Wine Distributor Sales Toolkit Checklist for Importer Teams

Build one controlled toolkit for each distributor audience

This guide is for alcohol importer operations teams preparing sales tools for distributor sales representatives, managers, educators, marketing staff, item-data contacts, and other approved users. It covers toolkit scope, product and asset inventory, file specifications, claims review, distributor-specific access, version control, request and handoff templates, vintage updates, correction handling, and final QA.

A useful toolkit gives each distributor audience the current materials needed for its work without exposing drafts, internal evidence, restricted commercial records, or files for unrelated markets. It should be assembled from approved product records, not from whichever attachments are easiest to find.

Do not assume every distributor wants the same files, formats, fields, delivery method, or folder structure. Ask the named distributor or division for its current requirements, record the response, and build a controlled recipient view for that relationship.

Define the toolkit before gathering assets

Open one toolkit record for the distributor, division, market, portfolio, and purpose. If the same distributor has separate state teams, channels, business units, or access rules, confirm whether each needs a separate release.

Use this control header:

Control	Required entry
Toolkit ID	Stable internal reference
Distributor	Exact recipient organization
Division and market	State, territory, channel, branch, or other defined scope
Primary audience	Sales, management, education, marketing, item data, purchasing, or other named users
Purpose	Launch, portfolio reference, training, account presentation, vintage update, or another defined use
Included portfolio	Exact producers, brands, wines, releases, and market items
Exclusions	Drafts, restricted records, inactive items, or other deliberate omissions
Importer owner	Person accountable for the complete toolkit
Distributor contact	Person confirming requirements and access
Functional approvers	Product, compliance, commercial, logistics, brand, and sales owners as applicable
Delivery method	Portal, shared collection, approved links, email package, or another confirmed route
Revision	Controlled toolkit release identifier
Status	Collecting, in review, approved, delivered, accepted, corrected, superseded, or archived
Source location	Internal location for approved records and evidence
Open exceptions	Unresolved issue, owner, effect, and next action

Keep toolkit status separate from item setup, pricing approval, inventory availability, and regulatory status. A distributor can have access to approved sales materials while a specific market item remains blocked, or an item can be active while its training deck still needs an update.

Separate sales collateral from regulated records

A sales toolkit can refer to approved product facts, but it does not replace the bottle label, a Certificate of Label Approval, a state filing, a distributor item form, or the importer’s compliance evidence.

TTB’s wine labeling guidance identifies federal wine-label topics including brand name, class or type, alcohol content, name and address, net contents, health warning, and sulfite declaration, with other information applicable in particular circumstances. Have the qualified compliance owner approve the exact product wording and market use. Do not infer label compliance from a sell sheet or copy promotional language onto a package without review.

Use separate collections and approval paths:

Material class	Purpose	Normal distributor access	Authoritative source
Sales collateral	Help approved users present and discuss the wine	Yes, for the intended audience	Approved product and brand records
Product data	Identify and order the exact market item	Yes, when required for the task	Controlled item master and partner confirmation
Commercial material	Communicate approved audience pricing and programs	Restricted to authorized recipients	Approved commercial record
Label files	Represent the reviewed physical package	Share only the approved recipient version	Compliance-approved label set
COLA reference	Support a requested federal label record	Share only when appropriate for the request	Exact certificate and compliance review
State or market evidence	Support a jurisdiction-specific task	Restricted to named participants	Qualified market owner and filing evidence
Internal compliance evidence	Document analysis, conditions, correspondence, and decisions	No routine sales access	Controlled compliance record

The TTB Public COLA Registry provides information on approved, expired, surrendered, and revoked COLAs. A registry result is a verification input. It does not prove that a bottle image, tech sheet, claim, market status, or physical package matches the represented approval.

Inventory every toolkit asset

Build the inventory before creating folders or sending links. One row should represent one specific file, data view, link, or audience package.

Inventory field	Required entry
Asset ID	Stable internal reference
Asset type	Bottle image, tech sheet, sell sheet, deck, description, video, logo, data file, or other defined type
Product scope	Producer, brand, wine, vintage status, volume, and market item covered
Market and language	Exact destination and language variant
Audience	Intended distributor role or group
Purpose	Account selling, training, item setup, social use, event support, or other approved use
Owner	Person responsible for source and updates
Fact approver	Person confirming product accuracy
Brand approver	Person confirming presentation and usage
Compliance status	Approved, review required, restricted, or not applicable
Rights status	Approved scope, restriction, expiration context, or not applicable
Revision	Controlled version identifier
Current location	Internal approved source and recipient location
Replacement link	Successor asset when superseded
Last review	Internal review record
Notes	Specific exception or usage instruction

Do not use miscellaneous as the asset type. Do not use a blank revision to mean current. Mark unavailable material as not provided, awaiting approval, or not applicable so users do not mistake an omission for an oversight.

Select the core sales toolkit by audience

The toolkit should be complete for the stated purpose, not large for its own sake. Start with the distributor’s request and the work each recipient performs.

Product reference set

A practical product reference set can include:

current bottle images
current tech sheet
current sell sheet
short and long approved product descriptions
producer and winemaker biographies
portfolio overview
importer sales and operations contacts
item reference with bottle volume, case pack, and approved codes
approved availability wording

Sales and education set

Add materials that help sales representatives prepare for an account conversation:

concise producer story
key product differentiators supported by source evidence
tasting and service guidance
food-pairing suggestions approved for the release
portfolio positioning by audience or occasion
current training deck
approved objection or question guidance
sample request route
escalation contacts for product and order questions

Marketing set

For distributor marketing users, confirm whether they need:

approved logos and brand marks
bottle cutouts and contextual images
image descriptions or accessibility copy
approved short and long descriptions
usage guidance by channel
rights, credit, territory, and expiration information
campaign-specific files
contact for adaptation approval

Item and commercial reference set

Provide only the recipient-facing data needed for the approved task:

importer SKU
distributor item code after assignment
consumer GTIN or UPC
case GTIN when requested
bottle volume and case pack
market-item status
approved price-list reference
currency and bottle or case basis
order and availability contact

Keep internal costs, margins, forecasts, unapproved allowances, and planning scenarios outside the sales toolkit.

Control product identity across every file

Each asset should trace to the same approved release and market item. Use a comparison table before handoff:

Product field	Controlled value	Tech sheet	Sell sheet	Bottle image	Deck	Item reference
Producer	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[Visible or not shown]	[Match]	[Match]
Brand and wine	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]
Vintage status	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match]
Region and appellation	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[As approved]	[Match]	[As required]
Variety or blend	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[Not shown]	[Match]	[As required]
ABV	[Value]	[Match]	[Match or omitted]	[Match package]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]
Bottle volume	[Value]	[Match]	[Match]	[Match package]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]
Case pack	[Value]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]	[Not shown]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]
Market item code	[Value]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]	[Not shown]	[Match or omitted]	[Match]

Do not resolve conflicts by choosing the value that appears most often. Identify the deciding source and accountable owner, correct the source record, and regenerate affected assets.

Specify bottle and brand assets precisely

A request for bottle shots and logos is too vague for a dependable handoff. Record the identity, use, file, and rights requirements for every requested asset.

Use this specification table:

Asset specification	Questions to answer
Subject identity	Which producer, wine, vintage, bottle size, package, and market does the file depict?
View	Front, back, side, label detail, closure, case, group, or contextual scene?
Background	Transparent, white, environmental, or another requested treatment?
Crop and framing	Full bottle, label detail, horizontal, vertical, square, or recipient dimensions?
File format	Which format does the named distributor accept for the intended use?
Resolution	What minimum dimensions or output use did the recipient specify?
Color treatment	Which approved master or derivative should be used?
Naming	How will the downloaded file identify product, view, market, and revision?
Rights	Who owns the asset, where may it be used, and what restrictions or credits apply?
Accessibility	What meaningful image description accompanies the asset where needed?
Approval	Who confirmed product accuracy, brand presentation, and rights scope?

Keep an approved high-quality source and generate recipient derivatives without overwriting it. Check that the bottle proportions are natural, the label is readable for the intended use, the visible vintage matches the record, and the background treatment fits the recipient’s request.

For logos and brand marks, publish the approved variant, color treatment, clear-space guidance when available, background restrictions, and usage contact. Do not give distributor users access to unfinished artwork merely because it is editable.

Set standards for tech sheets, sell sheets, and decks

Each document should serve a defined sales task and identify its release. A tech sheet can carry detailed product and production information. A sell sheet should help a user present the product quickly. A training deck can explain portfolio context and support a live session. Do not force one file to perform every role.

Use this document control table:

Document	Required controls	Recipient test
Tech sheet	Exact release, sourced technical facts, current contact, revision, approved PDF	User can identify the wine and verify core facts
Sell sheet	Exact market item, concise approved story, ordering reference, current image, contact, revision	User can present and order the intended item
Portfolio sheet	Included products, market scope, active status, links, revision	User can distinguish active items and find details
Training deck	Audience, session purpose, approved claims, current releases, speaker notes, revision	Presenter can use it without relying on hidden corrections
Product description set	Short and long approved versions, product scope, channel guidance	User knows which copy fits which placement
FAQ or sales guide	Approved answers, escalation route, review owner, revision	User can separate a supported answer from a question needing escalation

Export and inspect final documents outside the authoring application. Check text clipping, page breaks, fonts, links, metadata, embedded images, and file size against the distributor’s delivery method. A source file looking correct does not establish that the exported recipient file is usable.

Keep identifiers and ordering data separate

Sales users may need product codes, but the code type and packaging level must be clear. GS1 US explains that a GTIN identifies a trade item and that a GTIN-14 can identify a grouping such as a case in its GTIN overview.

Maintain separate fields for:

producer code
importer SKU
consumer GTIN or UPC
case GTIN
distributor item code
state or listing code
warehouse code when different

Record the issuer, packaging level, source, and verification state. Store identifiers as text so spreadsheet software does not alter displayed digits. Do not place a consumer code in the case field or invent a distributor code before assignment.

The sales toolkit should show only the codes that help the intended distributor user. Keep the full identifier record in the controlled source.

Review claims before publication

Treat every objective statement as a claim that needs a deciding source. This includes production methods, vineyard facts, farming practices, certifications, technical analysis, awards, review scores, historical statements, distribution footprint, and availability.

Use a claim register:

Claim	Product and vintage scope	Source	Owner	Approved wording	Audience	Status
[Claim text]	[Exact scope]	[Evidence]	[Owner]	[Recipient wording]	[Audience]	[Status]

For an award or review, confirm the publication, wine name, vintage, result, quotation, and usage permission or terms where applicable. Do not move a predecessor score to the successor vintage. Do not turn a subjective tasting description into a laboratory or certification statement.

If a source does not support a superlative or comparison, remove it. If a certification applies to a producer, vineyard, facility, or specific product under defined conditions, preserve that scope in the internal record and approved public wording.

Build distributor-specific access controls

Distributor access should follow purpose and sensitivity. One unrestricted link for every file creates avoidable confusion and can expose internal material.

Access group	Intended material	Excluded material
Distributor sales	Current bottle images, sheets, approved descriptions, portfolio, sales contacts	Drafts, internal evidence, restricted commercial records
Distributor managers and educators	Sales set plus approved training and program material	Unapproved plans and source correspondence
Distributor marketing	Rights-cleared images, logos, approved copy, usage guidance	Expired rights, working artwork, unrelated markets
Distributor item data	Approved item fields and requested setup documents	Internal calculations and unsupported values
Authorized commercial contacts	Current recipient price and program records	Cost, margin, other distributors, and draft terms
Importer internal team	Source records, evidence, drafts, approvals, submission history	Access still limited by role and sensitivity
Archive users	Superseded recipient packages and decision history	Not available through routine distributor navigation

Record access owner, authorized group, delivery method, link location, authentication method when used, expiration context, and last test. Avoid placing restricted files beside sales assets in a collection that inherits broad permissions.

Test access from the recipient’s perspective. Confirm that the named user can open and download intended files without requesting importer-only permissions. Confirm that the same route does not reveal drafts, other distributors, unrelated price records, or superseded default assets.

Use version controls that survive download

A portal label can identify the current file while it remains online. The filename and document itself must still make sense after download or forwarding.

Use a naming pattern such as:

producer-wine-vintage-market-asset-revision.ext

Adapt the pattern to the recipient’s requirements, but keep the controlled identity fields. Avoid filenames where final, new, updated, or latest is the only version signal.

For each release, preserve:

Version control	Required record
Revision ID	Stable toolkit or asset release identifier
Approval state	Draft, in review, approved, published, superseded, or archived
Approved file	Exact recipient artifact
Editable source	Controlled internal location
Source record	Product and claim evidence used
Approvers	People who approved facts, brand, rights, and release
Recipient scope	Distributor, division, market, and audience
Published location	Exact link or package
Replacement	Successor revision when superseded
Distribution history	Who received which revision and how

Remove superseded files from routine distributor access after the owner confirms the replacement. Retain them internally with their approvals and distribution history.

Use this reusable toolkit request template

Send one structured request when materials or requirements are missing. Replace every bracketed field before sending.

Request header

Field	Entry
Request ID	[Stable reference]
Requester	[Name and role]
Contributor	[Producer, brand owner, distributor, or internal owner]
Distributor scope	[Distributor, division, market, and audience]
Product scope	[Producer, wine, vintage status, package, and market item]
Purpose	[Launch, training, account support, vintage update, or other use]
Required response	[Files, facts, approval, format requirements, or access confirmation]
Due context	[Operational dependency or approved planning context]
Delivery route	[Approved upload or response method]
Consolidating owner	[Single person coordinating the request]

Request message

We are preparing the approved sales toolkit for [Distributor, division, and market] for [purpose]. Please provide or confirm the items below for [product scope].

Required item: [specific file, field, approval, or requirement]

Required specification: [view, format, dimensions, language, market, or other exact condition]

Product or vintage scope: [exact release]

Evidence or approval needed: [source, rights, product confirmation, or recipient requirement]

Please send the response through [approved route] to [consolidating owner]. Mark any unavailable item as pending, not provided, or not applicable rather than leaving it blank.

Do not combine unrelated products and owners in one vague request. Give each missing item a row, status, owner, and resolution path.

Use this reusable distributor handoff template

A handoff should state exactly what the recipient is receiving and what action is expected.

Internal handoff control

Field	Required entry
Handoff ID	Stable reference
Toolkit revision	Exact approved release
Distributor and division	Recipient scope
Audience	Authorized recipient group
Product scope	Included producers, wines, releases, and market items
Delivery route	Approved link, portal, package, or other method
Sent by	One coordinating importer contact
Requested action	Access test, distribution, training, replacement, review, or confirmation
Response requested	Named confirmation or exception
Approvals	Product, compliance, brand, rights, commercial, and operations as applicable
Delivery evidence	Exact message, files, links, recipients, and send record
Acceptance status	Sent, opened, accepted, corrected, blocked, or closed

Recipient message

Subject: Sales toolkit for [Portfolio or product], [Market], revision [Revision]

The approved sales toolkit for [Distributor or division] is available at [descriptive access link]. It covers [product scope] for [market and purpose].

Included materials: [concise list of assets and data views].

Current release or vintage treatment: [exact guidance].

Requested action: [specific action].

Please confirm [access, distribution, item treatment, replacement, or other decision] through [response route]. Questions about product facts, orders, assets, or access should go to [named contact or role].

List any known exception next to the affected product. Do not hide a pending asset or item decision in a general note.

Run the distributor handoff process

Use one controlled sequence:

Confirm the distributor, division, market, audience, purpose, and delivery requirements.
Select exact active products, releases, packages, and market items.
Build the asset inventory and mark missing, pending, restricted, and not-applicable items.
Resolve product identity conflicts against controlled sources.
Review label-facing facts and compliance-sensitive claims with the responsible owner.
Verify identifiers, bottle volume, case pack, availability language, and approved commercial references.
Confirm every image, logo, quotation, and brand asset has an approved use and audience.
Create distributor-specific folders, collections, data views, or packages.
Apply controlled filenames, document revisions, metadata, and replacement links.
Review the exact recipient files, not only editable sources.
Test all links and permissions as the intended distributor user.
Approve the complete handoff package by function.
Send one controlled revision through the approved route.
Preserve the exact message, recipients, links, attachments, and release record.
Capture access confirmation, acceptance, requested corrections, and downstream distribution.
Verify that distributor users can find the current product, asset, code, and contact.

Delivered should not mean accepted. Record when access works, when the distributor confirms receipt, when requested changes are complete, and when the old package is no longer in normal use.

Treat vintage changes as a new toolkit release

Do not overwrite the predecessor’s files or change the destination of a shared product link without a controlled transition. Create a successor release and classify every inherited field or asset.

Use this transition table:

Control	Prior release	Successor release	Decision
Product and vintage identity	[Prior]	[Successor]	Confirm approved presentation
Blend and technical facts	[Prior]	[Successor evidence]	Changed or confirmed unchanged
ABV and analysis	[Prior]	[Successor evidence]	Review current sources
Label and COLA treatment	[Prior decision]	[Successor decision]	Compliance owner confirms
Consumer and case GTINs	[Prior]	[Approved treatment]	Identifier owner decides
Importer and distributor codes	[Prior]	[Assigned, reused, or pending]	Each issuer confirms
Bottle volume and case pack	[Prior]	[Successor]	Reopen item and commercial controls if changed
Availability	[Prior state]	[Successor state]	Define overlap by market and distributor
Bottle and label images	[Prior files]	[Successor files]	Publish the correct visible vintage
Tech sheet and sell sheet	[Prior files]	[Successor files]	Regenerate from approved facts
Claims and accolades	[Prior evidence]	[Successor evidence]	Do not carry forward without review
Training and descriptions	[Prior files]	[Successor files]	Update every repeated vintage reference

TTB’s allowable label revisions guidance includes adding a vintage date among its examples of changes that may be made to an approved label without obtaining a new COLA, subject to the complete conditions in the guidance. Have the compliance owner determine whether the actual successor labels fit the applicable approval and conditions.

During an intentional overlap, make both releases identifiable. State which vintage each bottle image, sheet, item code, availability note, and price reference covers. Ask the distributor whether it updates an existing item, creates a successor item, or follows another documented process. Do not apply one distributor’s answer to another.

Search the successor package for the predecessor vintage string. Inspect visible text, filenames, links, image descriptions, bottle labels, document titles, and PDF metadata.

Correct toolkit errors through a replacement release

Do not silently replace one file if the error also appears in another asset, recipient download, distributor collection, or sales presentation.

Use this correction workflow:

Identify the incorrect value, file, product, vintage, market, and recipient scope.
Stop routine use of the affected material where possible.
Confirm the correct source value and accountable owner.
Update the controlled product, item, claim, or asset record.
Find every document, image, deck, data view, link, and message that repeated the error.
Repeat the required fact, compliance, brand, rights, and commercial approvals.
Generate a replacement toolkit revision.
Mark the former revision superseded and remove it from routine recipient access.
Tell affected users the incorrect value, corrected value, affected item, replacement location, and required action.
Capture acknowledgment and verify the live distributor materials.

Preserve the earlier release and correction history internally. A reviewer should be able to determine what recipients received and when the replacement became authoritative.

Run the complete sales toolkit workflow

Open the toolkit record. Define distributor, division, market, audience, purpose, portfolio, owner, revision, and delivery method.
Request current requirements. Obtain the recipient’s file, format, field, access, and delivery instructions.
Select exact market items. Include only the approved products, releases, packages, and statuses needed by the audience.
Inventory the assets. Record product scope, owner, evidence, rights, approval, revision, and recipient location.
Resolve product facts. Reconcile identity, vintage, origin, blend, ABV, volume, pack, and claims at the source.
Separate material classes. Keep sales collateral, product data, commercial material, labels, COLA references, and internal evidence distinct.
Verify codes and ordering references. Record issuer and packaging level without guessing missing values.
Prepare recipient derivatives. Build the required image, document, copy, training, and data formats from approved sources.
Review claims and rights. Confirm wording, scope, attribution, market, audience, and usage conditions.
Build distributor-specific access. Publish only the intended current files and data for each role.
Apply version controls. Set revision IDs, filenames, metadata, statuses, replacement links, and archive locations.
Review the exported package. Inspect PDFs, images, spreadsheets, decks, links, and downloaded filenames.
Test access. Use the recipient view to confirm intended access and exclusion of restricted material.
Approve by function. Obtain product, compliance, item-data, commercial, brand, rights, sales, and operations approval as applicable.
Send the handoff. Deliver one controlled revision with a specific requested action and response route.
Capture acceptance. Record recipient access, confirmation, exceptions, assigned actions, and completion evidence.
Monitor currentness. Reopen the toolkit for vintage, package, price, availability, claim, rights, contact, territory, or distributor changes.
Correct at the source. Issue a controlled replacement and verify every affected downstream location.

Depletement is a pre-launch workspace being designed for alcohol importer operations teams to organize product and catalog details, bottle and brand assets, tech sheets, sell sheets, distributor asset access, and vintage updates. Until a pre-launch product is part of an approved process, use controls that let the team verify sources, ownership, recipient access, and the exact toolkit release.

Complete final distributor sales toolkit QA

Run this checklist against the controlled source records, exact toolkit revision, recipient access, handoff evidence, and current distributor view.

Scope and ownership

Distributor, division, market, audience, purpose, portfolio, and exclusions are explicit.
Each included product has an exact release, package, market item, and status.
Toolkit owner, distributor contact, and functional approvers are current.
Every inventory row has an asset type, product scope, owner, approval, rights status, revision, and location.
Missing, pending, restricted, superseded, and not-applicable items are identified rather than left blank.
Toolkit delivery, distributor acceptance, item readiness, and regulatory status remain separate.

Product facts and compliance boundaries

Producer, brand, wine, vintage status, origin, appellation, blend, ABV, and volume match approved sources where shown.
Bottle images, tech sheets, sell sheets, decks, descriptions, and item references describe the same release.
Production, vineyard, farming, certification, historical, technical, and availability claims have current evidence.
Awards and reviews match the publication, wine, vintage, result, approved wording, and usage conditions.
Sales collateral is not presented as the bottle label, COLA, state approval, or compliance evidence.
Label files and COLA references are shared only through the approved recipient route.
Federal, jurisdiction-specific, distributor-required, and internal controls are not combined into one generic requirement.
Unresolved compliance questions remain assigned to the qualified owner.

Asset quality and specifications

Every bottle image identifies the correct wine, vintage, bottle size, package, view, and market.
Image background, crop, format, dimensions, color treatment, and filename match the recipient request.
Bottle proportions are natural and visible labels match the approved release.
Logo variants, usage guidance, rights, credits, territories, and restrictions are recorded.
Tech sheets, sell sheets, portfolio sheets, decks, descriptions, and FAQs have defined purposes and audiences.
Exported PDFs and decks have been checked for clipping, page breaks, fonts, images, links, and metadata.
Downloaded filenames identify the product and revision without relying on a portal label.
Editable sources are controlled internally and not exposed by default.

Item and commercial controls

Producer code, importer SKU, consumer GTIN, case GTIN, distributor code, state code, and warehouse code remain separate.
Each identifier records its issuer, packaging level, source, and verification state.
Bottle volume and case pack match the recipient item and commercial basis.
Distributor-owned codes are confirmed or clearly marked pending.
Published pricing identifies the approved audience, item, currency, basis, pack, and applicable context.
Costs, margins, forecasts, draft terms, and unrelated distributor records are excluded.
Availability wording comes from the approved inventory or operations source.

Access and version control

Sales, management, education, marketing, item-data, and commercial users receive only the material needed for their roles.
Internal evidence, drafts, expired rights, superseded assets, and unrelated markets are outside normal distributor access.
Recipient-level testing confirms every intended link and download works.
Recipient-level testing confirms restricted neighboring files are not visible.
Each file and collection has a revision, status, owner, recipient scope, and replacement rule.
Superseded files are removed from routine access and retained in the controlled archive.
The exact approved recipient package and editable sources remain linked internally.

Handoff and acceptance

The handoff names the toolkit revision, distributor scope, audience, product set, and delivery route.
Included materials, current vintage treatment, requested action, response route, and contacts are explicit.
The exact message, recipients, files, links, and send record are retained.
Access confirmation and distributor acceptance are recorded separately from sent status.
Requested corrections have owners, due context, replacement revisions, and closure evidence.
Distributor users can find the current wine, bottle image, product sheet, item code, and contact without importer guidance.
A downloaded file remains understandable outside the shared collection.