Services
Three engagements, each with a defined shape.
Everything I sell is scoped in writing before you commit. What it covers, how long it takes, what you receive, and the fee, fixed and quoted right after our first call. I do all the work myself. I do not publish prices, and you will never hear “it depends” after the scope is set.
Market Entry Audit
The entry product, and where most engagements start.
Who it's for
Producers weighing the US, preparing an entry, or re-planning one that underperforms.
You receive
- The full price walk for your wines, EXW to In the US drinks trade, FOB is not the shipping Incoterm. It's the per-case price the importer sells to the distributor at. to shelf, in your target states, built backwards from the shelf you can win
- The competitive set you would actually join, with observed retail and restaurant-list pricing
- A map of the distributors that actually fit your volume and price band, and the states worth opening first, in order
- Compliance flags where they change the plan. Control states, franchise states, label registration timing
- A written document you can act on without me, plus a working session to go through it together
- Duration
- Two to three weeks from the scoping call
- Fee
- Fixed. Quoted after the first call, before you commit to anything
Distributor Search & Selection
Finding the partner your brand can matter to, then getting the terms right.
Who it's for
Brands entering a state, adding states, or replacing a partner that has gone quiet.
You receive
- The universe of candidate distributors in your target states, mapped with tooling I built myself, including analysis of federal label filings (TTB COLA) that shows who really ships what, where
- A shortlist ranked by fit to your volume, price band, and channel, not by size
- The approach, sequenced. Who to talk to, in what order, with what story and what numbers
- Support through the conversations, and terms guidance before you sign, including franchise-state caution where it applies
- Duration
- Four to eight weeks, depending on the states in scope
- Fee
- Fixed. Quoted after the first call, before you commit to anything
First-Year Commercial Management
The follow-through that decides whether the launch was an entry or an event.
Who it's for
Brands with a signed distributor and a first year to get right.
You receive
- A monthly rhythm. Depletion review, reorder and inventory watch, price-ladder guardrails
- Distributor management. The programming calendar, incentives, rep engagement, and the questions that keep your brand visible in their book
- Account targeting by channel, and market visits prepared to move numbers rather than take photographs
- A written quarterly review. What moved, what stalled, what changes
- Shape
- Monthly retainer, minimum six months. Defined deliverables, not open-ended hours
- Fee
- Quoted after the first call, before you commit to anything
How it works
- 01
We scope it together
A first conversation to map your wines, your target states, and what you suspect. We agree exactly what the engagement covers. The fee follows in writing right after, before anything starts.
- 02
I do the work
Research, modelling, and trade conversations against current market conditions, not a playbook. You hear from me during, not only after.
- 03
You get it in writing
A clear document. The findings and the plan, with a prioritised list of what to do first, ranked by impact and yours to act on.
- 04
We debrief
A working session to walk through it together and agree the order of play. Where it points to deeper work, that is a separate conversation, never an assumption.
Questions worth asking
What does it cost?
A fixed fee for the audit and the search, and a monthly retainer for first-year management. I quote right after our first call, once I know your states and your portfolio, and always before you commit to anything. I do not publish prices because the scope genuinely varies. What I can promise is that you will have the number in writing before you spend a cent, and that it will not move afterwards.
What do I actually receive?
A written document in every case. The audit findings, the shortlist and approach, or the quarterly review, each with a prioritised list of what to do first. Then a working call to go through it together.
How long does it take?
The audit, two to three weeks from scoping. The search, four to eight weeks depending on states. Management runs monthly.
Is what I share kept confidential?
Yes. Everything you tell me is treated as confidential, and I am glad to sign an NDA before we get into specifics.
Do you advise brands that compete with each other?
No. I take on a limited number of brands at a time and never ones that compete with each other. Confidentiality runs both ways, and I will tell you at the outset if there is any overlap worth knowing about.
Do you only do the US?
For entry work, yes, deliberately. The record behind it includes export and import roles across the UK, the UAE, the Netherlands, and France, which is why the US advice reads a European producer correctly. If your question is a different market, I will say so and point you to someone who covers it.
What if my need falls outside your specialism?
I will say so, and where it helps I can introduce you to a trusted colleague who covers it. The aim is to get you to the right person, whether or not that is me.
Start with the diagnostic.
Free, written, and yours before we ever speak.