Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Winery

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At first, i thought the book was too negative, and actually discouraging to winery-ownership aspirations("You can make a small fortune in the wine business, provided you begin with a large one." HA HA). But as I read other books, I realized the author's purpose: There were just too many people gettin' into the "wine biz" for purely romantic reasons, without an ounce of outdoor/ag/technical/marketing knowledge. It's not hard to "love" wine; many people do. Neither is it hard to love fast cars, but I wouldn't think of operating a sports car dealership. And yes, from first-hand experience, it is VERY expensive to start up a winery. For anyone considering getting into the winery business, this book is worth buying even if only for the wonderful Appendix: an excellent collection of forms, worksheets & resources that every winery operator, or anyone thinking of owning a winery, should definitely include in their personal library.

Despite the title, (a common curse with this series) this is a workable reality check for the would be winemaker. There is little actual discussion of technique, but there are many other sources for that. This is more a discussion of what elements would have to be in place for a new venture to be successful.

Okay, first off, ignore the silly title. There are good "Complete Idiot's" and "Dummies" books and not so good ones. This is a good one. The best book, and certainly the most complete book, I've seen on the business side of starting a winery. I'd recommend other books on wine making (including the excellent The Way to Make Wine: How to Craft Superb Table Wines at Home which bridges the home winemaking and small winery divide) but if you're serious about a winery, going to a couple of books is hardly a major problem.

The book is well-written, clear, and informative. Alas, my recommendation would carry more weight if I've opened a winery and made a profit, but so far this book falls into the informational category for me.

This book was very good, was very impressed. I liked a lot of the side notes, and they had balance sheets, income statements, marketing ideas, and equipment ideas. They had lots of information on the winery business for someone who does not know anything about wine, however there is information on the whole wine process, how to prune, racking, what yeast to use etc. I wish they had more information on tractors however there was enough. I really liked the equipment list they had, the figures were good, and the example sheets in the back were very good to look at for someone who is not business minded. I would recommend this book for anyone wondering if they should invest in the grape and land cultivating process.

I was amazed at the information that was in this book,all important and relevant. I am taking my time going through it so I can absorb it all. Highly recommend it!

Starting a winery is not for the faint of heart or light of wallet. Pellechia does a first rate job within the formula of the Guide of explaining the how and the what of starting a winery. The benefit of his own experience, as well as his knowledge of wine, shows through on every page.

It's a nice book where teaches you step by step how to build your own winery!
Nice for beginners and for people that have a dream into their drawer!

It's a typical 'Idiot' guide. Focusses on the business side of running a winery, but not so much the activity of growing and making wine. Focussed on starting a winery in the US, so maybe not really recommended outside the US.

As interesting as the book is, the author no longer has a winery nor a wine shop. Starting a winery and being successful are two different avenues. Just because you can start a winery, does not necessarily mean you can run a winery for the long haul. Just be careful picking up this book and following the advice.