Vintner CFO

08/13/2026

Harvest may be early this year. Has your cash forecast moved with it?

Veraison — when grapes begin ripening and red varieties start changing color — is already showing up in Southern Oregon.

If harvest moves forward, fruit payments, labor, trucking and crush costs may move forward too.

But your cash coming in may not.

If harvest moves up, have you moved your cash forecast with it?



Photo: Ethan Prater / CC BY 2.0.

08/11/2026

For a lot of winery owners, the question going into harvest isn’t:

How much wine should we make?

It’s:

How much LESS wine should we make?

There’s plenty of fruit available.

Sales are harder.

Inventory is sitting longer.

And protecting cash matters.

So making less wine may seem like the obvious answer.

But how much less?

10%?
20%?
40%?

That’s where a seemingly simple decision gets complicated.

Making less wine preserves cash today.

But fewer cases can mean a higher production cost per case.

Cut the wrong wines and you may reduce inventory without doing much to improve profitability.

Cut too deeply and you may not have enough of the wines you need if sales improve.

There isn’t one right answer.

There is a right answer for your winery.

And you shouldn’t have to guess at it.

Good financial information lets you look at the choices in front of you and see what each one means for cash, inventory and profitability — before you make the decision.

That’s what knowing your numbers should do.

It shouldn’t tell you how to run your winery.

Your numbers shouldn’t run your winery. They should make sure you still get to.

08/06/2026

Hello all! I’m happy to be here. My name is Donna and I own Vintner CFO. I am a fractional CFO and I work exclusively with winery owners to help them reach their financial goals. I do this by showing them, through their own metrics and financial data, what is working and what is not working. And more importantly, to know what to do about it.

I am happy to say that I have room to help another client if anyone knows a winery owner who is looking to grow or needs help getting out of a cash gap. Thank you!!

08/04/2026

Rogue Valley has been named the #1 wine region in the country—but what happens next matters even more. 🍷

Recognition can bring more visitors, more attention and more opportunities for local wineries.

But increased traffic does not automatically create increased profit.

The wineries that benefit most will be the ones that understand:

* Which experiences turn visitors into buyers
* Which wines and events generate the strongest margins
* How many guests become wine club members
* Whether increased sales are actually improving cash flow

What do you think would make the biggest difference for Rogue Valley wineries right now: more visitors, stronger wine club growth or better regional collaboration?

I would love to hear your perspective.

07/30/2026

Congratulations Rogue Valley! This recognition is well deserved—and it creates a real business opportunity for our local wineries. Increased regional visibility can mean more tasting-room traffic, but wineries still need to convert that traffic into profitable sales, memberships and repeat visits. That is where understanding the numbers becomes essential.

10/30/2025

🍷 What wineries are talking about right now — and how they’re responding 👇

Recent conversations with winery owners across Oregon and Northern California keep circling around the same themes:
• More inventory than planned
• Costs rising faster than pricing
• Wine clubs taking more effort to retain members
• Tasting room traffic that isn’t as predictable
• Forecasting that feels harder than it used to

Not panic. Not crisis. Just today’s reality in a shifting wine market.

What’s interesting is how wineries are responding:
• Smaller, more intentional production runs
• Pricing that reflects rising costs, supported by better experiences
• Club perks and communication focused on retention
• Smarter staffing and comp policies in the tasting room
• Simple rolling forecasts to reduce surprises

The industry is evolving, and so are the strategies.
Clear data, thoughtful planning, and margin awareness are becoming just as important as great wine.

What are you planning differently as you look ahead to 2026?

07/12/2025

06/14/2025

https://savorsouthernoregon.com/
Savor Southern Oregon is bringing together over 50 wineries to showcase the best of our region — and I couldn’t be more excited to see this kind of collaboration happening in our local wine community. 🍇

As wineries pour their hearts into hospitality, wine club growth, and event ex*****on, the financial side can easily take a back seat. That’s where I come in.

At Vintner CFO, I help wineries:
✅ Make sense of their cash flow
✅ Measure event ROI (yes, even for big weekends like this!)
✅ Identify pricing and margin opportunities
✅ Prepare for seasonal slowdowns
✅ Stay financially resilient — even when things get busy

If you’re pouring at Savor Southern Oregon (or just wishing you were), let’s chat. Your wine is your craft. Let the numbers be mine. 🍷