The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Winery

Okay, first off, ignore the silly title. There are good "Complete Idiot's" and "Dummies" books and not so good ones. This is a good one. The best book, and certainly the most complete book, I've seen on the business side of starting a winery. I'd recommend other books on wine making (including the excellent The Way to Make Wine: How to Craft Superb Table Wines at Home which bridges the home winemaking and small winery divide) but if you're serious about a winery, going to a couple of books is hardly a major problem. The book is well-written, clear, and informative. Alas, my recommendation would carry more weight if I've opened a winery and made a profit, but so far this book falls into the informational category for me.

At first, i thought the book was too negative, and actually discouraging to winery-ownership aspirations("You can make a small fortune in the wine business, provided you begin with a large one." HA HA). But as I read other books, I realized the author's purpose: There were just too many people gettin' into the "wine biz" for purely romantic reasons, without an ounce of outdoor/ag/technical/marketing knowledge. It's not hard to "love" wine; many people do. Neither is it hard to love fast cars, but I wouldn't think of operating a sports car dealership. And yes, from first-hand experience, it is VERY expensive to start up a winery. For anyone considering getting into the winery business, this book is worth buying even if only for the wonderful Appendix: an excellent collection of forms, worksheets & resources that every winery operator, or anyone thinking of owning a winery, should definitely include in their personal library.

I was amazed at the information that was in this book,all important and relevant. I am taking my time going through it so I can absorb it all. Highly recommend it!

Despite the title, (a common curse with this series) this is a workable reality check for the would be winemaker. There is little actual discussion of technique, but there are many other sources for that. This is more a discussion of what elements would have to be in place for a new venture to be successful.