Home winemaking supply shop

Hobby winemakers, beginners buying a first kit, people who want gift sets, and fruit growers who make wine from their own harvest.

Margin on kits, equipment and ingredients, plus repeat sales of corks, bottles and additives. Many customers return with each new batch.

• Knowing how wine is made at home
• Explaining things clearly to beginners
• Stock ordering and inventory control

• Check provincial and municipal rules on business registration and any retail licence
• Selling supplies is different from making wine for customers on site, which may need a liquor licence in your province, so check with your provincial regulator before offering it
• Commercial general liability insurance, and cover for stock and glassware
• Collect and remit GST/HST and any provincial sales tax; check your registration obligations
• Fall is busy because of harvest and fresh juice orders, while quieter months can be slow, so plan your cash flow
• In Quebec, check French-language requirements for signs and materials

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $25,000 to $100,000, depending on the premises, and the range of kits, equipment and juice you stock. Plan your cash flow, as fall harvest is busy and quieter months can be slow.

Check provincial and municipal business registration and any retail licence, and whether making wine for customers on site needs a liquor licence in your province. Also check liability and stock insurance, GST/HST and provincial sales tax, and French-language requirements in Quebec.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on your stock range and seasonal demand. The estimate assumes at least about 30 hours a week, with harvest season in fall busier than other months.