Crush season is when a winery's inventory value climbs fastest. Tanks fill with fermenting juice, barrels are topped with new wine, and finished wine from previous vintages is still in the cellar. If your property limits were set months ago, they may not reflect what's actually in your building right now.
How wine is valued in a claim
Standard commercial property policies often value inventory at cost — grapes, materials and labor — rather than what the wine would sell for. For finished, bottled wine, that can be a fraction of its real value. Winery-specific programs frequently offer selling-price or market-value valuation for finished goods. Know which valuation your policy uses before a loss, not after.
Coverage for wine in process
Fermenting and aging wine can be lost to tank failure, leaking valves, temperature control failure or contamination. Many standard policies exclude leakage, spoilage or collapse of tanks unless specifically endorsed. Winery forms often include:
- Wine spoilage from temperature control failure or power outage.
- Tank and barrel rack collapse, including loss of contents.
- Wine leakage from tanks, valves and lines.
- Contamination coverage.
Seasonal inventory
Because inventory peaks after harvest and drops as you sell, a peak season endorsement or reporting form can keep you fully insured without paying for peak values year-round.
Practical steps
- Update inventory values before crush.
- Maintain glycol and refrigeration systems.
- Secure barrel racks and check stacking.
- Install temperature alarms on tanks and cellars.
Your inventory is years of work and the heart of your business. Make sure it's insured at the value it really has.
This material is for general information only. Coverage depends on the actual policy language, and availability varies by carrier.