Corks Away Shark Tank Update
Corks Nathan Buffet and Shane Cianciolo founded Cork Away Wine Adventures as more or less an amusing side project. They would provide a luxurious sailboat excursion down the coast of California for up to six guests, during which they would serve wine and food.
They had great prosperity and subsequently branched out into the production of beer, mimosas, and couple’s cruises. They considered opening the company up to franchising, selling their famous pesto appetizer in retail locations, and launching an indoor dinner cruise in Las Vegas as potential avenues for further business expansion. To put it another way, they were dispersed quite a bit.
Hors d’oeuvres and wine are served during Wine Adventures’ cruises on the water. Adventures for six guests, sailing twelve times a week and grossing $250,000 in the first year of operation.
They are under the impression that Corks Away is capable of being franchised. They will give the yacht in addition to the business strategy for $175,000. They have to spend $35,000 on the yacht.
They plan to start a business selling their Pesto Torte to stores after marketing the cruise to potential customers. Lastly, they are considering taking a Corks Away cruise in Las Vegas.
Shane and Nathan want to reach a point where they can launch their indoor cruise in Las Vegas, and their objective is to get there as quickly as possible. The Sharks chuckle at Shane’s assertion that they did something insane, such as opening a casino in the middle of the desert.
What Are Corks Away?
Corks Away is a firm that would take six guests onboard sailboats for a luxurious cruise along the California coastline while providing them with wine and food. They were enormously successful and expanded their offerings to include beer, mimosas, and couples cruises.
Furthermore, they were looking for ways to grow the business further, such as opening it up to franchising, selling pesto appetizers in retail, and creating an indoor dinner cruise in Las Vegas. Another way to put it was that they were slightly disorganized.
| Company Name | Corks Away Wine Adventures |
| Entrepreneur | Nathan Buffett and Shane Cianciolo |
| Product / Business | Adventures with wine at sea |
| Investment Asking For | $105,000 for 20% equity in Corks Away Wine Adventures |
| Final Deal | No Deal |
| Shark | No Shark |
| Episode | Season 4, Episode 10 |
| Business Status | In Business |
| Website | Corks Away Website |
Who Is The Founder Of Corks Away?
Nathan Buffet and Shane Cianciolo are the founders of Corks Away Wine Adventures. Corks Away offers a grand sailing adventure along the California coast, starting from Alamitos Bay and ending near Naples under the grapevines.
You and up to five guests will be treated like Kings (or Queens) while you enjoy the best Southern California wines. You will also receive a selection of appetizers as part of the price of your tour. You can be sure that you will sail in elegance when you sail with Corks Away.
You may also rent Corks Away’s much larger sailboat from the 1920s for larger gatherings. The Dirigo 2 can accommodate a more significant number of individuals than the Dirigo 1, which has a capacity of 25 people.
This sailboat will remain in port due to the enormous number of people on board, but it would be an excellent venue for a private party suited to your specific requirements.
Shane Cianciolo and Nathan Buffet started Corks Away Wine Adventures in 2009 to engage themselves and their friends in recreational activities.
There was no way they could have imagined it becoming such a huge hit all over California. But it happened, and they both realized they were on to something wonderful.
Why shouldn’t other coastal areas be able to enjoy it as well if California is so popular? It is easy to understand the concept behind Corks Away Wine Adventures.
The customers board a sailing boat for a scenic trip, followed by a coastal winery and vineyard tour. There will be appetizers and wine samples throughout the day as part of this excursion.
You can indulge in a glass or two of your favorite beverages while relaxing and kicking back. Nathan and Shane began by purchasing a single sailboat and independently completing a comprehensive restoration.
Customers would enjoy a relaxed and luxurious environment; therefore, they wanted to supply them with that. Their one-boat operation was a huge success, so they explored the possibility of expanding into franchising.
However, it would be necessary for them to obtain funding from a business partner who could provide the funds to purchase new boats and set up operations in various parts of the world.
ABC’s Shark Tank provides a good platform for startup outreach and funding.
How Was The Shark Tank Pitch Of Corks Away?
Buffet and Cianciolo appeared on an episode of “Shark Tank” to secure a sizeable investment of $105,000 in exchange for a 20% ownership in the Corks Away company.
They then inform the Sharks that their clients have come from all corners of the globe to participate in one of their wine tours. Sunflower is a luxury yacht measuring 30 feet in length, and both Buffet and Cianciolo are licensed captains recognized by the Coast Guard.
Samples of four distinct wines and various snacks are offered to guests throughout their trip. Cianciolo approaches the Sharks intending to provide them with a taste of what the customers of Corks Away encounter during their adventure.
Corks Away does, however, offer a range of other cruises as well, some of which are not even remotely focused on wine at all. There are possibilities for tours that involve beer, mimosas, and even cruises specifically for couples.
You can rest assured that your tour has been meticulously designed to provide the atmosphere and adventure consumers seek. The Corks Away Tours can accommodate 6 passengers on each boat. This is done to avoid overcrowding and allow the guests to unwind and relax.
Each trip lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes; they provide 12 weekly excursions during the year. They aim to broaden the company’s scope, so they participate in the show “Shark Tank.” They have made a total of $250,000 in sales over the previous year, and the entire amount was made off of the single boat they own.
Expanding boating places and the number of boats operating will likely increase revenue. Because of their inability to scale, Mark Cuban’s company is experiencing difficulties. He is pulling up anchor and leaving the ship at this very moment.
Daymond John suggested they develop the Reisling Ride idea as a different marketing strategy. According to him, you have two R’s if you count the Relaxing Reisling Ride as one of them. What do you have? Arr!
Kevin O’Leary believes this is not an investible opportunity and will not pursue it. However, he may change his mind if he drinks more wine and is first to purchase a ticket for the indoor ride!
Barbara Corcoran claims that she would have a wonderful time sailing with them but would be unable to get a good night’s rest if they had her money. Therefore, she cannot participate.
Robert Herjavec informs him that their business strategy is riddled with flaws. Therefore, he decides to leave.
Final Deal: No deal between Corks Away and Sharks.
What Happened To Corks Away After Shark Tank?
Nathan and Shane did not want to give up even though they could not reach an agreement with one of the Sharks. Corks Away Wine Adventures later added a second boat to accommodate more customers.
This boat had a capacity of 25 persons and contributed to the company’s growing popularity among locals and tourists in California.
Nathan and Shane were a moderate success following their appearance on Shark Tank for a short time but ultimately failed, and the company went out of business.
Corks Away Wine Adventures’ website was eventually taken down, and its Twitter account was deactivated around 2012. Following the wine tours’ failure, they dock their boats in Santos Marina.
Corks Away Wine Adventures intended to establish an Eco-Tourism company, but there have been no public announcements or updates. The sharks were fascinated by the men and the fact that they were having a great time.
They recommended that they should proceed with business as usual. Corks Away’s clientele grew after the Tank’s success as they invested in a second vessel with seating for 25 passengers.
But it didn’t last. The company went bankrupt. They intended to begin an ecotourism business and sailed boats to the Santos Marina in El Salvador. The company Corks Away is no longer in operation.
Corks Away grew its fleet after the Tank, purchasing a second boat capable of accommodating 25 passengers, and became even more popular. However, it did not last long. Corks Away Wine Adventures was forced to close its doors.
To establish an Ecotourism business in El Salvador, they transported their boats to Santos Marina. Corks Away Wine Adventures went out of business in 2012.
The valuation of Corks Away was $525,000 when it appeared on Shark Tank. Corks Away Wine Adventure is out of business, and its net worth is effectively $0.
