Uncorking Wine Business Myth: Can You Sell Alcohol On Shopify

Wine has been around for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece. Today, wine continues to captivate people worldwide, evolving from a traditional beverage to a symbol of sophistication, culture, and celebration.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into where the worlds of wine and eCommerce collide. Join us as we uncover the myths surrounding selling alcoholic products like wine on Shopify. 

Here’s what you need to know before starting an online wine business!

Can You Sell Wine on Shopify?

You can definitely sell wine and other alcoholic beverages on Shopify. However, you must adhere to the rules and regulations that govern alcohol-related items. 

Regulations

These laws aim to prevent exposure to minors and curb excessive alcohol consumption.

In the United States, alcohol regulation is stringent and varies by state. If your wine business operates in the U.S., or if you sell to American customers, you must comply with federal, state, and local laws. Although specific requirements can differ, common obligations include:

• Businesses must obtain and maintain all necessary licenses for producing, marketing, selling, and delivering alcohol products.

• Consistently adhering to all applicable licensing regulations, such as keeping accurate records.

• Implementing age verification systems to prevent sales to individuals under 21.

• Ensuring your shipping and delivery practices comply with the laws in both your and your customer's jurisdictions.

• When shipping to another state, complying with that state's specific laws and regulations is essential.

If you plan to sell wine or other alcoholic products, consult with local authorities to get hold of all the laws and regulations you need to follow.

For a full list of requirements for selling wine in each country, visit Shopify’s help page.

Taxes

Taxes are another area of concern. If you plan to sell within the U.S., you should be aware of the following taxes: 

• Federal Excise Tax: This is a tax that must be paid before your wine products reach consumers or wholesalers. 

• State Excise Tax: This tax is calculated as part of the production cost and varies from state to state. Whether you're a DTC seller or a non-resident seller will also affect the tax rate.

• Sales Tax: While most states require you to pay sales tax, there are exceptions like New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Delaware. 

• Mark-Up Tax: This tax is related to the retail value of the wine. It combines elements of both sales and excise taxes. It is not a requirement in every state.

There are apps on the Shopify app store that help streamline tax compliance. We suggest checking out the DRINKS app. It calculates alcohol-related taxes automatically and checks for regulatory compliance by state. 

Must-have Features of Wine Businesses on Shopify

Running a wine business can be very nuanced. There are legal requirements, among lots of other things to consider. The three following features will help streamline the operation of your wine store on Shopify. 

Age Verification Gate

An age verification gate is essential for any online wine business. It helps you comply with legal standards concerning alcohol sales. Before visitors can access your website, they should be prompted to confirm they are of legal drinking age. This can be done efficiently through pop-up prompts. Such prompts appear when users first visit your site.

Make sure you have a verification step to prevent selling wine to minors. 

Another option is to use integrated plugins. These ensure the verification process is seamless and automatic. Plugins can restrict underage users from browsing your offerings. They act as a first line of defense against illegal sales. Implementing these systems is straightforward. Many tools are available to customize the process to fit your brand.

Ensuring age compliance not only protects your business but also builds trust with customers. It shows that you are serious about following the law. Taking these steps is crucial for any alcohol-based e-commerce operation. It's a small but significant part of running a responsible wine business online.

Wine Club Subscription and Membership Options

Struggling to maintain a steady stream of revenue for the wine business? Why not try offering subscriptions? A subscription plan guarantees monthly sales while building customer loyalty. Add membership options for shoppers to access exclusive discounts and special wine selections.

Many subscription apps on Shopify allow you to do this. These tools handle recurring billing automatically. Moreover, you can tailor offerings to individual customer preferences. Personalization makes the service more appealing and enhances customer satisfaction.

Detailed Product Descriptions and Pairing Suggestions

Not everyone is a wine-savant. To access a wider audience, you should add tasting notes to each bottle. These notes offer valuable insights into the wine’s flavors and aromas. They also describe unique characteristics such as fruity hints or subtle spices like oak. 

Adding vineyard information enriches the description. Provide details about the region, production methods, and the wine's history. It helps customers pick the wine of their preferred origins. 

Each bottle of wine you offer should come with a detailed label that includes all information about the wine’s history.

The variety of grapes used is another key point to include. It dictates much of the wine’s qualities and characteristics. Knowing the grape species gives shoppers a ballpark of flavors to expect. 

Engage your shoppers by suggesting food pairings. Good pairings enhance the wine's taste and elevate meals. Serving tips are crucial too. Offer advice on the best serving temperatures as well as the most suitable decanting techniques. 

Benefits of Selling Wine on Shopify

Shopify makes opening a wine business easy for everyone. It streamlines operations and enables merchants to reach a global audience. Here’s a more detailed look into the key benefits of using Shopify for your wine business:

A Comprehensive Platform That Scales

Shopify offers an integrated commerce solution that allows wine sellers to seamlessly combine online and offline sales. Everything is managed through a single, streamlined system. It simplifies your operations and gives you time to focus on customer support or product sourcing.

As your business grows, your Shopify store can scale with it. Shopify paves the way with scalable tools, readily available on the app store. These intuitive solutions give you the power to build your brand at your own pace. 

Shopify also hosts one of the most active eCommerce communities worldwide. Access endless repositories of knowledge and experience shared by experts. These can be insightful guidance that power your business in the future. 

Direct-to-consumer Online Sales

Shopify makes setting up and managing your online wine store a breeze. It literally takes minutes to build a storefront that will continue to generate revenue. 

If you run a winery, you can use Shopify to sell your products directly to consumers. This means no middlemen and no extra markups on your offerings. You can sell your wine at a better price, and consumer get their hands on a bottle for less. We’ll call that a win-win. 

Leverage Shopify to sell your wine to global consumers.

Robust App Store with Added Functionalities

One of the biggest selling points of Shopify is its extensive selection of apps. On the Shopify App Store, you can find all kinds of apps that help you take care of every aspect of your wine business. 

For example, need help building a storefront? Try GemPages. The powerful all-in-one page builder allows you to create your store in minutes thanks to its drag-and-drop feature. You can customize every element on the page without prior coding knowledge. 

When your store goes online, try apps that streamline marketing and operations. You can set up subscriptions, sell on social media, or engage customers with email marketing. Every app you install is controlled directly by your store Admin, making management centralized. 

5 Practical Tips for Running a Wine Business on Shopify

For aspiring merchants or wineries who looking at Shopify as a potential sales channel, here are 5 crucial tips to maximize your performance. 

1. Optimize for Mobile Devices and SEO

Global mobile eCommerce is expected to reach $3 trillion by the end of 2025. It’s understandable, given the accessibility and convenience of shopping on your phone. If your wine store is not mobile-optimized, you’re missing a large portion of the potential customer base. 

To achieve true lightning-fast mobile load speed, try using light and responsive themes. They should seamlessly load without hiccups. 

SEO is another key point. It makes sure your store is indexed and shown on search engines like Google or Bing when people search for a specific term. SEO can bring in organic traffic and sales passively. However, it may take a while to set up. Most notably, pay attention to product descriptions, titles, and meta tags. Also, submit an XML sitemap for your store. 

2. Offer Free Shipping

Online shoppers love free shipping. Whether you’re selling clothes or wine, it’s almost standard to offer free shipping to consumers. You’ll be surprised at how powerful this tool is. It can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates and stimulate sales. 

Consider absorbing the shipping cost by slightly adjusting your product prices. Another popular strategy is to offer free shipping on orders above a certain threshold. You can market free shipping as a unique selling point of your store. Make sure to use it across all channels. 

Free shipping can be the difference between you making the sales and the wine bottle staying in the customer’s cart.

3. Use High-Quality Images

When it comes to eCommerce, you must have high-quality images. Good imagery makes a good first impression. We strongly advise investing in professional photography for your products. You want to use high-resolution, clear images that capture every detail, from the elegance of the bottle design to the richness of the wine's color.

Include close-ups of the label and bottle. Incorporate your wine into daily settings, such as a dinner table or picnic. This helps customers envision the product in their own lives and makes the store experience more engaging. 

You also want to showcase unique product features. Zoom in on the special packaging, awards, or pairings. An image of a wine bottle alongside suggested food pairings can inspire customers and provide value, turning a simple product page into an interactive experience.

4. Treat Your Customers Like Family

Always treat your customers with humility and respect. Provide tailored experiences throughout their shopping journey, from before sales to after sales. You can use data from their previous purchases to send personalized recommendations or exclusive offers that resonate with their unique tastes.

When you’re selling online, you have to double as a customer support agent. Respond to messages promptly and thoughtfully. Equip your support team to handle questions with empathy and expertise, ensuring that every customer feels valued and heard. 

Small gestures can go a long way. Consider including a small note with each shipment. It shows that you care and genuinely appreciate your customers. 

5. Leverage Social Media

Social media is currently the heart of digital marketing. Social networks have a gigantic audience reach, offering brands a strong channel to build their presence. 

As a wine business, you should use Instagram as your primary platform. Post pictures of your products daily and create stories to share special offers. Other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tiktok may serve a support role, reeling in viewers to your Instagram. 

Organic traffic on social media takes a while to build up. If your wine business is new, it can be a great idea to try paid advertising to kick-start it!

Wrapping Up!

In essence, starting a wine business on Shopify is 100% feasible. However, as we mentioned above, it’s very nuanced and is governed by strict laws and regulations. When you successfully navigate these complexities, you can reach a wider audience and sell globally. 

Shopify's extensive app ecosystem streamlines operations, enhances marketing efforts, and seamlessly manages every facet of your business. The platform truly offers an all-in-one solution to help you build a thriving and profitable online business. Embrace these insights, and watch your Shopify wine store uncork its full potential, paving the way for ongoing success and customer delight.