Wine Tour Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your wine tour business is essential.
Wine tour businesses need to be protected against claims involving things that could foreseeably occur and cause them serious financial damage, such as bodily harm and employment law-related disputes.
For example, a tour goer may injure themselves while on your premises, or you may face a contract dispute with one of your winery partners.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for a Wine Tour Business
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for a wine tour business.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
Having said that, it is important to note that every wine tour business is different, and so not all of them will be adequately protected with just a general liability policy.
Additional coverage options worth considering include:
- Commercial property coverage
- Workers’ compensation coverage
- Commercial auto coverage
- Business Income coverage
You will also need to decide whether you will purchase your insurance from traditional brick-and-mortar insurers (e.g., The Hartford, etc.) or from online insurers (e.g., Tivly, etc.).
We recommend going with the online option as a small business owner. This is because personalized coverage is generally significantly more affordable.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, wine tour businesses in America spend between $500 - $1,200 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for a wine tour business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for a Wine Tour Business
Example 1: When entering the wine tour bus, one of your customers trips over a snagged piece of carpet at the entrance of the vehicle. General liability insurance would probably cover the costs of the customer’s medical injuries.
Example 2: During a tour, one of your customers becomes seriously ill. They believe it was because you took them to an unsafe winery and begin slandering you on social media. This results in a major loss of income for your company. General liability insurance would likely cover the costs associated with restoring your reputation.
Example 3: The name of your wine tour business is similar to that of another tour company. The competing tour company decides to sue for lost business and copyright infringement. General liability insurance would likely cover the costs to fight or settle the claim, depending on the other company’s argument against you.
Other Types of Coverage Wine Tour Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Commercial Property Insurance
If you own an office or retail space where people can book tours and congregate before the tour, then commercial property insurance will cover your equipment (e.g., computers) and physical structure from natural disasters, fire, and theft.
Commercial Auto Insurance
You’ll need commercial auto insurance to cover any accidents or damage that may occur on the road. Since people will be consuming alcohol, the unpredictability can pose a real danger for the driver and other patrons. Commercial auto insurance is available to cover your enterprise in case of property damage, accidents, or loss of commercial equipment.
Data Breach Insurance
If most of your customers book online, data breach insurance is available in case your business is hacked or breached. From ransomed data to identity theft, data breach insurance can help your wine tour business stay afloat if you’re a victim of a cybercrime.
Business Interruption Insurance
This insurance provides you with a supplemental income (based on past sales) if you are unable to operate your wine tour business. If your tour buses are out of commission for several months because of a major storm, you can still maintain some cash flow.
Liquor Liability Insurance
Even though a wine tour business doesn’t serve alcohol, they may be held responsible if a guest has too much to drink. If this does occur and the business is sued for damages from the client’s actions, liquor liability insurance can help you pay for the costs associated with their actions.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Whether full-time or part-time, all employees need workers’ compensation insurance to protect them from sudden accidents or chronic injuries. This insurance is also applicable for any remote employees you may have working for you.
Commercial Umbrella Liability Insurance
This insurance gives a wine tour business additional compensation if a general liability policy hits its financial limits. A general liability policy may only cover a fraction of the expenses of a serious lawsuit. Umbrella insurance is specifically made for complicated claims that cause expenses to mount over time.
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your wine tour business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Wine Tour Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
Yes, you do. This is because you will want to get your business insurance before you start interacting with tourists or partners in order to ensure that you are protected from potential claims and financial harm.
If you choose to hire employees, you will also (likely) be required to purchase workers’ compensation coverage per state law.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your wine tour business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.