NBC12 News - Jan 3, 2011 -  Online Ordering Helps VA Wineries

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced the launch of a new online ordering system that makes it easier for restaurants and retailers to get their hands on Virginia wines. 

The Clifton Inn in Albemarle County hosts guests from around the world.  Part of the lure is its southern hospitality and what cuisine Executive Chef, Tucker Yoder, prepares.

"People who are here definitely to visit Monticello and then a couple wineries will almost definitely ask for a Virginia wine from somewhere they were that day," Yoder said.

Because of onlineorderdesk.com, the new online ordering system through the Virginia Winery Distribution Company (VWDC), retail stores and restaurants can find a list of participating Virginia wineries see what's available and place an order 24 hours a day seven days a week. 

Andrew Hodson owns Veritas Vineyard and Winery in Nelson County.  He is among the 100 participating wineries.

"The paperwork as always is enormous and this system has made it much easier really for the retailers to get Virginia wine and to sell Virginia wine," Hodson said.

In 2007, the VWDC was created by the General Assembly as a way to allow Virginia wineries to sell their wines directly to customers without having to pay a distributor.

"I would say that we are now able to ship probably up to 25 percent of our production which before this came on board we did less than 10 percent. So it's been a real boost to our sales," Hodson said.

There are about 100 Virginia Wineries that participate in the online ordering system.

NBC12 News - Dec 1, 2010 - Virginia

Todd P. Haymore, Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry.

“As Governor Bob McDonnell and I push to further promote Virginia’s burgeoning wine industry both here and abroad, I firmly believe the new system will result in significant sales increases for our wineries,” said Todd P. Haymore, Virginia’s Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry. “The advantages of online ordering are myriad. Buyers can place order 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can research wines from more than 100 wineries, ask questions and place orders from their desks or laptops. It’s convenient one-stop shopping for them. The advantages for our wineries include less paperwork, a tracking system that shows which wines are selling in what outlets, greater exposure to the buying retailers and an overall improved efficiency.”

Jim Corcoran - Owner - Corcoran Vineyards - Virginia.

The new platform built for the VWDC farm wineries is a game-changer for both the VWDC wineries and ABC retailers.  It truly provides a simple, fast, and reliable tool to order wines and will create opportunities for retailers looking to expand their shelf-space for Virginia wines.

Jane Hatch - Sales Coordinator - Tantalus Vineyards

Thanks for being patient and taking the time to show me the onlineorderdesk set-up. I think this is a really good concept. Streamlining the ordering process, managing allocations as well as offering an effective marketing tool is pretty darn good!!

We've already recommended your business to other reps.

Nessa van Bergen - Beverage Purchaser & Sommelier - Joe Fortes

Thank you for meeting with me last week to review the service options your new company is providing for Licensees. I think there is tremendous value in your product that allows restaurants to virtually ‘one-stop’ shop. The ability to review orders, look up Doc 60’s and the other reports offered, provide tools to help restaurants get more service from the wineries.

Kim Spence - National Beverage Leader - Moxies Classic Grill, Chop Steak Fish Bar, and Shark Club

RE: An open letter to Wine producers not currently participating with onlineorderdesk.com

I would like to express my excitement regarding the development of the onlineorderdesk.com system.

In our continuing efforts to offer excellent choices from BC wineries and balancing that with the realities of time constraints and management work load, we see great value in this system.  On a go forward basis, by not being involved in the onlineorderdesk.com system may restrict our ability to do business with you.

David Lancelot from Marquis Wine Cellars

Thank you for meeting with me last week to preview the features of the upcoming website onlineorderdesk.com.

As a buyer of BC wines for a busy retail store I have long hoped for a one stop solution for ordering wine that is detailed, would dovetail with our business needs and manages my allocations. The ability to create PO’s and accurate form 60’s as well as the comprehensive reporting features would be ideal. I often struggle trying to remember existing allocations or have difficulty finding current pricing information when trying to do a quote for customers at the last minute. This would solve all of these problems plus a few more problems I didn’t even know I had!

One of the best features of your business is that now the agents can work on providing me with service I need and not manage the ordering and paperwork. I have often felt the agents’ time could be better spent on creating business relationships and not in simply going around handing out price lists and asking me (sporadically) if I need any wine.

This represents a quantum leap forward in managing the inventory and ordering processes for our company and I would welcome participation by all BC wineries. Frankly if I were given a choice to order only through onlineorderdesk.com or make 15 separate calls to wineries, agents and order desks my choice is obvious.

I wish you the very best and look forward to placing my first order through your service.

Anthony Gismondi - The Vancouver Sun, January 5, 2008

What's IN for 2008.  -- Direct wine sales over the internet will change the way you buy wine.

BC Restaurant News - December 2007 / January 2008

Now order wine online - onlineorderdesk.com is a solution to end all wine-ordering problems.  Kevin Blucke has developed the user-friendly onlineorderdesk.com to effect easy sales from wineries to licensees.  The streamlined wine-ordering system was created to eliminate a normally lengthy process, helping restaurants, wine stores and other establishments place orders more efficiently.  The site contains an interactive forum where wineries can catalogue their wine and buyers can order directly from the winery.  There is no cost to order from the site and wineries pay a small flat fee to post their pages.