Uva and Grape Imports
Regulation Crowdfunding
Coming Soon!
Start date: April 29, 2022
End date: August 12, 2022
Welcome! We are collecting indications of interest for our planned capital raise through Regulation Crowdfunding. Please reference important guidance regarding Rule 206 under the Disclosures section below.
Why fund our local story
- Unique Italian heritage with extensive industry knowledge
- Established relationships with small producers/wineries
- Built-in customer base that is growing rapidly
- Existing brand recognition
- Target IRR of 13% and a highly profitable business model
- Be part of bringing to more and better wines to the Carolinas
Overview
Mission
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Bring Italy’s authentic culture to customers through the wines we provide
Our History
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Uva & Grape is led and operated by the Bonino Family. We are a passionate, hardworking Italian family with deep roots in world-class Italian food and wine. Our CEO, Corrado Bonino was born and raised in Piedmont, Italy. Growing up in the native region of great wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco, his interest in wine slowly developed into passionate expertise. From a very young age, Corrado helped his father make wine, laying the foundation for a career in the food and wine industry that would take him around the world.
Corrado had the opportunity to work in a small winery in Alba, where he followed the production process from the vineyards into the winery, exporting, to worldwide sales, all before moving to Washington DC. For many years, he led the wine importing and purchasing for a group of thirteen restaurants, developing one-of-a-kind wine lists for each. Thanks to this incredible experience, before Corrado moved to Charleston, he was the head consulting export manager for several distributing companies for eight years, until deciding to start his own business as a distributor in South Carolina.
The Opportunity
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We believe Uva & Grape can dominate the South Carolina market as an Italian wine importer. With a rich Italian heritage and over 30 years of experience in the Italian food and wine space, we have established ourselves as a name that delivers one-of-kind Italian experiences to our customers. Based on our distributing operations, which have grown rapidly, a new business proposal emerged: expansion into the import industry, a natural evolution for our brand and expertise. Our new import business will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uva & Grape Distributors, aligning incentives and maximizing our impact.
Competitive Advantages
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Established Client with Growing Demand
It’s often said as a new business, your first customer is the hardest to get. Uva & Grape Imports has the unique advantage of having Uva & Grape Distributors as a built-in, guaranteed customer. Not only will we capture this existing distribution business for Uva & Grape, but we’ll also have the opportunity to scale as our distribution business grows.
In 2021 revenue for the distribution business grew 92% and has grown 50% so far this year.
Uva & Grape Imports will be able to capitalize on any future growth, stepping in as our Uva & Grape Distributors’ main provider. We plan to continue expanding on the well-known product line we’ve been successfully building and distributing for years. So far we have connected with almost a dozen wineries from our favorite regions and will continue to expand our reach as we prepare to launch.
Established Products
Through our distributing operations, we have developed a portfolio that incorporates more than 200 wines and represents 85 of the best Italian wineries for our customers to choose from. With our new ability to seek out and include additional suppliers without the hassle of going through a third party, this stellar product line will continue to grow. The local investors that participate in our raise will be enabling this product growth, bringing more and better wines to their favorite places around the Carolinas.
Established Relationships
Our ability to collaborate with small producers from the top 13 Italian regions and different importers based in the United States has allowed us to introduce products that are not available to other distributors in the South Carolina market. We are stepping deeper into the relationships we have already built to provide wine lovers across South Carolina with even more of what they love.
Established Workforce
While businesses around the country struggle to hire the proper staff, we are uniquely positioned to leverage an extensive industry-knowledgeable workforce from within our family-run company. Our team is made up of people who not only know and love the space but have a passion for bringing our beautiful Italian heritage to South Carolina and other parts of the country.
Established Brand
Uva & Grape has become a trusted brand name for delivering excellent products by choosing only Italy's finest wines and offering them to select restaurants and retailers across South Carolina. The name Uva & Grape is known throughout the food and beverage industry making the growth of this business a much easier task. With our established distributor brand, we’ll have the ability to expand into other states, spearheaded by the track record of our distribution success.
What does our brand mean to the food and beverage community?
"To say that Corrado has the best Italian portfolio in South Carolina is an understatement." - The Vino Garage
Bonus advantages
While our financial projections only include wine imports for Uva & Grape distributors as our single customer, we have plans to grow our footprint throughout multiple states through established distributor relationships in FL, DC, NY, Maryland, and NC.
We’ll also have the ability to generate additional revenue by curating wine lists, hosting Wine Tasting Events, building Wine Portfolios, and selling Gift Baskets.
Lastly, we’ll be able to import certain foods for our sister company, Chicche D’Italia USA LLC, expanding our product line and opening the door to new customers.
Investment Summary
Terms
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- This offering is expected to be for Revenue Sharing Notes in Uva and Grape Imports LLC.
- The investment multiple is 1.5X.
Historic Revenue
Instead of an interest rate, a Revenue Share has an investment multiple. Below are hypothetical investment examples for $25,000 and $40,000 investments. These examples are based on a 1.5x multiple with a 5+ year pay back and an estimated 13% internal rate of return (IRR).
Investment Example Forecasts
Returns and IRR are calculated based on the Company's forecasted revenue and 1.5x multiple.
Returns are not guaranteed and the rate will have substantial changes if actual revenues vary from the forecast or if the business fails. If the company's revenues are better than expected, payback could happen earlier and lead to a higher IRR. If revenues are lower, then payback will take longer, lowering the IRR, or leave money still owed at maturity of the note.
Every investment also carries risks, including the risk of losing some or all of your money. Vicinity does not predict or project performance, and the performance of any specific investment will vary. Note: This investment opportunity is available only for individuals who are not holding a liquor/wine license directly or indirectly.
Definitions
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A “rev share” is a debt structure that works like a royalty payment. The business agrees to pay a set percentage of their revenue until the investor is paid back a “multiple” of their investment. For example, a business may agree to pay 5% of their revenues each quarter until investors make 1.5x (the multiple) their original investment. As an investor, you would expect to turn a $2,000 investment into $3,000. The amount of time it takes to pay is dependent on the business’ revenue.
Use of Funds
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The company's use of funds would primarily be for wine inventory (73%) in addition to freight and taxes (19%) and Vicinity platform fees (8%).
Perks
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For any investor making an investment of $10,000 or more, we are including the following “investor perks” as outlined below:
• We will locate wine shops in South Carolina’s major cities (i.e. Charleston, Bluffton, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, etc.) where investors can go and request special orders of Uva & Grape wines at a 25% discount from the retail price.
• For any investors who are planning to travel to Italy, we would also like to offer the opportunity for a free visit to the wineries we represent and extend their stay overnight as well.
• Further initiatives will be incorporated as we slowly start to develop further the import business.
Our Team
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Corrado Bonino, CEO: Corrado has over 30 years of food and wine experience. He has worked in all aspects of the business around the world.
Elisabetta Bonino, Administration: Elisabetta has been helping run Uva and Grape's distribution business for several years, Elisabetta's prior experience in logistics has helped her smoothly handle the variety of shipments Uva and Grape receives on a weekly basis.
Matteo Bonino, Warehousing and Delivery: Matteo has been working in the family business most of his life and is poised to take on the importer challenge.
Beatrice Bonino, Marketing Manager: Beatrice is an expert in marketing our wine customers. Not only does she have a deep understanding of our market, Beatrice has developed her marketing skills at an international level and has been a huge part of our growth so far.
Rita Ena, Purchasing and Sales: Rita knows our wineries and products inside and out. She has helped build out existing portfolio and is the perfect person to grow our import business with deep winery relationships.
Docs
Risks
Investing carries general risks, such as losing all the money you invest. Some key risks will be listed below. Additional general and project-specific risks may be detailed here if the Regulation Crowdfunding securities offering goes live.
You can learn more about the risks of investing through Vicinity here.
Disclosures
This is not currently a live securities offering.
- No money or other consideration is being solicited, and if sent in response, will not be accepted.
- No offer to buy the securities can be accepted and no part of the purchase price can be received until the offering statement is filed and only through an intermediary's platform.
- A person's indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind.
- If the campaign begins accepting investments, please note that anyone holding an alcoholic beverage license (such as a Retail or Wholesale license) may legally NOT invest in Uva & Grape Imports, LLC.
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