Boutique wine importer

State-licensed distributors, and in some states restaurants and shops buying directly from the importer.

You sell cases at a markup over your landed cost (wine price, shipping, duties, taxes and warehousing). Exclusive relationships with small producers can build a steady portfolio.

• Knowing wines from your chosen region
• Negotiating with overseas producers
• Handling paperwork and logistics
• Sales to trade buyers

• Federal Basic Permit and label approval (COLA) requirements, check current TTB rules before ordering
• State importer registration, brand registration and distribution rules, which differ widely
• Federal excise tax, duties and tariffs that can change your costs, so get a broker's quote
• Distributor agreements, which in some states can be hard to end once signed
• Cash tied up in shipments that take weeks to arrive and sell
• Insurance for goods in transit and in storage, plus general and product liability

Startup costs are typically around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on how much wine you order and your shipping, storage and paperwork costs. Cash is tied up in shipments that take weeks to arrive and sell.

Monthly revenue is typically around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on how many accounts you win and how quickly stock sells. This is revenue, not profit, and duties, taxes and tariffs can change your costs.

Check current TTB rules on the federal Basic Permit and label approval (COLA) before ordering. Check your state's importer registration, brand registration and distribution rules, which differ widely. Get a broker's quote on excise tax and duties, and review distributor agreements carefully.