Workflow Secrets From a Small Production Winemaker

Running a small winery with a lean team means living in a state of organized chaos. In this episode of Expert Talks by InnoVint, Bertus van Zyl (FARM Collective) explains how he runs three brands and 20-25 unique wines a year with a three-person cellar team, and what changed when paper notepads stopped scaling.Bertus is the head winemaker at FARM Collective, where he oversees production for Tank Garage, the never-repeat DTC brand sourcing from across California, James Cole, a classic Napa-focused estate, and his own personal label, Belong. In this conversation with Lauren Heindel of InnoVint, he shares the workflow systems, planning rhythms, and team structure that let a small producer move serious volume without burning out the people running it.In this episode, we discuss:• How small wine producers keep many SKUs organized without micromanaging the team• Why compliance and inventory tracking break before anything else when a small winery scales• How Tank Garage plans 20-25 unique wines each year from 50+ varieties• Why empowered teams and front-loaded work orders make remote management possible• What's worth investing in for small producers, and which wine-industry tools are over-hypedGuest: Bertus van Zyl, Head Winemaker at FARM CollectiveHost: Lauren Heindel, Marketing Manager at InnoVint00:00 Welcome and Overview00:59 Bertus Origin Story03:59 Scaling Pain Points06:19 Fixing Chaos With Software07:59 Daily Workflow and Remote Ops12:05 Tank Garage Never Repeat Model17:55 Costing and Compliance Setup18:34 Advice for Small Producers20:54 Lean Team Bottling Machine23:37 Adopt Sooner vs Overhyped26:06 Wrap Up and Thanks🔗 Full episode page: https://www.innovint.us/expert-talks/small-winery-workflow/🔗 Learn more about Expert Talks: https://www.innovint.us/expert-talks/Expert Talks is a series from InnoVint, the winery operating system used by thousands of winemakers to manage production, inventory, and operations. Each episode features conversations with wine industry leaders about improving winery operations, profitability, and long-term business health.