Step 2 - Understand Your True Cost
Costing Courses
Know what your wine actually costs — so you can price it, evaluate profitability, and make better decisions.
Why costing matters more than most wineries realize
Most wineries have some kind of cost number. But many don’t realize there are two different versions of that number:
Tax Cost and True Cost
Tax Cost is used for reporting on the tax return. True Cost is the number you need to run the business — for pricing, profitability, and decision-making.
If you use Tax Cost to make decisions, you risk getting those decisions wrong.
Why this often doesn’t get done correctly
Even when wineries know this matters, the process often gets delayed or outsourced.
Because:
it feels technical and hard to follow
it’s rarely explained clearly for small wineries
spreadsheets get started but never finished
and it’s hard to know whether the number is right
That’s why many wineries end up with a number — but don’t fully trust it.
What this step helps you do
Step 2 gives you a clear way to calculate the True Cost of your wine — and understand how that number is built.
Depending on the version you choose, this step helps you:
identify the costs that should be included
understand how those costs flow into inventory
calculate cost in a way that fits a small winery
and end up with numbers you can actually use
This is where your numbers become usable — not just something you report.
See how True Cost works
If you’ve ever wondered why your costing still feels unclear, this short video explains what’s really going on — and why True Cost matters.
This is the core idea behind Step 2 — the next step is choosing the version that fits your role and situation.
Choose the version that fits your winery
-
True Cost Overview
Best for:
Understanding the concept of True Cost without doing the calculations.
Includes:
- True Cost Overview
- Ask the CFO
-
True Cost Course
Best for:
Wineries that want to calculate True Cost in-house and complete the process step by step.
Includes:
- True Cost Overview
- True Cost Course
- 4 session Cohort
- Ask the CFO
-
True Cost with InnoVint
Best for:
Wineries using InnoVint that want to make sure they’re entering the right costs so the final COGS is accurate.
Includes:
- True Cost Overview
- True Cost w/InnoVint Course
- 6 session Cohort
- Ask the CFO
Not sure where to start?
If you’re new to costing, start with the Overview.
If you’re ready to calculate your numbers, start with the Full Course.
If you’re already using InnoVint, choose the InnoVint version.
Ready to understand your costs?
If you want clarity on what your wine actually costs — and how to use that number — this is your next step.
Ready to understand your True Cost?
If you’ve been guessing at your cost - or handing it off and hoping it’s right - this is how you fix that. The True Cost Course is Step 2 of The Path. If you’re not sure which step is right for you, The Path will show you.