Traveling Vineyard Review – Discover the Joy of Wine: An In-Depth Look at Traveling Vineyard
Welcome to this “Traveling Vineyard Review”.
Traveling Vineyard has gone through some drastic changes over the years but does that mean they are in a better place today?
We all love a glass of wine, don’t we? Especially with our meals! I know I do, so could this wine tasting party planner be something that we have been looking for?
A simple concept, create a party, get people drunk then get them to purchase every conceivable bottle. If only it was that simple!
No, seriously, Traveling Vineyard is a party planning network marketing business, selling and promoting a select range of wines through their associates or “Wine Guides” as they are commonly known.
You get to taste the wines first before you decide to purchase, which means you are purchasing what you like and not some random selection in your local supermarket.
The wine industry is a massive market and the potential could be a big money-spinner for some?
As wine is a consumable item, find your customers who love the wines and then hopefully repeat orders, or that’s the theory anyway.
That’s OK with your family and friends and should be an easy sell (because it’s alcohol and everybody loves a good time) but what happens when your family and friends are no longer your customers?
So, for all you prospective wine tasters, let’s see what we can uncover in this Traveling Vineyard MLM review.
[Affiliate Disclosure: This Traveling Vineyard Review may contain affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase anything through one of the links. However, this will not affect what you pay!]
Traveling Vineyard Review – Summary
Product: Traveling Vineyard LLC
Location: US
Founder: Richard Libby
Founded: The company was originally founded in 2001 and taken over by Richard Libby in 2010 and restructured.
Website: www.travelingvineyard.com
Product description: A party planning MLM, promoting and selling wine along with a business opportunity.
Cost to join: $49 = Virtual wine guide $99 = Essentials success kit $179 = The complete success kit
Traveling Vineyard is a company with a little bit of history since it was initially founded in 2001 but struggling as it was then, went into administration, declaring chapter 7 in April 2010.
In November the same year, Richard Libby along with a consortium purchased the Travelling Vineyard assets out of bankruptcy.
As of today, they are a flourishing business with well over 5000 associates or wine guides (as they are known) across over 40 states in the US.
Only 40 states you might be thinking, well there are certain states that are still living in the dark ages where direct selling and shipping of alcohol to consumers is either restricted or completely prohibited.
Currently based in Ipswich, Massachusetts, US.
Check out what the owner has to say in this short promotional video.
Giving Back is always a great thing
Is Traveling Vineyard incredibly generous? I would say so and since around 2013 Traveling Vineyard has supported varies charity organisations through designating certain wines to certain causes.
Living beyond breast cancer or LBBC
This was brought to the attention of Traveling Vineyard when one of their own wine guides died of breast cancer in 2013 and more recently a wine guide and friend in 2019.
Dedicated as the charity wine to this cause is the Rayado Cabernet Sauvignon which is obviously going to be a stayer on their website.
A very worthy cause.
American Brain Tumour Association or ABTA
Yet again, a Traveling Vineyard wine guide and friend passed away due to a brain tumour.
Bella Mente is the chosen wine for this charity and since 2015 has raised over $100,000.
National Military Family Association or NMFA
I can’t stress how important these charities are especially this current one as we all know just how much governments turn against or forget about these individuals who serve their countries and expect nothing in return.
Sky Blossom is the chosen wine for this charity organisation.
Traveling Vineyard Products Range
The products on offer are not extensive but more selective and therefore probably not what you would find in your local wine store.
A little on the pricey side compared
to your local store but some come with good pedigrees and have won awards.
Such as the Traveling Vineyard Activist, priced at $28.99 and the Tria Reserve priced at $19.99.
The year 2016 was the coolest in recent times and the wines were very promising, so a bit of a bargain here for a 4+-year-old wine.
The Traveling Vineyard product range can be found within the categories listed below…
Red
White
Semi-Sweet
Sweet and Fizzy
Accessories
Success Kit
As of this review, there are currently 36 products showcased on the Traveling Vineyard website, with some products, replaced in keeping with making the selection fresh and current.
For a closer look at the Traveling Vineyard products with current prices…
You can check out the full range of wines on their website by clicking here.
You can also use this time to check out Traveling Vineyard to see if the business opportunity might be of interest to you.
Traveling Vineyard Business Opportunity – What You Need To Know
Like with all MLMs businesses you can make money…
By purchasing the products yourself.
By selling to interested customers.
By recruiting others and building a sales team.
To progress in any business, especially an MLM you have to recruit others in order to advance and make more money.
The major difficulty is training your team especially as you may not have any experience in the first place.
In any MLM they try to convince you to get family and friends involved which is not good at all.
For you to advance, your team has to make sales and initially will come with good intentions but very quickly will see that it is not easy, and then they will end up leaving.
Here the circle continues, where you will have to recruit others to replace the ones left and expand your sales team. Eventually, you will end up leaving!
But first, you have to become a member or wine guide as they are known in Traveling Vineyard.
This can be done in one of three ways.
Virtual Wine Guide Kit – $49
Everything to get your home business
started online
One 3 bottle Sip Kit
Personal shopping website ready to go (the month you join is free), then $15.95 a month thereafter
Personal “Tasting Room” back office with access to marketing materials, training, and one on one support
10% wine discount on personal orders and Rewined
Enrollment in Fast Start and potential to earn $225 in wine rewards in your first 100 days
Essential Success Kit – $99
All the essentials to get you started with
your first wine-tasting parties, with a case of different wines valued at $225.
Which includes…
2 Tasting Set Credits (10 bottles of wine)
Magic Decanter Aerator
Stainless Steel Waiter’s Style Corkscrew
2 Part Survey and Interest Form (Pack 50)
6 Bottle tote
2 wine pourers
Hosting Brochure (Pack 25)
Fast Start Guide
Plus 3 months personal website @ $15.95/month saving of $47.85
Success Kit – $175
This is the Traveling Vineyards complete kit
to get you started on what they call your fast track.
Which includes…
2 Tasting Set Credits (10 bottles of wine)
18 Tasting Glasses
18 Glass Carrying Cases
Magic Decanter Aerator
Stainless Steel Waiter’s Style Corkscrew
2 Wine Pourers
6 Sommology Tins
Sommology Education Cards
2 Part Survey and Interest Forms (Pack 50)
6 Bottle Tote
Hosting Brochure (Pack 25)
Team Building Brochure (Pack 25)
Fast Start Guide
Plus 3 months personal website @ $15.95/month saving of $47.85
The science behind pairing wine with food or food with wine is termed as Sommology, and there is a whole lot of information that you can find on their website.
Recurring costs
What you have to take into consideration is the cost of replenishing your selection of wines for the next wine-tasting party, along with the food that you have to provide, not to mention all the preparation it will take too.
Traveling Vineyard’s commission table
How you get paid is all done on a commission basis.
As you can see by the table below, there are 5 levels of commissions starting from 15% right up to 35%.
Obviously, the commission rates increase the more sales you make but as the products are on the low side in terms of price, then you are going to have to shift high volumes to achieve the higher rates.
To achieve a 35% commission means selling 150 bottles of their most expensive wines, so you might feel that this is achievable.
Maintaining those commission rates is also going to be challenging.
10 additional ways you can get paid as a Traveling Vineyard wine guide
Personal marketing fees
Personal bonuses
Management bonuses
Fast Start Bonuses
Early Promotion Bonuses
Team Leader Promotional Bonuses
Director Promotional Bonuses
Leadership Bonuses
Generation Overrides
Director Leg Pool Bonuses
I won’t be going into details here, as there is a lot to cover and quite complex, to say the least, although there is a link to a document that I came across which is highlighted down below.
Traveling Vineyard Compensation Plan
Up until a couple of years ago, their compensation plan was available to the public so that you could see beforehand whether the plan appealed to you or not.
Now, the compensation plan has been made “private” and can only be accessed when you actually become a wine guide.
I know, it doesn’t make sense as this is exactly what I want to look at first before I contemplate even thinking about joining a company.
However, I did manage to come across an online manual which is some 35 pages long.
Why so long?
You got me, but the longer they are the more complex they become. You can check out the information here.
Then you have your basic compensation plan explained below for those who would rather sit back and listen.
Are Traveling Vineyard wine guides actually making money?
As you can see by the image above which incidentally is the most recent income disclosure I could find and that’s for 2017.
The real earners out of 4,531 Traveling Vineyard associates are the top 1% or 51 out of the 4,531.
Even those 51 all won’t be earning big money as you can clearly see in the image.
85.7% are earning less than $7,700 a year.
You can come to your own conclusions here, but you can clearly see that as a business opportunity there really isn’t one.
However you might be somebody who just ignores such figures and goes ahead anyway, and yes you might be successful, but highly unlikely.
What Others Say About Traveling Vineyard
Checking out Traveling Vintage reviews should be your first port of call when trying to establish whether the products are good enough, but more importantly, whether there is a viable business there to get involved with.
Overall the review ratings are very good and the number of negative reviews I did come across were hardly worth displaying in this review.
What We Like – Traveling Vineyard Review
There are a few things I like about Traveling Vineyard but when it comes to a business opportunity, like so many MLMs, I just don’t see one.
Mind you, if wine and organizing wine parties is your thing and you aren’t overly concerned about earning big money then go for it.
Accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2010.
Reviews are very positive.
They give back to worthy causes.
Income disclosure but that goes back to 2017.
Compensation plan but I had to dig hard to find one.
What We Don’t Like – Traveling Vineyard Review
Less than 1% according to the 2017 income disclosure are the big earners.
86% earn less than $8,000 a year
A small select number of wines.
Low-income potential.
In recent years they have chosen to hide the compensation plan.
Not for newbies looking to make money online.
Is Traveling Vineyard a SCAM?
Traveling Vineyard is not considered a scam.
It is a legitimate multi-level marketing (MLM) company that sells wine through independent Wine Guides who host tasting events and earn commissions on their sales.
The company operates legally, offering tangible products and a platform for individuals to earn money through direct sales and recruitment.
However, while it is possible to earn money with Traveling Vineyard, the income potential is often limited.
Many Wine Guides earn relatively modest amounts, with significant earnings typically requiring extensive recruiting and team-building.
Joining Traveling Vineyard requires an initial investment for a Success Kit, and there are ongoing costs such as purchasing wine for tastings and a monthly fee after the first three months.
The competitive nature of the wine market can make it challenging to consistently make sales and grow the business, given the wide availability of wine from various other source
While Traveling Vineyard is not a scam, potential Wine Guides should carefully consider the costs, effort, and realistic earning potential before joining.
It’s important to research and understand the MLM structure and ensure it aligns with your financial and personal goals
Is Traveling Vineyard A Worthy Business To Get Involved With?
For experienced network marketers with a
large following then this could be something that might be of interest.
Organizing parties might be an issue as these are going to have to be local, so that means family and friends and don’t forget that you have to supply the wine and food and therefore it’s paramount that you make sales.
Not for newbies who are looking for a business opportunity but if you are looking for an incentive?
The MLM route after a few years of trying did not do it for me, earning “zilch” I almost gave up trying to make a living online, until I came across…
Of course, finding someone who could teach me all this and who I could trust wholeheartedly for me was an issue.
Those years made me extremely sceptical but I did end up trying Wealthy Affiliate and the best decision I ever made, and you can too for free with no credit card details asked for.
Traveling Vineyard Review – FAQs
What is Traveling Vineyard?
Traveling Vineyard is a direct sales company where independent Wine Guides host wine tasting events and earn commissions on the sales of wine and wine accessories.
How do you become a Wine Guide?
To become a Wine Guide, you need to purchase a Success Kit, which includes everything you need to host your first two wine tasting events.
The kit costs $99 or $179, plus a monthly fee of $15.95 after the first three months.
What does a Wine Guide do?
Wine Guides organize and host wine tasting events, educating guests about different wines and food pairings.
They earn commissions on the wine and accessories sold at these events and through their personal websites.
How much can you earn as a Wine Guide?
Earnings vary based on sales and recruitment.
Wine Guides can earn up to 35% commission on sales, with additional bonuses and incentives available for achieving certain sales and recruitment milestones.
What are the costs involved in being a Wine Guide?
Initial costs include purchasing the Success Kit for $99 or $179.
There is also a monthly fee of $15.95 after the first three months.
Wine Guides need to purchase wine for tastings, although successful events can result in credit towards future wine purchases..
How does Traveling Vineyard differ from other MLMs?
Traveling Vineyard focuses on selling wine, a consumable product that people regularly purchase.
Unlike some MLMs, it does not require Wine Guides to make money directly from recruiting others but rather through sales and organizing wine tastings.
Are there any sales quotas?
Yes, Wine Guides must meet monthly sales quotas to remain active and qualify for bonuses.
These quotas can create pressure to continuously host events and recruit new members.
What support and training are available for Wine Guides?
Traveling Vineyard offers a comprehensive training program called Sommology, which equips Wine Guides with the knowledge to conduct professional wine tastings.
They also provide marketing materials, a business app, and ongoing support from the company and fellow Wine Guides
Traveling Vineyard Lawsuits
Traveling Vineyard has not been prominently involved in significant lawsuits, but it has faced some consumer complaints and operational challenges.
One notable issue involved complaints about shipping costs and customer service, where customers reported miscommunications about shipping rates during wine tasting events.
These complaints were typically resolved by providing refunds and additional training for the Wine Guides to ensure better communication in the future.
Additionally, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has listed a few complaints against Traveling Vineyard related to product issues and refund requests.
The company has addressed these complaints and resolved them to the customers’ satisfaction.
Overall, while Traveling Vineyard has not been free of complaints, these have been relatively minor and resolved adequately, suggesting that the company is responsive to customer concerns.
If you are considering joining, it is essential to be aware of these aspects and ensure that you are comfortable with the company’s customer service and operational practices.
Feedback, Comments and Subscribe
If you find yourself here then I did my job and kept you interested and hopefully, you enjoyed the review.
Hope I covered all the important facts but if I missed anything out then please tell me in the comments section below.
Any questions at all for me I will be more than happy to answer, just stick them down too.
Hey Guys and Gals, great to meet you and hope you enjoyed this post. We created this site to help people like you avoid the pitfalls of making money online and hopefully steer you onto the right path. ENJOY!
View all posts by Mick
16 thoughts on “Traveling Vineyard Review – Discover the Joy of Wine: An In-Depth Look at Traveling Vineyard”
Thank you for such a detailed review of travelling vineyard. You covered all the areas really well as well as the upsells, which makes me feel good that I am part of Wealthy Affiliate – A great platform and no upsells apart from going premium and that’s it!
Wow, what a great review! You give a lot of information to decide on whether to join or not. I have been in internet marketing for over 10 years and a review like this is what helps marketers like me make informed decisions. What I like about this program is having a great product to market, I only worry that I would have to have taste parties because I am too shy hehe.
Something like a party planning business model has to be something that somebody loves doing because there is a lot of prework involved and with costs and no guarantees of making sales at the end of it.
Normally these parties involve friends and family so this shouldn’t be such a problem for one’s who are not outgoing enough.
However what happens when that crowd of people are no longer there?
My initial reaction to Traveling Vineyard was a positive one – it almost seems like the best of both worlds.
Spend time building an “evergreen” business model, enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
However, upon further inspection, I tend to agree that this possibly isn’t the greatest business opportunity.
Firstly, the expense that is likely to be racked up as you host parties, and realistically to get yourself into a decent earning bracket, I’m guessing these parties will need to be a very regular thing (you probably won’t be enjoying yourself as much by this stage).
Secondly, I look at the likelihood of actually recruiting others and managing to build a successful sales team, as being quite difficult.
In principle the opportunities sound great, but I’m not sure how feasible the business idea is unless, as you mention, you’re not overly concerned about earning the big bucks.
Hey Partha, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
These party planning businesses have a limited scope and the amount of work you have to put in far exceeds what you will get back.
OK, many parties can be organized through social media, but consumables like wine have to be tested first before anyone is going to purchase.
Organizing the venue and getting the people to come is time-consuming not to mention you have to supply the wines and food yourself with no guarantees that you are going to make any sales at all.
The pressure to make sales is going to be evident at these events and far from enjoyable as you have to make sales to cover your costs.
As you can see by the income disclosure there isn’t a real business opportunity.
Hi Mick,
Thanks for this great and informative review about traveling vineyard, because as a wine lover like me, I would have jumped on it head first if I hadn’t have the chance to read your review . Thanks again for going in great detail to educate people about this company.
Agreed with you on starting an online business with Wealtby Affiliate because that is what I did after been scam by many online scammers claiming to help me make money online.
Thanks, Benson for taking time out to digest this traveling vineyard MLM review.
I too like wines, but I am happy to go to the local wine shop and choose any wine from countries like South America, South Africa, California and doesn’t matter which type it is because they all tend to be good wines.
To run a business like Traveling Vineyard takes a lot of time, effort and money before you see any returns and you have to love communicating with others otherwise its a none starter.
Thank you very much for this comprehensive and informative review of the Traveling Vineyard.
Perhaps because of my Italian genes and my years spent living in New Zealand, I love wine.
Reds are my favourite – a good Merlot or Chianti never fails to satisfy.
As a fellow Digital Entrepreneur, I am always on the lookout for opportunities to expand my revenue stream and thought that combining my love of wine with my business would be ideal.
After reading your review, however, I am in agreement that this would not make a good business opportunity for me at this time.
A 2.5/10 rating as a business opportunity is not at all encouraging.
It might be good to try out for a relaxing and fun night with family and friends though.
I will definitely look into that!
Hi,
Wow, what a great review! You give a lot of information to decide on whether to join or not. Good post and good article. I like a good red wine with cheese here in Canada we call it ” soiree, vin & fromage”
thank you for this article
Lyne
Hi Lyne, I like good wine myself and the idea is a good one with Traveling Vineyard. A good way to get people together but a lot of work on the distributors part.
The selection is not that great and for me, the business opportunity is pretty weak.
MLMs, due to some bad experiences are not something I would recommend, especially to a newbie trying to make a living online.
wow… that’s a whole new world for me. Very interesting idea. I do like a glass of wine and it would be a great to experience a wine part, if I can call like that. As a business I’d say you need really be into wine and make it happen. Anyway, great article and deep content. We learn every day a little. Thank you for sharing something so unique, at least for me.
TGP, I agree that to get involved as a business you have to love wines and organizing parties, but you need to come to the table with a lot of experience in marketing because organizing parties is just not going to make this a viable business and not one to replace a fulltime job.
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Thank you for such a detailed review of travelling vineyard. You covered all the areas really well as well as the upsells, which makes me feel good that I am part of Wealthy Affiliate – A great platform and no upsells apart from going premium and that’s it!
Thank you
Thanks for your comment
Wow, what a great review! You give a lot of information to decide on whether to join or not. I have been in internet marketing for over 10 years and a review like this is what helps marketers like me make informed decisions. What I like about this program is having a great product to market, I only worry that I would have to have taste parties because I am too shy hehe.
Hey Melissa, thank you for those kind words.
Something like a party planning business model has to be something that somebody loves doing because there is a lot of prework involved and with costs and no guarantees of making sales at the end of it.
Normally these parties involve friends and family so this shouldn’t be such a problem for one’s who are not outgoing enough.
However what happens when that crowd of people are no longer there?
Thanks for commenting, much appreciated
Hi Mick,
My initial reaction to Traveling Vineyard was a positive one – it almost seems like the best of both worlds.
Spend time building an “evergreen” business model, enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
However, upon further inspection, I tend to agree that this possibly isn’t the greatest business opportunity.
Firstly, the expense that is likely to be racked up as you host parties, and realistically to get yourself into a decent earning bracket, I’m guessing these parties will need to be a very regular thing (you probably won’t be enjoying yourself as much by this stage).
Secondly, I look at the likelihood of actually recruiting others and managing to build a successful sales team, as being quite difficult.
In principle the opportunities sound great, but I’m not sure how feasible the business idea is unless, as you mention, you’re not overly concerned about earning the big bucks.
Great review as always.
Partha
Hey Partha, thanks for stopping by and commenting.
These party planning businesses have a limited scope and the amount of work you have to put in far exceeds what you will get back.
OK, many parties can be organized through social media, but consumables like wine have to be tested first before anyone is going to purchase.
Organizing the venue and getting the people to come is time-consuming not to mention you have to supply the wines and food yourself with no guarantees that you are going to make any sales at all.
The pressure to make sales is going to be evident at these events and far from enjoyable as you have to make sales to cover your costs.
As you can see by the income disclosure there isn’t a real business opportunity.
Once again thanks.
Thanks for sharing great content! Let me know more and understand about Travelling Vineyard. ;D
Thanks for passing by and commenting, much appreciated
Hi Mick,
Thanks for this great and informative review about traveling vineyard, because as a wine lover like me, I would have jumped on it head first if I hadn’t have the chance to read your review . Thanks again for going in great detail to educate people about this company.
Agreed with you on starting an online business with Wealtby Affiliate because that is what I did after been scam by many online scammers claiming to help me make money online.
Thanks, Benson for taking time out to digest this traveling vineyard MLM review.
I too like wines, but I am happy to go to the local wine shop and choose any wine from countries like South America, South Africa, California and doesn’t matter which type it is because they all tend to be good wines.
To run a business like Traveling Vineyard takes a lot of time, effort and money before you see any returns and you have to love communicating with others otherwise its a none starter.
Affiliate marketing is a much better business model, and much more flexible with no pressure to maintain a rank not to mention there is no recruiting and no training a team. No pressure whatsoever.
Thank you for your comment.
Mick,
Thank you very much for this comprehensive and informative review of the Traveling Vineyard.
Perhaps because of my Italian genes and my years spent living in New Zealand, I love wine.
Reds are my favourite – a good Merlot or Chianti never fails to satisfy.
As a fellow Digital Entrepreneur, I am always on the lookout for opportunities to expand my revenue stream and thought that combining my love of wine with my business would be ideal.
After reading your review, however, I am in agreement that this would not make a good business opportunity for me at this time.
A 2.5/10 rating as a business opportunity is not at all encouraging.
It might be good to try out for a relaxing and fun night with family and friends though.
I will definitely look into that!
Hey Cassandra, thank you for taking time out to read and comment on this review of Traveling Vineyard.
Unfortunately, it’s always the business opportunity that lets the side down when we are talking about an MLM.
One again thank you for your support.
Hi,
Wow, what a great review! You give a lot of information to decide on whether to join or not. Good post and good article. I like a good red wine with cheese here in Canada we call it ” soiree, vin & fromage”
thank you for this article
Lyne
Hi Lyne, I like good wine myself and the idea is a good one with Traveling Vineyard. A good way to get people together but a lot of work on the distributors part.
The selection is not that great and for me, the business opportunity is pretty weak.
MLMs, due to some bad experiences are not something I would recommend, especially to a newbie trying to make a living online.
Affiliate marketing is such a better business model on so many levels.
Thank you for your comment and support.
wow… that’s a whole new world for me. Very interesting idea. I do like a glass of wine and it would be a great to experience a wine part, if I can call like that. As a business I’d say you need really be into wine and make it happen. Anyway, great article and deep content. We learn every day a little. Thank you for sharing something so unique, at least for me.
TGP, I agree that to get involved as a business you have to love wines and organizing parties, but you need to come to the table with a lot of experience in marketing because organizing parties is just not going to make this a viable business and not one to replace a fulltime job.
Thank you for commenting.