Requisite course for winery managers

Costing Courses

Understanding the True Cost of your wine is THE KEY to running a profitable winery. Our courses give you step-by-step instructions on how to identify what expenses to include, where to find them in QuickBooks (or any other accounting software), and how to incorporate those amounts so that the numbers match with the Balance Sheet. Many people skip this last step, but this step confirms that your cost calculations are correct.

Instructor: Jeanette Tan  |  Modules: 6  |  Class length: 3h  |  Students only forum

Preview the True Cost Course →

The True Cost Course is a manual method of handling the costing. It is designed for micro wineries who are not using cellar software with built-in costing. This is best for folks with no accounting experience and for accountants new to the wine industry. While the formulas are straightforward, it does require a moderate level of comfort with Excel.

Know the True Cost of your wine

    • All of our courses are based on video lessons using our Heavenly Grape sample file in both QuickBooks Desktop and QB Online. The InnoVint & QuickBooks course shows the procedures in our Heavenly Grape InnoVint account

    • A downloadable SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) pdf with screen shots and written instructions. This includes checklists because we love them too.

    • Downloadable excel worksheets that you see in the video lessons so that you can review the formulas.

    • A private forum where you can post questions.

    • Forever access to the course

  • If you have a startup winery or are new to the wine industry, then start with the True Cost Overview. We include practice worksheets so you can test your understanding of the procedures. If you know that you will be handling the costing, then go straight to the Costing Book Checklist course.

  • We include the True Cost Overview with the True Cost Course so that you have a thorough understanding of the philosophy about the costing. You will learn what cellar-gallons and barrel-gallons are. And you will discover that doing a "cost allocation" is the same thing as splitting the restaurant check with your dinner mates. (True Cost Overview is available separately)

  • True Cost Overview

    This course is for owners and office managers who want to understand True Cost but won’t be setting up or managing their costing book. Includes worksheets so you can learn by doing.

    $297 | Take the course

  • True Cost Course

    This is a manual method for micro wineries that are not using cellar software. This is the process we use for wineries who are not using a cellar software program with built-in costing. Includes a checklist for each of the 10 phases of the procedure.

    $497 | Take the course

  • True Cost with InnoVint Course

    If you use InnoVint then this course is for you. Their powerful platform + QBWS’s Fundamental Five system = Cost accounting made easy. The videos plus a detailed SOP to teach non-accounting professionals how these programs work together.

    $697 | Take the course

Meet your instructor Jeanette Tan

Jeanette Tan was an Adjunct faculty member with the Sonoma State Wine Business Institute. She has over 10 years in the Wine industry and is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors. More importantly, she has experience being a small business owner and understands the challenges that small winery managers face.

FAQs

  • Yes you can! I started out as a pastry chef, then became a restaurant owner, and am now a Consulting CFO. I designed these courses for folks who don’t necessarily have a financial degree or background. The knowledge that has been poured into this program comes from years of working for small businesses, and learning the complexities of the winery business. If I can do it, so can you.

  • That depends on how big the mess is in the first place. While you are learning new procedures, your business needs to keep moving forward. It's like you are trying to turn around a freight train. Additionally, many procedures such as club runs, bottle runs, and crush are seasonal, so it could take up to a year to get you to a place where you can completely understand and trust your financials and start learning how to make strategic decisions based on them.

  • We recommend everyone start with the Discover QuickBooks course for an overview and to see both what to do and what not to do.

    If you need step-by-step instructions to transform your QuickBooks file, then the next course is to take the Fundamental Five course. If your costing is not correct or you don't have a CFO, take the Costing Book Checklist course to learn how to calculate the True Cost of your wine.

    Once you have the fundamentals in place, you can join our Silver Club where you will learn to become more strategic about your business decisions.