“The crop will be great this year, but the harvest will be low.”
That’s the best line I heard at two recent industry meetings. Wineries continue to cut back production to match demand and balance inventory. Some brands have already decided to stop making wine, selling off inventory at discounts as they quietly wind down. Estimates suggest that as many as 30% of today’s wine brands won’t survive the current “industry reset.”
The difference between survival and closure often comes down to one thing: financial management.
You already have a process for winemaking—you guide growers and winemakers to deliver the wine you expect. But do you have the same kind of process for managing your finances?
Too often, bookkeeping is left on autopilot. Bookkeepers enter data the way they see fit. The result? Financial statements that may be accurate in a technical sense but aren’t structured to give you, the owner, the insights you need. A Financial Manager, by contrast, directs the process—ensuring entries are consistent, reports are reliable, and the information is decision-ready.
Think of it like winemaking: A field blend happens when grapes are harvested together, giving you whatever blend the vineyard yields. Sometimes it works, but you have little control. A crafted blend gives you options—you can adjust the varietals, timing, and proportions to produce the wine you envisioned.
Financial reporting works the same way. If your bookkeeping creates field blend type reports, your numbers are scattered across accounts with no way to pull the right levers. You’re left with “you get what you get.” But if you structure your financials intentionally, you gain control over the levers that matter: sales, cost of goods, and expenses.
You don’t need to do the bookkeeping yourself—just as you don’t have to pick the grapes or do the punch downs—but you do need to direct the process, know what the results should look like, and guide the adjustments.
Because in today’s climate, relying on a field-blend approach to your finances could leave you among the 30% who don’t make it. Taking control of your financial process is what gives you the best chance to thrive.
If your financials feel more like a field blend than a crafted blend, it’s time to take control. That’s exactly why I created the Fundamental Five—so winery owners like you can structure your books, understand your numbers, and make decisions with confidence. Join our next cohort and give your winery the financial foundation it needs to thrive.
Written by Jeanette Tan
jeanette@qbwinerysolutions.com
This new law affects all California wineries and out-of-state wineries shipping directly to customers in California.
**UPDATE** JOIN US on Thursday, March 16 at 10 am PST for an informative look at 
magical elixir we call wine. Bottom line: Wine is the ultimate value-added product” - Tim Trezise, president of WineAmerica.