Opening a mobile wine bar: An interview with the Deichstadtwinzer

Opening a mobile wine bar promises flexibility, attention and ideally a wide reach with high demand. But of course, opening a mobile wine cart also involves a certain amount of risk. Last autumn, the Deichstadtwinzer took the step of opening a mobile wine bar – and met with a lot of success. In this blog article, you will learn first-hand about the advantages of the mobile wine bar and how the offer is accepted in Neuwied.

The Deichstadtwinzer from Neuwied

In 2011, Sybille Hass-Machill and Dietmar Rieth founded the Deichstadtwinzer GbR in Neuwied. Originally, the two partners started a captive plant in Neuwied’s city centre with a Chardonnay vineyard of 92 stocks. This served as a test to see if the climate and soil conditions were suitable for a revival of viticulture in Neuwied with a suitable grape variety. In the meantime, a marketable “German wine area” of over 7,500 m² (0.7 ha) with Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay has been created in Neuwied.

Best Practice: the Deichstadtwinzer and their mobile wine bar

AAs an alternative to a fixed sales stand, the Deichstadtwinzer looked for a mobile sales option in the form of a wine cart – and found it with the Wine Buddy. About three months after their launch, we interviewed Dietmar Rieth from the Deichstadtwinzern exclusively and now give you an insight into their mobile business.

Dietmar, how did the idea of a mobile wine bar come about?

We are not a classic winery. Instead, we are a network of winegrowers with our own viticulture and distribution. So we wanted to create an attractive and mobile solution as an alternative to a fixed sales stand because of the higher flexibility. We did a lot of research and exchanged ideas with other stand operators. In the end, we decided on a sales trailer as a mobile wine bar.

As a winegrower, what advantages do you see in a mobile wine bar?

With the mobile wine bar, we benefit from the proximity to our customers.

What requirements did you have for your mobile wine bar and what features were particularly important to you?

Classically, we need a refrigerated counter, a refrigerator, a dishwasher for cleaning glasses, a rinsing and serving counter, a water and electricity connection and lighting for selling and serving wine. Apart from that, it was very important to us that the wine trolley is easy to drive and height-adjustable at the location. In addition, we wanted to be able to close off the wine bar and decorate it nicely so that it would be immediately noticeable and inviting. All of this was a given with the Wine Buddy from you.

Why did you decide on a sales trailer from BuddyStar?

The BuddyStar sales trailer simply fitted the bill. Despite the proud price for us as a wine network, the offer was very attractive: the fast delivery, sufficient space inside with a stable stainless steel construction, the fulfilment of the requirements of the health department and the easy possibility to lock and lock convinced us. And of course, the eye-catching design of the retro model with our customised foiling is a real eye-catcher!

How many bottles of wine fit in your Wine Buddy and how many glasses can you serve with it?

How did the start with your mobile wine bar go?

Our first use with our mobile wine bar was at the two-day autumn market in the city of Neuwied on 8 and 9 October last year. We were the only ones there with such a chic and new mobile sales stand. The set-up and the technology worked perfectly. The advantage of being able to easily open and close the Wine Buddy was definitely stress-reducing at this 2-day event – so we could leave the wine trolley in place overnight without any worries. The interest of the visitors but also from the other sales stands was huge! The first exhibitors even asked us where they could get such a buddy.

Where can you be found everywhere with your wine buddy?

This year, for the first time, our Buddy will be used as the only wine bar for the State Constitution Day. This will take place on Thursday, 18 May 2023 at the Landtag in Mainz. In the presence of the state government, the state parliament, the ministries and the citizens, the adoption of the Rhineland-Palatinate state constitution on 18 May 1947 will be commemorated at this citizens’ festival. On this day, it is obligatory to announce the upcoming promotions by the state government. It is an all-day celebration with music, wine and lots of small talk. We are very pleased to be able to take part in this special day with our wine buddy! We also have our eye on the multi-day “Rhineland-Palatinate Day” in June 2023 with our Buddy.

Otherwise, we will use events in the urban area and offer wine tasting with our wines upon request from companies and institutions.

What experiences have you had with your mobile wine bar so far?

We are attracting a lot of interest with our mobile wine bar – the modern design makes us stand out immediately and the customers really appreciate what we have to offer. There are also repeated enquiries from other market operators who take a look at our Buddy for their own purposes.

What goals are you pursuing with your mobile wine bar?

Our primary goal is to strengthen regional wine marketing. We would also like to create an attractive offer for events at municipalities, companies and institutions. We are already well on the way to achieving this goal. As a winegrowers’ network without its own wine shop, the Buddy is a real mobile sales alternative.

Did you have any concerns about the launch of your mobile wine bar in view of current challenges, such as the energy crisis and recession?

We hardly had any concerns. We had a really successful start with the autumn market with our mobile wine cart business. That’s why we don’t expect any major restrictions for the coming season, as we are also on the road regionally. We are definitely looking positively into the future!

Finally, the 3 biggest advantages from you to other winemakers who are toying with the idea of a mobile wine bar:

• Flexible option for mobile marketing
• Thanks to the comprehensive equipment, cool storage of the wines and compliance with hygiene is perfectly possible
• Events lasting several days are easy to handle thanks to the large storage space and stress-free assembly and disassembly

Thank you for your time and insights into your business, Dietmar. We wish you a successful year and a great State Constitution Day!

Visit us at the Winemaker Service Fair

Start your mobile wine business and follow in the footsteps of the Deichstadtwinzer. From 8 to 10 February 2023, we will be exhibiting at the Winzer-Service Messe in Karlsruhe. This is the largest trade fair for viticulture, cellar management, fruit growing and distilling, as well as marketing and sales in Germany. You can expect a wide range of products and services for viticulture, cellar management, fruit growing and distilling. For your start in mobile gastronomy, we will present our American sales trailer and our concepts for mobile cocktail bars and mobile wine bars. We will be happy to advise you individually on your wishes and the possibilities. We look forward to your visit in hall 2 at stand E/11.