Traveling Vineyard

Traveling Vineyard grew out of Geerlings & Wade, a Massachusetts company that sold wine by catalog. According to an early company profile, it started in 2002 with a trained team of wine consultants who traveled the country teaching people about wine. (Our earlier profile gave 2001.) In a field full of cosmetics, candles and kitchen tools, it stood out for selling wine through home parties, and it became a member of the Direct Selling Association.

The company was based in Canton, Massachusetts and later at 127 High Street in Ipswich. It launched its Fissata and Double Date sweet wine labels in 2010, and those became the hallmark of the brand. In its final years Traveling Vineyard said it had won over 200 wine awards, that over 20 million of its bottles had been “sipped, swirled, shared, and paired,” and that it had over 5,000 Wine Guides across 39 states. Rick Libby was its CEO.

Traveling Vineyard sold its own labels of wine, sourced from growers around the world and blended and bottled for the company. In 2023 it described its wines as made with natural ingredients and minimal intervention, backed by a “Good Stuff Guarantee,” at $15 to $25 a bottle.

• Reds: Bentgate and Rayado Cabernet Sauvignon, Medaglione and Whiskers red blends, Bel Arôme Pinot Noir, Hot Ticket Shiraz and Small Hours Zinfandel.
• Whites: Lazy Lab Riesling, Polpo Blu Pecorino, Screaming Goat Gewürztraminer and Beeline Muscat Canelli.
• Sweet and fizzy: Fissata Sweet Red, Fissata Blonde and Double Date Sweet Rosé, which by 2023 made up half of all sales.
• Extras: wine accessories, mini-bottle tasting flights, the Sommology food pairing program and REWINED, a wine subscription.

Charity wines were part of the line. Rayado gave $1 a bottle to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, in memory of two Wine Guides, and Bella Mente supported the American Brain Tumor Association; the company said each had raised over $110,000.

Sellers were first called Wine Consultants and later Wine Guides. They ran free tastings in hosts' homes, and later online, pouring a five-bottle tasting set and taking orders. Wine shipped directly to customers, so Wine Guides held no stock and had no sales quotas. They got 20% off wine for themselves. Hosts earned discounts and free bottles based on party sales, plus extra rewards when guests booked tastings of their own.

Success Kit

New Wine Guides bought a Success Kit. In 2023 kits started at $99. The Essentials Success Kit, which the company valued at over $240, held two tasting set credits (10 bottles), four mini bottles, an aerator, a corkscrew, a six-bottle tote, pourers, coasters, a digital training guide and a personal shopping website free for three months. A larger Complete Success Kit added stemless glasses and carriers. Like many direct sales companies, it charged for the website after that; our earlier profile noted $15.95 a month.

Pay

Personal commission ran from 15% to 35% of sales, based on monthly sales and leadership level. Wine Guides who held qualifying tastings earned their next tasting set free. Our earlier profile recorded 15 leadership levels, starting at Wine Aficionado, plus incentive trips for top sellers. The company kept full compensation details for its sellers.

On December 18, 2023, Traveling Vineyard announced it was “moving away from its previous direct selling party plan model.” It would sell through direct-to-consumer, wholesale and affiliate channels, and cut its range to sweet wines, which made up half its sales. Wine Guides could stay on as single-level affiliates, earning only on their own customers' orders. Libby said the party plan had struggled in the post-pandemic economy because gig work and flexible jobs were drawing away would-be consultants.

“Traveling Vineyard was the first in-home wine tasting company of its kind, and over the last 13 years our wine consultants have not only educated millions of people about how to enjoy and pair wine, but they've also brought laughter, friendships and lifelong memories to their customers.”

Rick Libby, CEO — Traveling Vineyard press release, December 18, 2023

From December 19, 2023, the sweet wines were sold at fissata.com. The company said travelingvineyard.com would close on January 31, 2024 after a customer appreciation sale; an archived copy from February 26, 2024 shows a final 40% off sale and the note “Our Sweets Have Moved.” By August 2024 the old site returned errors, and the domain now points to an unrelated website. The Fissata shop was live through mid-2024 but was no longer open by early 2025, and its domain no longer works.

Today Traveling Vineyard wines are not sold by the company. Former Wine Guides may sell for other brands. People who miss wine tastings at home can look at live companies such as Scout & Cellar on Direct Sales Aid.