We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful GINA LYONS. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with GINA below.
GINA, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?
From an Entrepreneur’s perspective, to be successful takes long-term vision, along with the ability to see the steps to get there, combined with grit, an unwavering belief in yourself, and adaptability. A Vine Affair is a business born out of the pandemic. In August 2020, I started to hold private online Champagne Tastings with producers, hosting wine lovers and enthusiasts worldwide. When I started to understand that this simple concept had more potential, and it could grow into a true champagne lifestyle business, I immediately began to create short-term and long-term goals. I am a creative, and the long-term vision has always been the easiest to create- it is really what motivates me. However, it took discipline to see the short-term goals and patience to accomplish the little things before getting to the big ideas and vision. Figuring out HOW to get to the longterm goal is the difficult part, and is always a different path than you think it will be. It can be disheartening when the path changes, but knowing that this is a part of the road to success, and quickly pivoting and adapting when needed, is key. In 2021, I started to host in-person events and tastings, but 2021 was a year was full of trial and error. We were in a world of opening and closing, virtual gatherings to in-person gatherings, and back again. I had to stay intuned with the world around me and quickly adapt to what would work. I wholeheartedly believe in A Vine Affair. It brings value to events, gatherings, and beyond that, connects people to their favorite producers and brands. But, a the same time, I do understand it lies within a luxury market and isn’t a necessity, so I am well-intuned with my client and the economic climate, adjusting and pivoting when needed.
GINA, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am the founder and owner of A Vine Affair, a champagne and fine wine concierge, where I connect enthusiasts and collectors to producers and brands through private tastings, dinners, sourcing, events, and wine-focused travel. I bring the world of champagne, fine wine (and caviar) to those who are interested and want to learn more in an interactive, approachable, yet elevated way. I am a certified wine educator, champagne and caviar specialist, and I love bringing clients through their wine journey.
Before entering the industry, I had a passion for wine. I enjoyed wine, especially champagne, and beyond loving it, I really wanted to learn more about it. So, I started my WSET studies, and the rest is history! I shared what I was learning about wine with others through social media and a blog, and my audience grew quickly. I quit my fashion job to pursue wine full-time, but I didn’t want to work in a restaurant, store, or be a sales rep. I really wanted to do wine my way, so I kept studying and became one of the original wine influencers with a focus on champagne. With this focus, I quickly began to develop relationships with the producers and brands in the region and really wanted to communicate their stories with my followers. In 2020, I started to host weekly Instagram Lives where I would have a producer from Champagne hop on and give my followers a virtual tour of their estate, and conduct a live Q&A and tasting. We had viewers from all over the world, and my weekly tastings were featured in the Huff Post for one of the top IG Lives to attend.
Then, in August 2020, I started A Vine Affair LLC, and created virtual tastings that were private on Zoom. We created packages for people to receive at their homes, and they would tune in to connect with their favorite champagne producers. I incorporated caviar at this time as well, and dove more into this world through the APWASI.
In 2021, I started to host in-person tastings and chef dinners in private homes and for corporate companies. In August 2021, I developed my Champagne Yachting Experiences, where my team comes to your charter and brings champagne, caviar, fine wine, and a chef, and creates a really beautiful experience on the water.
In September 2021, I spent two weeks in Champagne, and for me, this was life-changing. It was my first time visiting the region not as a tourist, but as someone in the industry, and the hospitality of the producers and brands during that visit was incredible. I wanted to share this experience with others, this emotional connection that I felt with the region. I knew the only way was to bring people with me on an insider’s tour, where I hosted them, and granted them the access they couldn’t otherwise get. So in Summer 2022, I created Le Voyage (by A Vine Affair) and I hosted my first sold-out trip, and have been bringing groups to Champagne a couple of times a year since! I am really proud of taking the leap with this concept because I know it is a whole other level when you bring people on trips, especially internationally. I was responsible for people’s vacations, they chose me to host this, and I didn’t take this lightly.
In 2023, I took the travel side of the business to another level. I hired a travel concierge and she has played a key role in executing truly ultra-luxe and 5-star travel for our guests. We ensure our guests not only get VIP access during our trips but they are taken care of in every capacity. We provide a service that is unmatched by anyone else in our industry, creating wine-focused trips, but providing the highest service and most luxurious once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I say once-in-a-lifetime, but that isn’t always the case, because we have had several clients come on more than one trip with us!
In January of this year, I joined forces with the Sarasota Polo Club, and hosted a VIP Champagne Lounge every Sunday (and some Thursdays) until mid-April. I am so proud of this concept because it is truly a special day out at the Polo for our guests. This was the hardest concept I have done with A Vine Affair because it was my first time hosting an on-premises / lounge. From ordering the wines, to working with caterers, marketing the lounge, filling it each weekend, staffing, partnering with wine brands, and literally building the lounge from the ground up, it was a real test both physically and mentally. But.. it was extremely rewarding and was a success! I didn’t do this alone, as this is also the first time my husband joined A Vine Affair, and working together has made this company so much stronger! The support of the owners of the club and belief in my company also really helped make it something truly unique and successful. We will be hosting the Lounge again next year, and from December 22nd- May 3rd, 2025, you can find us at the Sarasota Polo Club every Sunday and select Thursday evenings.
Beyond being a travel operator and tour guide, this year, I joined Fora as a travel advisor, and now I have access to more industry insights, partners and benefits for my clients, and this will be so important going forward. I also added new destinations to Le Voyage including Bordeaux, Saint Barth, Burgundy, and The Hamptons. I am so proud of the level of execution for Le Voyage. With my travel concierge, Priscilla, I think we are unstoppable and will only expand from here. In 2025, we have some amazing trips planned, some also just for women, and we are now offering bespoke travel design for those who would like to travel on their own.
For those in the Florida Area, my husband and I just acquired Sarasota Wine Company, located in Downtown Sarasota, and we are really looking forward to further diversifying our portfolio and creating an amazing wine community right here in Sarasota and beyond.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I started my business online, and now it is primarily in-person, and the most effective way to grow your clientele is to connect with them. The world is full of competition, and brand loyalty is something that is harder than ever to obtain. Gaining new clientele comes from connecting genuinely with your current clientele, and this can go for social media audiences as well. I can’t really speak to growing on socials anymore as everything has completely changed since 2020 when I felt I was at the peak of growing, but I can say that what worked then, connecting and making time for those who followed me, is the same way I am now growing with my clients for A Vine Affair. There are a couple of other factors such as delivering products and services at a consistently high level, being an expert or specialist in your field (including getting certifications and education where needed), staying true to yourself and your brand’s DNA, and surprising and delighting your clients.
Does your business have multiple or supplementary revenue streams (like a ATM machine at a barbershop, etc)?
I think it is important as an entrepreneur to plan for multiple streams of revenue within your business. As I mentioned above, there is a lot of competition, and in today’s economic climate, your business must be 3-dimensional. You can’t just solve one problem or have one concept in your business, it is important to diversify. Each year will be different for your business, and oftentimes, each season can be drastically different. For example, my business is based in Florida, which is extremely seasonal. Events are busy from October – April, and normally come to a hault in the summer season here. So, if I only hosted events and tastings, I would literally have no work for several months in the year. Le Voyage fills that gap because hosting trips and planning trips for clients, are at a peak during the summer, so I have an added revenue stream when the mainstream of my business is slow. Even though my local business here in Florida is great, I still ensure I stay connected with those outside of Florida with the trips and with my social media. I am extremely selective of paid partnerships on my social media and have mostly transitioned to partnerships with events, but those that I do, allow me to create some revenue through my social media as well. Adding the Lounge at the Polo Club helped create a consistent stream of revenue for four months of the year which was a great addition, and now acquiring Sarasota Wine Company is another company we can add to our overall portfolio, creating a revenue stream that will be open all year long, and allow a brick-and-mortar and online stream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.avineaffair.com
- Instagram: @avineaffair @avineaffair.voyage @ginalyons_
- Linkedin: ginalyons
Image Credits
Léo Ginailhac of Erell Digital (trip photos)
Kyle Riich of Riich Media (all other photos)