DH Wine Compliance, founded by President and compliance consultant Drea Helfer in 2010, is valued by its clients for two key characteristics: expertly managing compliance for alcohol clients and a culture committed to exceptional customer service. Helfer’s dedication to fostering a positive workplace culture is a large part of why the company has such a strong customer service reputation.

“I’m passionate about our culture,” she explains. “Our employees are appreciative, so the company goes the extra mile for them. An internal culture where employees are happy has a trickle-down effect. It means they’ll go the extra mile for our winery customers.”

In recent years, DH Wine Compliance has embraced a more collaborative approach to customer service with wineries. This approach involves cross-functional teams composed of specialists from four distinct departments:

1. Cal-Fed Operational Licensing: Handles California State ABC and Federal TTB licensing, COLA/FLA submission, trade name additions, and related matters.
2. Cal-Fed Operational Reporting: Completes and files all TTB, CDTFA, CDFA, and ABC operational reports.
3. Out-of-State Licensing: Assists wineries with licenses outside of California for both three-tier and direct-to-consumer (DTC) operations, covering license applications, renewals, brand registrations, distributor appointments, research projects, and price posting.
4. Out-of-State Reporting: Manages three-tier and DTC reporting for excise and sales tax, as well as working with their ShipCompliant accounts.

This new approach means the four departments talk to each other more than ever, helping them anticipate clients’ needs. For example, suppose a winery client tells a team member they’re planning to change their address. In that case, she’ll go to the team, and they’ll prepare a timeline for address changes to ensure the winery doesn’t encounter any issues with state licenses during their next round of wine club shipments.

Another transformative change has been the introduction of DH Wine Compliance’s proprietary software. This tool puts each winery’s information at the team’s fingertips, making them more efficient in supporting the client. It will also add value to winery clients’ experience when they launch the planned client portal next year.

It also makes it easier for them to deal with a recent change at the California state level ― taking everything online. “In theory, this should be more efficient,” says Helfer, “but in many ways, it’s actually more time-consuming to file reports and license renewals since the online system sometimes requires more information.” This change also complicates the already complex process for wineries managing wine compliance independently.

Wineries of all sizes turn to DH Wine Compliance for the peace of mind that comes with expert guidance. Their team ensures that the winery’s licenses and reports are consistently on time and fully compliant with the latest state and federal regulations. By outsourcing these critical tasks to experts, much like outsourcing tax preparation, wineries can focus on what they do best ― making and selling wine.

Visit DH Wine Compliance at WIN Expo booth 338 on November 30, 2023.