The Wines Of Italy & All That Wine Interview: on my export coaching program and the WINExcel Association - the wine sellers network
The Wines Of Italy & All That Wine interview: on my export coaching program and the WINExcel Association - the wine sellers network
I would like to sincerely thank Katarina and Susannah for giving me the opportunity to share more about my work, my journey, and the projects I am currently developing.
It is always a pleasure to have the chance to talk not only about what I do as an export consultant and coach, but also about the ideas and initiatives that are shaping my work today — including my export coaching program, the export book I have written, and the WINExcel Association, which I am building together with a group of colleagues and friends to create a stronger international network of wine sales professionals.
One of the questions I am asked most often is simple: what do you actually do?
I help wineries, export managers, and wine professionals grow internationally. My work focuses on turning export potential into real results through strategy, coaching, education, and a strong network built over more than twenty years in the international wine business.
I don’t just teach wine export theory. I help professionals understand how to enter markets, connect with importers, position their wines correctly, and avoid the costly mistakes that often slow down international growth.
Most wineries already have high-quality products. What they often lack is a clear export strategy and a structured approach to international sales. This is exactly where I step in.
How I help wineries and wine professionals
My work combines three main areas: consulting, coaching, and education.
- Through consulting, I support wineries in defining their export strategy, identifying the right markets, and building a clear commercial direction.
- Through coaching, I work directly with clients during execution. We develop sales materials, prepare buyer meetings, improve communication, and refine negotiation strategies based on real market feedback.
- Through education, I help wine professionals strengthen their technical knowledge, communication skills, and ability to present and sell wine with confidence in international markets.
The goal is always the same: to transform complexity into clarity and strategy into measurable results.
Experience that comes from the field
My approach is shaped by over twenty years of direct experience in international wine trade, working as an Export Manager and Wine Broker. This experience allows me to connect technical wine knowledge with real commercial dynamics. I understand how importers think, how negotiations develop, and what actually drives decisions in international markets.
But more importantly, I understand the practical challenges wineries face when trying to grow abroad.
The WINExcel Coaching Program
The WINExcel Coaching Program was created to bring structure and clarity to wine export development. It is a hands-on coaching journey where we work directly on each winery’s export strategy. Together we define positioning, target markets, pricing, importer selection, communication, negotiation, and follow-up.
Everything is applied immediately to real business situations. The objective is not theory—it is action and results. By the end of the program, clients are not just more knowledgeable. They are operational, confident, and already active in international markets.
The WINExcel Association (WEA)
Alongside my consulting work, I founded the WINExcel Association together with friends and colleagues from the wine industry. The idea is to create something beyond individual consulting projects: a real professional network for wine sales and export professionals.
WEA brings together export managers, wine brokers, sales professionals, educators, marketers, and industry experts in a shared international community. The purpose is simple: to create real connections that lead to collaboration, business opportunities, and professional growth. In the wine industry, success is never individual. It is built through relationships.
Because wine has always been about sharing - and in WINExcel Association we go beyond words and turn that spirit into action.
The WEA Awards
The WEA Awards were created to recognise the professionals who make wine business possible every day.
Behind every successful export market, there are people working in sales, distribution, communication, hospitality, education, and marketing who rarely receive visibility. The Awards celebrate these professionals and highlight the importance of teamwork, collaboration, and shared success in the wine industry.
After more than twenty years in international wine business, one thing is clear to me:most wineries don’t fail because of their wine quality, but because they lack structure in their export approach. My role is to bridge that gap—helping professionals move from uncertainty to clarity, and from potential to real international results. Because successful wine export is not just about selling wine. It is about building strategy, relationships, and long-term growth.
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Salute e alla prossima!
E non scordarti: Sii curioso e assaggia sempre qualcosa di nuovo 🍷
👋🏻 Ciao, sono Mihaela Cojocaru DipWSET
Autrice del libro "Metodo WINExcel" - consigli pratici per esportare i tuoi vini con successo"
Ideatrice dell'Associazione dei venditori di vino WINExcel Association www.winexcel.net
Export Coach 1:1 - WSET Educator - Sommelier AIS - Docente export & digital marketing - Formazione finanziata
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