Wine Pull Fundraiser Guide: How to Choose Wine & Run a Successful Wine Pull

Has your organization ever considered fundraising with a wine pull? If the answer is no, well, “wine” not? This fundraiser is a fun, unique way to entertain guests and raise money. 

Also known as a wine grab or cork pull, a wine pull typically involves a guest purchasing a mystery bottle for $15 to $25, with the actual value ranging from $5 to more than $100. It’s a game of chance, but no one loses! 

How a Wine Pull Works

To start, the bottles are pre-wrapped or bagged so the labels don’t show, and all bottles are displayed together on a table or in an attractive “Wine Wall” display. Guests can either choose their own pre-wrapped bottles, or you can create a basket of numbers for guests to draw from that correlate to bottle numbers. Either way, a wine pull or wine wall is sure to bring fun to your event and add fundraising dollars to your pocket. Before you start planning, make sure to check the rules and regulations on wine pull raffles and alcohol sales in your state.

There are typically various kinds of wines in the pull, ranging from affordable to luxury bottles. You can also pair your wine pull with a raffle or silent auction. Some organizations even pair their wine pull event with a wine tasting element. This is typically organized with the help of a winery or wine merchant who may sponsor the event by donating the wine. 

If you are feeling extra creative, consider making your wine pull a ring toss game. We have seen organizations create this exciting game by setting out bottles on a table and charging guests a price per toss. If any of their rings land around a bottleneck, they get to take that bottle home!

Hosting a Wine Fundraiser: For Your Consideration

No matter what wine pull ideas you incorporate into your event, some important factors to consider to make it a huge success include:

• Ages: Ensure there is a strict age limit for your guests. That the event is open to adults only should be clearly stated on all your invitations or flyers. 
• Legalities: Before hosting a wine fundraiser, it is essential to check with your local alcohol regulations. 
• Location: Hosting a wine fundraiser at a winery can streamline the planning process. 
• Designated drivers: If you are serving wine or other drinks at your event, be sure to encourage and coordinate designated drivers. 

With an understanding of how to make this type of fundraising event run smoothly, it is time for the fun part — choosing the wines.

Choosing Wine for Your Event

Now to the fun part: choosing the wine! When selecting the right bottles for your fundraiser, you’ll want to find multiple options from various price points that your guests will enjoy. Consider the following wine categories and some examples of each:

• Red wines: There are many varieties of red wine, ranging from light-bodied to full-bodied. Common types of red wines include:
  • Cabernet sauvignon: As one of the most popular red wine varieties, cabernet sauvignon is a great option known for its full body and bold, dark, fruity flavors. 
  • Pinot noir: As a light-bodied red wine, this wine offers diverse flavors, including spice, fruit and flowers. Its smooth finish makes it a crowd favorite. 
• White wines: Available at every price point, they are an excellent choice for summertime events. When exploring options for your wine fundraiser, consider incorporating some popular white wines, such as:
  • Chardonnay: When exploring different types of chardonnay, you might encounter buttery and full-bodied options or those that are light and easy to drink. 
  • Pinot Grigio: This white wine is exceptionally light and refreshing. You can choose between sweet, dry or sour options for your event. 
• Rosé and sparkling wines: Rosé wines can be a fun and fresh addition to your wine pull fundraiser. Additionally, incorporating a luxury sparkling wine into your wine fundraiser is an excellent choice for grand prizes. The following are popular options:
  • Provence rosé: This type of rosé is light with a fruity, dry flavor. This is a very popular variety thanks to its pretty pink color and refreshing taste. 
  • Zinfandel rosé: Another common variety is Zinfandel, which can be very dry and sweet. It has a simple flavor profile and is especially easy to drink. 
  • Champagne: Champagne is known as a celebratory drink with a fruity or bready flavor profile. 
  • Prosecco: This variety is a popular sparkling white wine with dry, fruity flavors.
• Dessert and Fortified wines: Dessert wines are typically sweet and served with cake or ice cream. Fortified wines tend to be expensive. They are made with a distilled spirit and tend to have an herbal and spicy flavor profile. Your fundraiser can diversify your wine supply and spark more interest with some of these unique varieties, such as:
  • Ice wine: Ice wine is a special variety produced using grapes that froze on the vine. This type of dessert wine is known for its fruity and honey flavors. 
  • Moscato: This popular dessert wine is available in multiple styles and has delightful flavors. 
  • Marsala: Most Marsala wines are made with brandy. This variety is a popular choice for cooking and making wine cocktails. It can be either dry or very sweet, depending on the bottle. 
  • Sherry: Sherry is a unique fortified wine with high alcohol content and nutty, dried fruit flavors. 

Consulting a Wine Expert

When incorporating wine into your fundraising event, reaching out to an expert such as a sommelier can be very advantageous. 

A sommelier is a trained professional with expertise in wine. They can help you find the right varieties for your event, especially if you plan on adding a wine-tasting element. And if you don’t have a sommelier on speed dial, consider working with experts at a local winery. Bonus: If you host your event at a winery, choosing wine will be simple. While it is possible to plan and host your wine fundraiser on your own, consulting with an expert will ensure you select bottles that your guests will love!

Virtual Fundraisers with Wine

Virtual fundraising events have become increasingly popular these days, and you may be surprised to learn that many in-person fundraiser ideas work just as well online. A wine pull is one of those compelling ideas.

Here are three ways to host a wine pull for virtual fundraiser attendees:

1. The instant-buy item: For each wine bottle you have collected, create an instant buy item with a number on it. An example of an item title could be “Wine Pull, Bottle #1”. When creating the item in your online giving platform, limit the number of purchases available to one. Then, when a donor buys that item, it will be marked “sold out,” and that donor is now associated with that bottle number.

2. The random wine pull: No matter how many wine bottles you have available, create one instant buy item and title it “Random Wine Pull” or something more creative. Ensure the quantity available matches the number of wine bottles you have, so you do not oversell. Throughout your chosen timeframe, encourage donors to purchase this instant item until it is sold out. Then, when you are ready, export the data from your giving platform and, using a tool such as a random number generator, randomly assign each purchaser a bottle of wine. Everyone who bought the instant item will receive the corresponding bottle of wine in the mail.

3. The livestreaming technique: If you are livestreaming a virtual fundraiser, consider incorporating a wine pull in a more interactive way. Set up your instant buy items, as in either option above, and have donors purchase the wine bottles during your event. At the end of the event, or when determined, reveal the type of wine each purchaser has won. This can be done over the broadcast, through text, or via email. You can also add the results to the homepage of your event platform and direct guests to that page to see who won what.

Making Your Wine Pull Fundraiser a Success

No matter how you decide to run your wine pull/wall fundraiser, it’s crucial to ensure it goes off without a hitch. Check out these helpful tips to ensure your organization reaches its fundraising goal, and your guests go home happy:

• Figure out how many bottles you need: A wine pull is often a very popular event. However, you still want to ensure you don’t purchase so much wine that you end up with leftover bottles after the event. Take a look at how many people have confirmed their attendance, then obtain the wine—three bottles for every five guests is typically best.
• Select a range of wines: The idea behind a wine pull is that donors will purchase a bottle of wine at a fixed price, generally $20 to $25, taking a chance that the bottle they receive is worth more. Therefore, you should choose several bottles at different prices and varieties. Browse the selection at your local spirits store or winery for ideas — some businesses may even be willing to offer wine donations for your cause.
• Communicate with donors: Whichever you decide to go, make sure your communication is clear to donors. We have found that adding an FAQ section on the homepage of your giving platform is helpful for everyone. Include information about how a donor can purchase a bottle, how to know which bottle you have won and how to collect the bottle of wine post-sale.
• Decide how to deliver the bottles: If your event is in person, folks can pick up their wine at the end of the event. For virtual events, there are a few ways you can deliver the bottles. If your attendees are local, you can designate a time and location for guests to pick up all silent auction items, wine pull bottles, and raffle winnings. Alternatively, you could have staff members drop off items at each winner’s house. If your event includes attendees farther away, you can package and mail winnings to the appropriate guests.

Raise a Glass with GiveSmart

To see examples of how other organizations have marketed their virtual wine pulls, click here! Or if you are not yet sold on the idea of a wine pull, check out these other creative fundraising ideas.

GiveSmart helps customers raise more money with less stress. Whether you’re fundraising with wine, hosting an online raffle, or doing something in between, our fully-featured fundraising platform is capable of making any fundraiser a success. 

The next time you plan a fundraising event, consider implementing industry-leading donor management and fundraising software from GiveSmart. Our solution enables you to stay connected with your donors and enhance their experience.

We help you organize your campaigns and events with insightful analytics and a robust donor management platform that tracks all kinds of donations, including multipayment pledges and in-kind services. 

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