Traveling Vineyard

Traveling Vineyard is an American company based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, that uses a direct-selling platform of in-home wine tastings for members. The company was founded in 2001, and in 2010 it was purchased by Richard Libby and restructured.[1]

Traveling Vineyard
Private
IndustryWine, direct sales
Founded2001
Headquarters
Ipswich, Massachusetts
ServicesWinery
Websitewww.travelingvineyard.com

It is marketed by means of approximately 5,000 Independent representatives.[1] Traveling Vineyard representatives, called Wine Guides, pay one-time fees, and in return, the company sends them a Success Kit[2] with wine education materials (including notes on individual wine varietals and food pairings), sample accessories, tasting glasses, and ten bottles of wine for the first tastings. Traveling Vineyard also provides website setup and access to training and support.[3]

Direct Selling Association

Traveling Vineyard is a member of the Direct Selling Association, which holds member companies accountable to ethical standards and policies that protect independent salespeople and consumers.[4] The company is also a member of the Better Business Bureau.[5] Traveling Vineyard uses the party plan method of direct selling.

Wine tastings

Wine Guides connect with event hosts from their social networks to arrange free, in-home wine tastings. Wine Guides help hosts prepare for the event and then present guests with specific wines they can taste with the opportunity to order. Wine Guides make marketing fees from their sales to customers, not from how many people they recruit to be on their team.[6][7]

Sommology

In 2013, Traveling Vineyard launched Sommology. Sommology is an award-winning, trademarked food and wine pairing educational resource. It was created in collaboration with Eddie Osterland, America’s first Master Sommelier.

Company history

Traveling Vineyard was founded in 2001. In April 2010, the company declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy.[8] In November 2010, Richard Libby and other investors purchased the Traveling Vineyard assets out of bankruptcy and restarted the company.[9] As of May 2017, Traveling Vineyard has over 5,000 independent Wine Guides in 40 states in the United States.

Regulatory history

In the 2005 ruling Granholm v. Heald, the Supreme Court held that Michigan and New York states violated the Dormant Commerce Clause by permitting in-state wineries to ship directly to consumers but prohibiting out-of-state wineries to ship directly to consumers.[10]

Since then, individual states have been opening their shipping and allowing Traveling Vineyard to grow as a winery.[11] The Wine Institute [12] and Free The Grapes[13] have been instrumental in lobbying for the ability for out-of-state wineries to ship wine directly to consumers.

gollark: There's that saying about how you set thieves to catch thieves.
gollark: Æ is no mere ligature. It is the ash symbol. Apioid.
gollark: Hmm, what if you could somehow *transfer* thermal energy *into* the car *from* room?
gollark: gaze upon my mastery of all languages.
gollark: https://github.com/osmarks/random-stuff

References
  1. "Mass. Corporations". William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  2. Reisem Hanna, Holly. "Traveling Vineyard – A Home-Based Business for Wine Lovers". The Work at Home Woman. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  3. Gevirtz, Leslie (20 Jan 2015). "Drink wine, make money? The latest house party trend". BBC. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  4. "Search Results For Company: DSA". Direct Selling Association. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  5. "BBB Business Profile". Better Business Bureau. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  6. Bondola, Christine. "Pyramid Schemes (and how to tell Traveling Vineyard isn't one)". Traveling Vineyard. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  7. Johnson, Tory (1 Nov 2006). "Tory Johnson's Work-From-Home Tips". ABC News. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  8. Goodison, Donna (16 April 2010). "Traveling Vineyard in bankruptcy". Boston Herald. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  9. "The Traveling Vineyard Resumes "Fast Growth" Under New Executives Strategy and Vision". SB Wire. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  10. "Granholm v. Heald". Oyez. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  11. Sherman, Erik (21 Jan 2015). "House Parties Turn Wine Into Fruit Of The Money Vine". AOL. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
  12. "The Wine Institute". The Wine Institute. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
  13. "Free The Grapes". Free The Grapes. Retrieved 30 May 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.