A winery is simultaneously a farm, a food and beverage manufacturer, a retail establishment, and — in most modern operations — an event venue. Each of these roles creates distinct insurance requirements that standard commercial lines cannot address. Winery-specific property coverage for inventory at every stage of production, liquor liability for tasting room operations, agritourism coverage for vineyard events, and crop insurance for the vineyard itself must all be coordinated through carriers with genuine winery program expertise.
Winery Package / Commercial PropertyWineries require specialty property coverage that addresses the unique combination of agricultural assets, production equipment, and finished goods inventory. Standard commercial property policies are not designed for the winery industry. A winery package policy covers the winery building, production equipment (fermentation tanks, presses, bottling lines, barrel storage), bottled wine inventory, wine in process during production, and cellar equipment. Wine value changes throughout the production cycle — the policy must address wine-in-barrel vs. bottled finished goods differently.
Liquor LiabilityWineries that operate tasting rooms or on-site event facilities that serve wine to the public have a dram shop or liquor liability exposure. A tasting room guest who drives after consuming wine on the premises and causes an accident creates third-party bodily injury claims against the winery under dram shop statutes that exist in most states. Liquor liability is separate from the GL policy and must be specifically written for any winery that operates a tasting room or sells alcohol for on-premises consumption.
Agritourism / Event LiabilityWineries that host public events — wine tastings, vineyard weddings, harvest festivals, wine club member events, corporate events, and tours — have agritourism liability exposure for injuries that occur on the winery property during these events. A guest who is injured during a vineyard tour, a wedding vendor who damages winery property, or a visitor who falls on uneven vineyard terrain creates agritourism GL claims. Many winery events are on agricultural land with terrain and conditions that standard commercial property policies do not contemplate.
Crop Insurance / Viticulture CoverageVineyards face crop loss exposure from frost, hail, drought, wildfire smoke taint, and disease. A single frost event during bud break can destroy an entire vintage. A wildfire that burns through adjacent land can deposit ash and smoke compounds on ripening grapes that make the wine commercially unacceptable even without direct vine damage. Federal Multi-Peril Crop Insurance (MPCI) is available for vineyards and covers revenue loss from named perils. Supplemental private policies address smoke taint and other specialized exposures that MPCI doesn't fully cover.
Workers' CompensationWinery and vineyard workers face WC exposures from vineyard labor (heat illness, pesticide exposure, tractor operation), cellar work (compressed gas handling, chemical exposures from cleaning agents and SO2, heavy lifting), and production machinery operation (conveyor equipment, presses, forklifts). Agricultural WC rules vary significantly by state — some states exempt small agricultural employers from mandatory WC, while others have specific agricultural worker provisions. WC for vineyard workers (classified under agricultural codes) must specifically address the heat illness exposure in warm-climate growing regions.
Product LiabilityWineries that sell wine commercially — through tasting room sales, wine clubs, distributor relationships, and direct-to-consumer shipping — face product liability exposure for contaminated or defective wine. A wine with a defective cork that allows oxidation and creates an off-flavor is a product quality claim. A wine with undisclosed allergens or a mislabeled ABV that causes an adverse reaction is a product liability claim. Winery product liability must cover both direct-to-consumer and through-distributor sales.
ACORD 125 — Commercial Insurance ApplicationPrimary submission document for winery accounts. Capture winery size (cases produced annually), vineyard acreage vs. purchased grape usage, whether the winery operates a public tasting room, whether the winery hosts events (weddings, private events, public festivals), three-tier distribution licenses held, and prior loss history. Most winery insurers use supplemental winery questionnaires in addition to ACORD 125.
ACORD 126 — Commercial General Liability SectionRequired for GL. Describe all winery operations — grape growing, wine production, tasting room, wine club, events hosting, retail merchandise sales, restaurant or food service (if any), tours, and wine education programs. The tasting room revenue, event frequency, and maximum event attendance are material GL rating factors.
ACORD 130 — Workers Compensation ApplicationRequired for WC. Winery employees have multiple classifications — vineyard agricultural workers, cellar production workers, tasting room staff, and administrative employees may each carry different WC classifications with significantly different rates. Agricultural vs non-agricultural worker classification and state-specific agricultural WC exemptions must be confirmed with the WC carrier.
→How many cases of wine does the winery produce annually?
→What percentage of grapes are estate-grown vs purchased from outside growers?
→How many acres of vineyard are in production?
→Does the winery operate a public tasting room? How many days per week?
→Does the winery host events — weddings, private parties, wine club events, public festivals?
→What is the maximum attendance at any single event hosted at the winery?
→Does the winery have a restaurant or food service operation in addition to the tasting room?
→Does the winery sell wine through a three-tier distribution system or direct-to-consumer only?
→Does the winery hold an ABC/liquor license for on-premises consumption?
→What is the total replacement cost value of winery production equipment — tanks, presses, bottling line?
→What is the total value of wine inventory — wine in barrel, bottled wine in storage, finished goods?
→Has the vineyard experienced any frost, hail, or smoke taint events in the last 5 years?
→Does the winery have MPCI (multi-peril crop insurance) on the vineyard?
→Has the winery had any product liability claims — contamination, labeling issues, quality defects?
→Does the winery operate in a wildfire risk zone — what is the defensible space and fire mitigation status?
Complete winery and vineyard submissions in one workflow
AgencyAssist captures production volume, tasting room operations, event hosting, inventory values, crop exposures, and prior loss history through one intake link. ACORD forms generated automatically.