The Artisan's Cellar

What The Artisan's Cellar does

The Artisan's Cellar is a privately held, founder-owned wine importer, distributor and bonded winery founded in 2009 by Scott Braunschweig and headquartered in a 16,000-square-foot, temperature-controlled (55°F) facility in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The company cultivates and distributes a curated portfolio of hand-crafted, low-intervention wines sourced through eight national importers (Tricana, Indie Wineries, Jenny & François, Enotria, Zev Rovine, Maximilien, Selections de la Viña, and Rosenthal) plus its own direct imports spanning nearly all 20 Italian regions, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Chile, Argentina, Portugal, Greece, Japan (via B. United) and US regions including New York Finger Lakes, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Santa Cruz, Willamette Valley and Brooklyn. In 2012, Artisan's helped win Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board approval to distribute wine in kegs through the PLCB Special (Liquor) Order Program, and in 2014 it launched what it describes as the largest keg filling operation in the eastern United States, filling 19.5L stainless and 20L PET kegs with Sankey-D couplers for by-the-glass dispensing in on-premise accounts. Core product formats are bottled/case wine distribution and keg wine (Wine on Tap), supported by an 8,000-square-foot bonded winery with an on-site enologist overseeing quality and stability, bulk-wine import logistics using 1,000-liter Bag-in-Box vessels, and ancillary services including wine list development, tastings and private events, sommelier-led dinners, educational seminars, staff training and brokerage/private labeling.

The company's revenue model combines per-bottle, per-case and per-keg transaction sales (kegs priced $200-$300 to PA licensees, with modeled $938 profit per keg for restaurants at 2 kegs/week) with quote-based professional services (tastings, sommelier dinners, seminars, staff training, brokerage). Wholesale distribution operates in Pennsylvania and Delaware with licenses pending in additional states, while keg wine is distributed nationally. Customers span on-premise restaurants (fine dining and high-volume), bars, clubs and wine bars (primary segments), plus wine collectors, event/private clients, and producers seeking import or private-label services (secondary segments). Go-to-market is enterprise field sales led by Wine Sales Consultants covering defined territories, supplemented by portfolio tastings at venues such as Drexel University's Academic Bistro, attendance at industry events (e.g., RAW Wine Fair), sommelier-led dinners, owned content (blog, portfolio PDF), organic social, and a website inquiry form routing leads by category. The management team comprises founder/President Scott Braunschweig, Director of Sales and Operations Sean Faeth (sommelier-influenced background from Talula's Garden, Tria Café and Artisanal Bistro), and Wine Sales Consultant Gregg Bechtel (former PLCB Product Education Specialist, joined 2018).

Name

The Artisan's Cellar

Legal name

The Artisan's Cellar, LLC

Website

https://theartisanscellar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Artisan's Cellar is a founder-owned wine importer, distributor and bonded winery in West Chester, PA that sources curated, low-intervention wines from eight national importers plus direct imports across Italy, France, Spain and other regions, distributing in bottle/case to PA and DE on-premise accounts and nationally in kegs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Import and Distribution

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK)

Keywords

• Wine import distribution
• Wine wholesale distribution
• Wine keg filling
• Bonded winery operations
• Private label wine sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

West Chester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Bottle and case wine distribution: Sells imported and direct-import wines by the bottle and case to restaurants, bars, clubs and collectors in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
2. Keg wine sales: Generates revenue by filling and selling 19.5L/20L kegs (priced $200–$300 to PA licensees) to on-premise accounts and homeowners for by-the-glass dispensing.
3. Brokerage and private labeling: Sources and private labels wines for clients using import, distribution and bonded winery licenses; can import bottle/case and bulk from international producers.
4. Wine program consulting and education: Charges for wine list development, guest sommelier dinners, educational seminars and recurring staff training delivered to restaurant teams and event hosts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Artisan's Cellar is a licensed wine importer, distributor, and bonded winery that curates and distributes a portfolio of wines from eight national importers plus its own direct imports, spanning nearly all of Italy's 20 regions, France, Spain, the US and other countries. The company also imports bulk wine from Italy, France, Austria, and the US and fills it into 19.5L stainless and 20L PET kegs at a 16,000-square-foot West Chester, PA facility, supplying by-the-glass wine programs to restaurants, bars, clubs, and homes in PA and DE (and nationally for kegs). Complementary services include wine list development, private tastings, sommelier-led dinners, educational seminars, staff training, and brokerage/private labeling.

Product overview

The Artisan's Cellar is a single, integrated wine import, distribution, and keg-filling business rather than a multi-product software platform. Its offering is anchored by two core capabilities: (1) the multi-region Wine Portfolio (Italian, French, Spanish, US, and Other Regions) curated from eight national importers and direct winery relationships, and (2) the Keg Wine operation that packages bulk-imported wine in stainless and PET kegs at its 16,000-square-foot West Chester, PA facility. These core products are complemented by a set of hospitality services—Wine List Development/Consultation, Tastings/Private Events, Guest Sommelier/Wine Dinners, Educational Seminars, Staff Training, and Brokerage/Private Labeling—which leverage the same portfolio and in-house winery capabilities to serve restaurants, wine bars, and beverage programs across Pennsylvania, Delaware, and (for kegs) nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Portfolio (Italian, French, Spanish, and Other Regions) A curated portfolio of wines selected by eight national importers plus Artisan's own hand-picked direct imports, spanning nearly all of Italy's 20 regions, France, Spain, Slovenia, Croatia, Chile, Austria, and the United States (California, New York's Finger Lakes, Oregon). Sold by the bottle and case to restaurants, bars, clubs and collectors in Pennsylvania and Delaware.
• Keg Wine (Wine on Tap) Bulk wine imported from winemakers in Italy, France, Austria, and the U.S., filled into 19.5L stainless or 20L PET kegs at a state-of-the-art winery facility. Designed for by-the-glass dispensing in restaurants, bars, clubs, and homes, eliminating bottle oxidation waste. Many kegs currently priced from $200 to $300 (PA Licensee); each keg yields ~132 5-oz glasses.
• Wine List Development / Consultation Consultative service helping new or existing restaurants and wine bars craft wine lists — from bottle pairings to by-the-glass pours — that align with their menu concept and beverage program.
• Tastings / Private Events Event service offering curated wine tastings and private events for corporate gatherings and in-home celebrations, drawing on the imported and distributed portfolio.
• Guest Sommelier / Wine Dinners On-site sommelier-hosted wine pairing dinners at restaurants, framing the chef's food and vision with selected pairings from the Artisan's portfolio.
• Educational Seminars Fully organized seminars focused on a specific country, growing region, grape variety, wine style, or vineyard-to-winery production process, aimed at making wine enthusiasts more knowledgeable.
• Staff Training Customizable training programs for restaurant beverage staff — ranging from server training on specific producers and labels to master classes on regions and grape varieties — designed to increase wine sales.
• Brokerage / Private Labeling Licensed import and brokerage service leveraging Pennsylvania and Delaware distribution licenses plus an 8,000-square-foot bonded winery with an on-site enologist, including sourcing and private-labeling of wines for client brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• ~$938 average profit per keg for restaurant customers, with Kegerator payback in 2 weeks and remote tap system payback in 3 weeks under modeled assumptions
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / founding partner, core, core (de-only), strategic / category-extending and minor / heritage.

• Tricana Importsflagship / founding partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2009Tricana Imports, a national Italian wine importer based in Plainview, New York, granted Artisan's Cellar representation rights for their portfolio in Pennsylvania shortly after the September 2009 Wine School of Philadelphia tasting where Artisan's founder Scott Braunschweig met Fosco Amoroso and Federico Dall'Olmo. This relationship effectively catalyzed the launch of Artisan's Cellar. Tricana has more than 125 wines from over 35 producers across Italy; Artisan's still represents the portfolio today, including standouts like Cantina Frentana's Terre Valse Cerasuolo.
• Indie Wineriesflagship / founding partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2009Indie Wineries, founded by New York native Summer Wolff in 2009, focuses on small family producers (many certified organic and biodynamic). The Artisan's/Indie relationship dates back to Scott Braunschweig's 2008 Italy trip and the friendships formed with Summer Wolff and her Piedmont-based winemaker husband Fabrizio Iuli. Artisan's has represented Indie Wineries from inception, including their producers from Italy, Chile, Croatia, Slovenia and Portugal.
• Jenny & François SelectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJenny & François Selections, founded by Jenny Lefcourt, has imported natural wines to the US for over a decade, with bottles from Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. Artisan's distributes the J&F portfolio, including its French and Austrian natural wines such as Franz Strohmeier, Maria & Sepp Muster, Gut Oggau and Rita and Rudolf Trossen.
• Enotria Wine ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnotria Wine Imports specializes in hand-crafted Italian wines from family-owned vineyards in Italy's smaller, lesser-known regions. Artisan's Cellar distributes the Enotria portfolio as one of its eight national importer relationships.
• Zev Rovine SelectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorZev Rovine Selections (ZRS) seeks out minimal-intervention wines, best known for an organic French portfolio and an expanding slate of global cult producers. Featured at the RAW Wine Fair by Zev Rovine (e.g., Frank Cornelissen). Distributed by Artisan's Cellar.
• Maximilien SelectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaximilien Selections, owned by Laurent Bonnois (originally from Versailles), has spent nearly a decade importing organic and biodynamic wines from small family producers harvesting indigenous grape varietals. Artisan's Cellar distributes the portfolio in its market.
• Selections de la ViñacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelections de la Viña, led by Alvaro de la Viña (originally from Spain), focuses on importing natural Spanish wines with strong terroir expression into NYC bars and restaurants. Distributed by Artisan's Cellar.
• Rosenthal Wine Merchant (Delaware Only)core (de-only)Channel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRosenthal Wine Merchant (RWM), founded by Neal Rosenthal in 1977, builds a portfolio of estate-bottled French and Italian wines focused on 'a sense of place.' Available exclusively through Artisan's Cellar for the Delaware portfolio.
• B. United Internationalstrategic / category-extendingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorB. United International brings sakes, meads, liqueurs and spirits into Artisan's portfolio — a deliberate category extension beyond wine. Key B. United producers distributed by Artisan's include Kiuchi Shuzou Ltd. (Japan, including Hitachino Nest), Dansk Mjod A/S (Denmark), Makana Meadery (South Africa) and Steinwaelder Hausbrennerei Schraml (Germany). Partnership formalized in 2015.
• Costa Digianominor / heritageOthersCosta Digiano, the Le Marche-based olive oil venture founded by Amy Wadman — a friend from the founding Italy trip — is represented by Artisan's Cellar in the US as a heritage relationship that traces back to the same trip that inspired the company.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vias Imports: Long-standing Italian wine importer/distributor focused on small, family-owned estates across Italy's regions. Highly comparable to Artisan's in Italian-portfolio focus and importer-style storytelling for restaurants and specialty retailers.
• Verity Wine Partners: Independent wine importer/distributor focused on family-owned and sustainably farmed producers from Europe, distributed through regional sales teams to US on-premise accounts. Comparable in portfolio positioning and reliance on importer-style storytelling.
• Polaner Selections: Family-owned importer and distributor focused on small, family-owned estates in France, Italy and beyond, with regional sales teams serving on-premise accounts. Matches Artisan's customer base (restaurants, sommeliers) and high-touch, education-led distribution style.
• Free Flow Wines: Pioneer of premium wine-on-tap packaging and distribution, filling kegs at scale for on-premise accounts nationally. Directly competes with Artisan's keg-filling capability and is the most direct comparable for the wine-on-tap product line.
• T. Edward Wines & Spirits: Independent wine and spirits importer/distributor based in the Northeast, focused on small-production, organic and biodynamic producers. Comparable to Artisan's in geographic footprint (NY/NJ/PA-adjacent), curatorial approach, and on-premise customer mix.
• Skurnik Wines & Spirits: Independent family-owned wine importer and distributor specializing in small-production, terroir-driven wines from Italy, France, Austria, Germany and other regions. Closely comparable to Artisan's in curatorial philosophy, importer-style distribution model, and regional/wholesale GTM.
• Banville Wine Merchants: Importer and distributor focused on artisanal Italian and French wines with strong regional sales coverage of restaurants and retailers. Directly comparable to Artisan's in size, focus on small producers, and on-premise-led go-to-market.
• Dalla Terra Wine Company: Importer of artisanal Italian wines from family-owned estates, distributed through regional partners to on-premise and retail accounts. Comparable to Artisan's in Italian-portfolio depth and importer-style distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Rosenthal Wine Merchant: Established (since 1977) importer of estate-bottled French and Italian wines distributed to fine-dining accounts. An existing Artisan's distribution partner in Delaware, Rosenthal serves as both a peer and a supplier relationship.
• Winebow: Large multi-regional wine importer and distributor with deep portfolios across Italy, France and the Americas, serving on-premise and retail nationally. Represents the larger incumbent against which Artisan's boutique curation model competes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/artisanscellar
• Facebookfacebook.com/artisanscellar
• Instagraminstagram.com/artisanscellar

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Artisan's Cellar