance like many businesses in this economy. As far as bad wine? Who made you the wine expert. They have some very good wines for a great value.
Julie B.
September 2, 2010
Hey KS! Have another glass of wine and tell yourself that is the case …
Best of luck to you!!
Steve D.
September 2, 2010
KS,
Julie is right, Chapter whatver it may be, bankruptcy is bankruptcy. I got to know the Director of Marketing when she lived in Boston at the beginning of the end. The bottom line is that they took a loan out for millions of dollars … and many executives and “best in sales” people were off at Napa and Italy, celebrating. Their business failed becasue of poor management of money and people trying to run it who had no experience. As for the wine, I personally thought their wine was not of any value … but I will give you that one, wine is based on preference.
Unfortuneately when businesses erase and “start over” it is the tax payers who end up paying. This business does not have a chance, if they had, they wouldn’t have to shut down and re-invent themselves.
Thom C.
September 2, 2010
I am with Julie B … call it what you want, bankruptcy is bankruptcy. Read the news KS, they lost MILLIONS of dollars. At the same time the “executives” at this company were off in Napa and Italy rewarding themselves … and no matter how you try to justify it or cut it up, we ALL pay in some way when companies go bankrupt.
This company will not succeed, even a second time around. The real truth, good wine, bad wine is that people are tired of getting invited to parties where they are required to bring a checkbook and deal with pressure sales pitch — the fad died out a few years ago. At the end of the day people avoid the people who host these parties for fear of being invited to another one or being asked to host one.
Tracie
September 29, 2010
I was with this company for a year, and it’s just like any other MLM. 1% of people succeed and the other 99% do not. It was fun to learn about wine and drink it, but making any money off of it was pretty difficult.
Liz
December 4, 2010
I’ve done a lot of research about this company since the relaunch in November. The new owner looks like he is taking the right management steps this time. Some of the wines have changed and I decided to try some. I have been to some of the best vineyards around the world and I will say the domestic wines are about the quality you would find at the store for the same price but the imports are great. Their Imported wine is sold in stores but in the country it is made and trust me the quality is great for the price which was about 14.99 a bottle. They have really stepped up their training of new recruits and it is refreshing to see an owner so involved with his employees (my friend just signed up) She even taught me a few things. Sometimes it takes a second try anyone who has owned and ran their own buisness will understand.
