Traveling Vineyard – A Home-Based Business for Wine Lovers

Update: December 28, 2023. The Traveling Vineyard announced this December that they have revamped their business model to a retail (selling directly to consumers), wholesale, and affiliate marketing model. They no longer offer their party plan business model. You can explore other wine business opportunities here.

Sponsored by Traveling Vineyard

I’ve always thought Traveling Vineyard had a fun and unique concept, but also ideal. After all, what’s always served at in-home shopping parties, you guessed it, wine! And who doesn’t love drinking free wine?!

The company started back in 2001 with the goal of making wine tastings less stuffy, and their relaxed vision took off. Today the company has over 5,000 Wine Guides in 39 states!

The Products

Traveling Vineyard has 27 different varieties of award-winning wine in four different categories: red, white, sweet and fizzy, and semi-sweet. Besides wine, they also sell accessories such as chillers, decanters, and wine openers. Wine prices range from $14.99 – $29.99 per bottle, and because it’s a consumable item, people will often reorder their favorites when they run out. Traveling Vineyard wines also have a guest satisfaction rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.

The Cost to Join Traveling Vineyard

To become a Wine Guide with Traveling Vineyard, you’ll need to purchase a starter kit, which there are three to choose from, Digital Success Kit ($59), The Essentials Success Kit ($99), or The Complete Success Kit ($179).

Digital Success Kit includes: 

• $35 Wine Credit to Shop Wine
• 20% Discount on Wine
• Wine 101 and Business Building Training
• Personal Shopping Website: Join Month + 1 Month Free
• Enrollment in Fast Start and potential to earn $225 in wine rewards in your first 100 days

The Essentials Success Kit includes:

• Ten Bottles of Wine (enough for two parties)
• Magic Decanter Aerator
• Stainless Steel Waiter’s Style Corkscrew
• 2 Part Survey and Interest Form (pack 50)
• Six Bottle Tote
• Two Wine Pourers
• Hosting Brochure (pack 25)
• Fast Start Guide

The Complete Success Kit includes: 

• All of the items mentioned above plus these below
• 18 Tasting Glasses
• 18 Glass Carrying Case
• 6 Sommology Tins
• Sommology Education Cards
• Team Building brochure (pack 25)

With each Success Kit, you also get your own personal website free for the first three months (Digital Success Kit is the join month + 1 month free versus 3 months free). Afterward, it’s $15.95 a month. I haven’t had the opportunity to review the personal websites, but it does contain your outward-facing website as well as your back-office, which includes training, videos, and accounting software so that you can track orders and see how much money you’re making.

If you’re uncertain if this opportunity is right for you, or you’re short on start-up funds, they have a program called, Decider Events. With this program, you’ll be able to host a party and use your host benefits towards a Success Kit. It also allows you to see what it’s like to work as a Wine Guide, and if you have others interested in hosting an event, it gives you a jumpstart on your business — which is a win-win in my book!

Compensation Plan

Wine Guides earn 15 – 35 percent in commission based on monthly sales volume. Payments for personal sales are made three times a month, and team sales are distributed at the end of the month via direct deposit. As a Wine Guide, you’ll receive a 20 percent discount on wine, and these sales are combined in your monthly personal volume. On average, Wine Guides sell $455 per event, earning them an average of $80 – $100 per event. There are no monthly sales quotas, minimums, or inventory that you need to keep on hand.

There are five ways in which you can earn money with Traveling Vineyard:

• Home Tasting Events
• Conduct Virtual Wine Tastings
• Website and Social Media Sales
• Subscription Sales (Rewined Program)
• Building a Team

With Traveling Vineyard, you can also earn Thrive Rewards for meeting certain milestones, like hosting events, sponsoring new team members, and getting promoted. The badges that you gain can be traded in for coins which allow you to purchase prizes, including:

• Business building tools like wine, accessories, and logo wear
• Incentive trips and cruises
• And a marketplace filled with luxury items like iPads, wine refrigerators, bicycles, and lots more

What Wine Guides Say About Traveling Vineyard

“When I decided to become a Wine Guide, I was a brand new mom. Traveling Vineyard was an opportunity for me to meet new people, make some extra money, and learn more about wine. Two years later, I have found that it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made! I’ve become part of such a wonderful community and have made so many amazing friendships. I can’t wait to see what the next two years bring.” – Jenny O’Meara

“When I joined Traveling Vineyard 2 years ago, it was to learn more about wine and have some fun outside of my 40-hour workweek. I had no idea that I would be able to replace enough of that income to quit my j.o.b. I now have the flexibility to enjoy more time with my grandkids, my retired husband, and my hobbies. The friendships that I have made through my tastings and with other Wine Guides are priceless! Wine truly brings people together, and I am having the time of my life!” – Cindy Powers

“When I decided to become a Wine Guide, my family was thought “what is she thinking, she’s so busy!” For me, this was something I wanted to do to make sure I allowed myself a social life as well as bring in some extra money for fun things. Traveling Vineyard is constantly surprising me with their compassion for not only their guides but as well as their buyers. I love everything they stand for. This community is exactly what I wanted and needed. I can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for me!” – Kristen Bickett

Reasons Why I Like This Opportunity

1) Americans Love Their Wine

According to the Wine Institute, in 2018, Americans alone consumed 966 million gallons of wine! So obviously, this is an excellent niche to be involved with.

2) Easy to Make Money

Wine is a consumable product, so it’s easy to get reorders. They have a wide selection of award-winning wines, so there’s something that will appeal to almost every taste. I like that they have the subscription option (Rewined Program), as this automates your sales, and makes your job easier and more lucrative. I also love the Thrive Rewards program, where you can also earn trips, business tools, and luxury items!

3) No Pressure

With this opportunity, you really can work as little or as much as you’d like, because there are no monthly sales quotas, minimums, or inventory to keep on hand.

4) Low Startup Costs and Fees

Not only is this an inexpensive business to start, but you also won’t be spending a lot of money out of pocket for monthly fees and expenses. The fact that you can earn your next five-bottle tasting kit with a qualifying event ($150 in volume and three orders), likely means you won’t have to purchase wine out of pocket. In the case that you do, you’ll receive 20 percent off of the tasting kit, and the order will be added to your monthly sales volume.

5) Reputable

The Traveling Vineyard is a member of the Direct Selling Association, which means they are committed to ethical business practices. They also have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

6) A Company with Heart

The Traveling Vineyard gives back to the community through their specially crafted wines that raise awareness and funds for the following causes: National Military Family Association, the American Brain Tumor Association, and the charity Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

Conclusion

Having worked with the Traveling Vineyard through this site for the past ten years, I can tell you that they are a responsive and caring company that continues to thrive in the direct selling arena. If you love wine and socializing, this may be the perfect home-based business for you!

To find out more about the Traveling Vineyard, see their website or sign-up to become a Wine Guide here.

Originally published January 19, 2015. Content updated in January 2020.

This post was written by Holly Reisem Hanna and sponsored by the Traveling Vineyard. Please be aware that we can only promote advertising from companies that we feel we can legitimately recommend to our readers. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.