Is OneHope Wine a Scam? More Than Just a Wine MLM Pyramid Scheme? [2022 Review]

The overview and rankings

What to look for in a MLM:

What is OneHope Wine?

OneHope Wine is a Multi-Level-Marketing company that is in the wine industry.

It was founded by Rob Mondavi Jr. and Jake Kloberdanz back in 2007, with the goal of helping people gain access to quality wine, and at the same time helping charities with the help of their profit from the business.

It’s based in California and claims to donate half of their income to the OneHope Foundation, which is their own charity.

OneHope sells various wines, including red, white, sparkling, rose, dry, and sweet wines. They are available in mixed bundles and a variety of gift combinations.

Like most stories worth telling, theirs begins with a group of friends, humble beginnings, and a skyward vision.

They worked for some of the world’s largest wineries, and all felt an undeniable calling to do good. What started with 168 cases and a white pick-up has become a state-of-the-art flagship winery in the heart of Napa Valley.

The founders saw firsthand how much impact a bottle of wine can have. They began hosting wine tastings to raise money for important causes and encouraged and inspired others to do the same.

Today, ONEHOPE is one of the largest direct-to-consumer wineries in the world and has proudly donated over $8 million to local and global causes.

A good MLM should have quality products you can sell, so it was appropriate to look at what they offer. OneHope is a Wine company geared towards all adults that love wine.

However, they would face much competition because they sell the same wines as other Wine MLMs.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that their business opportunity is also nice. Well, that’s what we’re going to talk more about in this review...

Here is a 3-minute video about the company...

Let's move forward and know...

Is OneHope Wine a pyramid scheme?

No. OneHope Wine isn’t a pyramid scheme. This is because their members can earn from their sales and not rely entirely on recruitment.

But even if this is the case, it’s still worth questioning… Is OneHope Wine a pyramid scheme in disguise?

What is a pyramid scheme?

A pyramid scheme is a company that offers payment to its members who recruit people.

This is the main focus of the business model instead of selling actual and legitimate products and services.

Countries around the globe have already banned companies like this because not everyone can earn from a company that is only paying its members solely on recruitment.

Here is a diagram from Wikipedia to help you see why...

The members who are making the most money are also those that are recruiting the highest number of people to join this alleged business opportunity, even if we already know that it isn’t really one.

You can also see from the aforementioned diagram that it’s just impossible for all of the members to treat this as a steady source of their income as they are just going to run out of potential members they can recruit sooner or later.

Here is a 5-minute video about spotting these so called pyramid schemes in disguise:

But why...

Success is rare with OneHope Wine

This happens because these kinds of companies have a sales quota which forces their members to sell a certain number of products regularly just to stay active and be an official member.

Some surely can’t do that, which leaves them the choice to just buy the products for themselves just so that they can be active.

This leads them to lose huge amounts of cash from their own pockets before getting their first recruit.

How does OneHope Wine Work?

OneHope Wine is a company that sells a variety of wine choices that come in the form of red, white, and sparkling wines.

They then donate 50% of their income to the OneHope Foundation, which is their own charity, and which they also use to send monetary donations to various institutions around the globe.

Aside from that, this MLM also has an affiliate program where members can become agents who sell their wine products and earn commissions out of it.

At first glance, it seems like a win-win, but it really isn’t, once you know that OneHope Wine is just skipping all the marketing campaign expenses as their members are the ones who do all of it.

Instead of selling their products directly to consumers, they have chosen to use the multi-level marketing (MLM) model, which allows you to earn money in a variety of ways, including:

• Selling the products in exchange for a commission

• Recruiting others to get bonuses.

You must be introduced by a member or sign up through the website. After that, you must purchase their $39 join kit. Then you must pay a recurring cost of $99 per year or $12 monthly.

These fees, according to the website, cover:

• Customers can place orders with you through your personalized website.

• You get access to the CE Back Office, which contains all the tools you need to run your business.

• Access to world-class wine education and training courses.

OneHope Wine products

It’s necessary that you know what the MLM is selling if you’re really interested in becoming one of their members.

It’s even much better if you just try the wine yourself.

But if you can’t do that quickly, and you want to learn about it ASAP, then just continue reading…

Here are some of the best-sellers of OneHope Wine:

• California Brut Sparkling Wine Rainbow Glitter Edition ($59.00) - A sparkling wine variety that is a mix blend of pear, apple, peach, and multiple tropical notes. It has a sweet finish taste and features little bubbles for a refreshing vibe.
• Best Sellers Mixed Pack ($150) - A bundle deal that includes 6 different wine blends. These are cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, red blend, chardonnay, sparkling, and pinot grigio.

Take note, though, that there are a lot of other companies that sell the same products, but just are rebranded into different names and packaging.

Below are some of the most popular wine MLM companies:

• Scout and Cellar
• Traveling Vineyard
  
• Direct Cellars

All these claim that they are better than the other because of their exclusive specialities. Well, it’s not really that factual because they are simply just offering the same stuff.

And in knowing that this is the case with OneHope Wine, then… What makes it special?

OneHope Wine flagship product

Wine Club Subscription ($168) - Get a steady supply of 6 wine varieties every quarter. These will include a sparkling brut, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, pinot noir, and merlot.

You might want to check out this 40-second video about their products:

Let's then know if...

Can you make money with OneHope Wine?

Yes, but it’s not as simple as you thought it would be.

In fact, it’s hard!

Take note that there are only a very few number of people who earn good money from this MLM, and those guys are working ‘round the clock and treating this job as a full-time job instead of a part-time business.

What’s more is that they don’t have any income disclosure to prove that their members are indeed earning good money...

How to make money with OneHope Wine

In order for you to make money from OneHope Wine, you need to do these 2 things:

• Sell products
• Recruit members

Also note that you only earn bonuses every time your downline sells a product, and not simply from recruiting them.

So now, let’s move on and learn more about...

How much does it cost to join OneHope Wine?

You must pay a $99 subscription fee to OneHope Wine for you to become a member.

This subscription is good for 1 year, so you need to pay it again the next year and every after year if you’d want to be a member.

Aside from that, you also need to pay for the business starter of your choice.

There are 3 bundles to choose from:

• Business Builder ($198) - Includes a business bundle without wine.
• Starter Kit 6-Pack ($248) - Includes a business bundle and 6 Vinter Collection wines.
• Starter Kit 12-Pack ($298) - Includes a business bundle, 5 Reserve collection wines, 6 Vinter Collection wines, and 1 Glitter Collection wine.

OneHope Wine monthly cost

But that doesn’t end there because you also need to maintain 300 PV monthly for you to stay as an active member.

This means selling $300 worth of products monthly.

The costs you are going to incur for the 1st year are:

• $99
• $198 to $298
• $300 x 12

Minimum costs for year 1 = $3,897 to $3,997

And that doesn’t still include the additional business kits you’re going to buy, as well as the miscellaneous expenses like travel, gas, training, and food.

OneHope Wine compensation plan

All MLM companies make their compensation plans confusing, and for a reason, which I'll talk about later!

But don’t you worry, though, as I’ll do my best to simplify things up for you…

There are 2 main ways you can earn money from OneHope Wine. These are:

• Retail Commissions - Earn 20% to 25% commissions from every product you sell to customers.
• Residual Commissions - Earn a 10% commission on the first batch of products purchased by your new recruit.

Confused? Fret not, because that’s totally and completely normal…

MLM companies always have weird acronyms and complex names so that it sounds like there are a multitude of ways members can make money from them.

When the reality is… there are just 2 things they can do:

• Sell wine
• Recruit people into the wine company

Or you can check out their full compensation plan here.

Also, here's a 30-minute video about their compensation plan...

Or you can check out their full compensation plan here. 

Is OneHope Wine a scam?

OneHope Wine isn’t a scam. The company is selling real and legit wine products that are of good quality.

They are also paying their affiliate members exactly as they say and on time.

However, there are a lot of members who after a few months in the company, realize they’re losing money because of the sales quota. And that they aren’t really earning!

That’s why there are a lot of people who call OneHope Wine a scam.

The next part of this review is going to dig deeper into that so you can come up with the correct decision if this is for you or not...

Just to be fully transparent with you, I am not a distributor myself and I do not endorse it in any way.

I have researched the website, testimonials and information on the Internet to get to the bottom of what this program genuinely does. This is because I have been burnt from programs just like this in the past and I want to prevent others from making the same mistakes. If you’d like to learn how to “Spot an Online Marketing Scam” then click the highlighted text.

Common positive reviews

• "Discounts on wine, merchandise. Loved the wine so easy to talk about it."
• "Great, philanthropic company. No over head. Simply work from home making contacts and following up with community resources. Several wines and champagnes, as well as gift sets to choose from."
  

Common negative reviews

• "Difficult to get people to host a party if they must pay for the tasting wine, your immediate upline can make or break you- look to their uplines for help if necessary."
• "The price point is a little higher than some wines we usually purchase."
  

What I like about OneHope Wine

Key Terms:

• Pyramid Scheme – recruits members via a promise for payment from recruiting others into the company rather than providing a product
• Affiliate Marketing- Connecting a customer to a product they are looking for and receiving a commission for doing so
• Red Flag - A warning sign

#1 Nice reputation

OneHope Wine has been around since 2007, which means they have been operating for more than 13 years.

This is a very nice feat for an MLM as the average MLM only stays for around 3 to 5 years.

That isn’t the case with OneHope Wine, which shows that the company is well managed and is also well-received by the market.

#2 Positive product reviews

At first, I thought that OneHope Wine is just another ordinary wine company.

Well it is, but they’ve got a lot of positive reviews out there, as what is shown by one example above.

This gives you a confidence boost that you can sell their products to a lot of people because they know that the wine is of great quality.

What I don't like about OneHope Wine

#1 Expensive products

OneHope Wine does sell good quality wine. But the thing is… They’re just too downright expensive!

As you can see, there are a lot of other wine brands out there that are cheaper and still are of good quality.

Well, you are going to have a hard time with this especially that you’re going to go head-to-head with the cheaper brands that also have a good reputation.

#2 Lacks information

OneHope Wine doesn’t have any income disclosure.

Maybe they don’t want others to know that their members aren’t earning good money, or they just don’t have the time to gather information.

Whichever the case is, this isn’t a good sign for the company as they aren’t that transparent.

#3 Hidden monthly expenses

All members are required to sell at least $300 worth of products monthly to maintain the 300 PV required sales quota.

If you can’t do that, then you are faced with no choice but to just buy the products for yourself and hope that you can break even with the costs soon.

What MLMs don’t want their members to know is that they are their biggest market as they just keep buying their products just for the sake of membership.

#4 Is OneHope Wine a pyramid scheme in disguise?

There’s only one way to avoid the $300 expenditure monthly, and that’s by recruiting people.

Here is a diagram that shows just that...

This way, you can just transfer the hassle to them even if you already know that they’re just going to lose money in the end…

That is in no way, ethical, hence, OneHope Wine, just like any other MLM, is a pyramid scheme in disguise...

#5 Saturated market

The wine market is one of the most saturated areas for MLMs next to health and wellness products.

Because of this, you are going to face a lot of competitors out there such as Scout and Cellar and Traveling Vineyard.

Not to mention the other wine brands out there that aren’t owned by any MLM, which are way cheaper than what you are selling...

My opinion - OneHope Wine

OneHope Wine has good quality and delicious wines.

They are also operating for a good cause thanks to their charity works. But what about their business opportunity?...

That’s just a big no no for me because the only way you can make money is by recruiting as many people as you can.

And you still do this despite knowing that your recruits are just going to lose money...

For sure, that doesn’t sound ethical to you, right?

OneHope Wine, just like any other MLM, is all about selling the dream of becoming your own boss and then waiting till your recruited members realize this is the case...

How I make passive income online

MLMs are not scams or illegal. However, I'm not a fan of them because of the restrictions to the expensive products you have to promote.

Once I learnt about affiliate marketing, I realised it's a far superior business model because:

• You can promote anything you want and truly own the business
• You never need to sell to friends and family
• It's completely free to start

In 2018 I had no idea what affiliate marketing was.