What does it take to open a wine shop? The case Enoteca Banfi

From wine, to combinations, to the atmosphere: here is how Enoteca Banfi at the Castello Banfi Wine Resort was born and some suggestions for opening yours.

 

How to open a successful wine shop?

 

In recent years, the phenomenon of wine shops, wine bars and cellar tours in Italy has become increasingly popular. Many people, therefore, wonder what it takes to open a wine shop and how to start a successful one. In this short guide on how to open a wine shop we will answer all the most frequently asked questions on the subject.

 

Difference between wine shop and wine bar

 

First of all, a distinction must be made between wine shop and wine bar, which are often misused as synonyms:
the wine shop is the place where wines (either home-made or imported) are sold together with other alcoholic beverages and local food products. Compared to a normal wine shop, the enoteca offers a more select choice of labels and the possibility of guided tours of the cellars, also accompanied by wine tastings;
The wine bar, on the other hand, is a real place to eat, with a menu, seating and various dishes to accompany and enhance the wine.

 

What does it take to open a wine shop?

 

As with any business, it is essential to draw up a business plan. The latter should include several types of analysis, for example:
that on costs, which are necessary to open the business;
an analysis of the target audience, i.e. the types of users you want to reach with your activity;
on location design;
on the medium and long-term objectives of the business.

 

What to do to get a licence to sell wine?

 

If you want to open a wine bar or an enoteca, it is useful, for example, to have obtained a diploma from a hotel school, to have at least two years'experience in catering before opening your business and to have attended sommelier courses.
The regions also regularly ban SAB courses (Food and Drink Administration) courses, that is training courses for the purpose of enabling the exercise of activities in the food trade and for the sale of foodstuffs and beverages. In addition, it is mandatory to have the HACCP certificate relating to hygiene and safety standards necessary to serve food and drinks to the public.
It is also necessary to have a licence to sell alcohol. But what do you have to do to obtain a licence to sell wine? It will be sufficient to submit the appropriate application to the Customs and Monopolies Agency, also by registered mail. Finally, among the documents required to open a wine shop or wine bar, you must have:
Certified Declaration of Commencement of Activity (SCIA) for commercial activities;
VAT number;
Corresponding ATECO code.

 

How much does it cost to open a wine shop?

 

Documentation, permits and licences are the initial items to be included in the spending plan for opening a wine shop, to which must then be added the cost of renting or purchasing the premises, furnishing, supplying wine and hiring staff.
On average, the initial cost of opening a wine shop is around EUR 30,000, excluding wines.

 

Enoteca Banfi: a case of success

 

To understand what it takes to open a wine shop, the advice is to take the example of successful activities in our territory, such as the Banfi Enoteca, located in the heart of the land of Brunello, at Castello Banfi Wine Resort, only 20 km from Montalcino.
The first thing that strikes visitors upon entering this wine shop is its atmosphere: the décor has been made with fine materials and antique furniture to recreate a Tuscan shop of bygone days. Entering the Enoteca Banfi is not only a purchasing experience but also an immersion in the discovery of places and traditions linked to the world of wine.
It is also a wine shop that is characterised by the variety of products on sale: sparkling wines, grappa, extra virgin olive oil and many other excellences of local gastronomy as well as, of course, the careful selection of Banfi wines, renowned and appreciated all over the world for their quality and taste.

 

What the Enoteca Banfi offers

 

Finally, the Enoteca Banfi organizes for its guests tasting experiences with typical local products (e.g. cheeses, cold cuts, etc.) in combination with the wines offered, as well as fascinating visits to the Banfi cellars. These are real tours that include a walk through the vineyards, where you can admire the many varieties of grapes grown in the estates Banfi, and at the cellar, an elegant, rustic and yet modern.
The customer’s care and the excellence of the products on sale remain another fundamental element to keep in mind to open a successful wine bar.

Recycling wooden wine boxes

They can become shelves, storage compartments or accessories for our pets: here are 5 ideas for recycling wooden wine crates.

 

5 recycling ideas for wine crates

 

Wooden wine boxes, especially those of the most valuable bottles, contribute to the value of the product itself. They can in fact be handcrafted from quality wood.
The most beautiful ones are often stored together with bottles or displayed in the cellar or living room as real design elements. Alternatively, it is possible to recycle them into entirely new objects. In this respect, there are many ideas on how to recycle wooden wine crates.
In addition, since these are objects with a very versatile rectangular shape and durable and resistant material, it is possible to reuse the wine boxes in different rooms of the house.

 

Here are 5 ideas on how to recycle wooden wine boxes.

 

1. Spice holder or tea holder

If you are wondering how to recycle wooden wine boxes, the easiest solution is to give them new life without making substantial changes and changing only their contents, using them as a spice rack or tea bag holder. You can choose to leave the boxes without decorations or embellish them with the technique of découpage for a vintage effect of great charm.
Wine boxes for individual bottles are particularly suitable as holders for tea bags di vino per bottiglie singoleFor the recycling of a single bottle wine box, in fact, the measures of the wooden packaging seem to be made to contain the best-selling tea bags on the market.
As regards the spice holder, you can use the box as it is or hang it on the wall, taking care to fix it well and then arrange all the jars so that you can easily reach them when you are cooking. The addition of some aromatic seedlings between a jar of spices and the other, together with the rustic but classy look of wooden boxes, make this idea of reusing wine boxes really elegant and easy to realize.

 

2. Bookcase

Another very easy idea to recycle wooden wine boxes is to use them as shelves on the wall or to create real bookcases, using the wine boxes as shelves. Thanks to the versatility of these boxes, it is possible to create an infinite number of compositions, for example by alternating empty and full spaces starting from eye-catching geometries or following a more classic design, placing the boxes one on top of the other. A bookcase of this type is particularly suited to rustic or shabby chic environments.

 

3. Lamp

This idea for the reuse of wine boxes requires good manual skills but the result is aunique piece of furniture , refined and elegant, to be placed in every room of the house to create an atmosphere of relaxation: Here’s how to turn the wine box into a decorative lamp.
One of the simplest methods involves using the box without lid to turn it into a light box, gluing a strip of small led lights a few centimeters from the edge, inside the container. Next, you need to insert instead of the lid a plexiglass plate, glossy or matt according to your taste, which can be decorated with lettering or stylized images.
A second method involves carving the contours of a figure (perhaps a wine bottle or a goblet) with special tools and then inserting a lamp inside the box, taking care to drill a hole in the back for the cable to come out.

 

4. Cup holder

An elegant and connoisseur’s idea for the recycling of wine boxes is to turn them into decorations for the cellar, and in particular into shelves for storing glasses.
Wine glasses should preferably be stored upside down, to prevent dust from accumulating inside the cup. To avoid small splashes on the edge of the cup, it would also be appropriate that they are raised from the shelfIt is possible to mount inside, on one of the long sides, a special holder for glasses: in most cases, these particular rails are suitable for mounting on wooden elements, such as shelves or recycled wine boxes.
A hanging goblet solution that reuses wooden wine boxes is not only elegant and refined but also practical and functional for perfect storage of glasses.

 

5. Pet kennel

An original idea to recycle the wooden boxes of wine is finally to turn them into comfortable huts for pets, such as cats or small dogs. The larger wine boxes, which usually hold two or three bottles, are best suited for this type of recycling.
It is possible to cover the bottom with a padded pillow, so as to make the accessory even more comfortable for our four-legged friends. You can also make a bunk in several levels, mounting on the four upper corners of the box wooden blocks that serve as a support to install a second box/ kennel.