Today we’d like to introduce you to Tuanni Price.
Tuanni, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I launch ZWT almost 8 years ago. I had gotten embarrassed at a restaurant. It was my first time hosting a dinner at a restaurant, the sommelier was super snobby. As he went through the tasting ceremony he didn’t say one word nor explain the wine. After that night I decided to learn as much about wine as I could. I started a wine club, like a book club but we met, paired wine with food and discussed wine. We learned a lot! I loved the club and after it ended I started doing the same thing at my home. It was a tough sale getting folks to come over for free food and free wine and force them to listen to talk about wine. Lol
People loved the way that I interpreted wine. They said that I made wine less intimidating! Plus, I have a knack for picking crowd pleasing wines. At the encouragement of friends and family I started a business where people paid me to come to their home and talk about wine. A year later I started teaching at an art gallery in Inglewood then hosting tours to Solvang in Santa Barbara county. I fell in love with the juice and the lifestyle!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The first four years were great! Smooth and business seem to come easy. I started with a strong business plan and help from Vermont Slauson Economic Development in South LA. Then I was featured on Groupon and Goldstar about 6 months after I started my business. I was selling out tours and booking private classes all over Los Angeles. While I am very thankful for the great start it did not prepare me for hard times. Meaning after I exhausted my customer base on Goldstar I had to find different platforms to advertise. I had not built a marketing phase two plan into my business plan. So here I was stuck with an amazing brand, excellent reviews and a couple great products and not very many customers. Not enough customers to excel to the next level like I wanted to.
Zuri Wine Tasting and Tours – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am most know for providing excellent customer service and wine education. My most favorite part of my business is the guest interaction. Talking to people about wine, exposing them to different experiences.
I have three basic products:
Wine class- A novice class meant to make wine less intimidating by showing people how to approach it. How to find wines they like and explore wines. I host private in-home classes and at different restaurants around the city.
Wine Tours- I transport groups to Malibu, Temecula and Santa Barbara county. I started the tours after I met Iris Rideau former owner of So Calls only black owned winery Rideau. It’s important and gives people a new perspective and incentive when they get to see the wine process from beginning to end. Even with groups of 50 I ensure that our experience is intimate and personal. We usually always meet either owners or winemaker. My business is unique in that the focus is on wine education. People have wanted to partner for Sip and Paint type activities and I refuse although it’s a big thing now because that activity takes away from the education. I love those classes I’ve done them myself, but the goal is different.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moments are when people come up to me and say I was on your tour or took your class a couple years ago and learned so much or that they drink mostly dry red wine because of my class. I feel proud that I have inspired people to join in with wine as a lifestyle movement.
Pricing:
- Vino Train to Santa Barbara $209
- Private In Home Class start at $35 per person
- Group Wine Tour via bus $129
Contact Info:
- Website: Zuriwine.com
- Phone: 424.222.9463
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Zuriwinetasting
- Facebook: Zuriwinetasting
- Twitter: Zuriwinetours
- Yelp: Zuriwinetasting
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
