What Winzerwald Winery does

Winzerwald Winery is a family-owned German-inspired winery founded in 2002 by Dan and Donna Adams in Bristow, Perry County, Indiana, on an 85-acre property perched along a ridge in the Hoosier National Forest. The winery produces a portfolio of German-style varietal wines (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Meunier, Blaufränkisch, Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt), sweet/dessert and port-style wines, American fruit wines (blueberry, cherry, cranberry, peach, strawberry), ice wines, and signature spiced and herbed specialties (Gluhwein, Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry Gluhwein, Mai Wein). A differentiated limited-edition Heirloom wine is vinted from an unidentified German mystery grape brought to America by the founders' ancestor, great-great-grandfather Jakob Loesch, in the 1800s. On-site production is supplemented by vineyards adjoining the winery and a 26-year-old vineyard on a separate family farm 30 minutes south within the Ohio River Valley.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model that monetizes visitors across multiple touchpoints: paid tastings ($6 per person for up to 8 samples), on-site German-inspired dining at the Wein Kitchen Restaurant, retail wine purchases, private event rentals (minimum $5/guest for small dinners, $500 minimum for after-hours events), private label and custom gift baskets, and the recurring Wein Klub wine club membership with exclusive wines and pickup weekends. Distribution is via the on-site tasting room, an Indiana retail footprint, and the Vinoshipper-powered online shop for DTC shipping. Winzerwald is a founding member of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail (a 9-winery collaborative with a passport program) and maintains tourism partnerships with Perry County Visitors Bureau, Holiday World, and Carmel Christkindlmarkt.

Revenue figures are not disclosed. Operating hours (Tasting Room Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM CST; Restaurant Tue-Sun 10:30AM-4:30PM CST, closed Mondays), 1-10 employees, and the single rural Indiana location indicate a sub-scale, owner-operated business. The 2018 tasting room and Wein Kitchen expansion, multi-year award record (Best Winery 2018 Perry County News; Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at the 2018 Indy International Wine Competition), and the upcoming 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Wine Bash in 2025/2026 signal an established, ongoing operation rather than a venture-stage or scaling business.

Name

Winzerwald Winery

Legal name

Winzerwald Winery

Website

https://winzerwaldwinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Winzerwald Winery is a family-owned German-inspired winery in Bristow, Indiana, producing varietal, spiced, fruit, and heirloom wines for direct-to-consumer tasting room, restaurant, online, and wine club customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• German-inspired wines
• Wine tasting
• Fruit wines
• Wine club
• Vineyard tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristow

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: Wines sold directly to consumers through the on-site tasting room, online shop (Vinoshipper platform), and retail locations throughout Indiana. Discounts offered on purchases of 4+ bottles.
2. Wine Tasting Fees: Paid tasting program offering up to 8 wine samples for $6 per person. Group tastings available for $5 per person with 6 wines.
3. Wein Kitchen Restaurant: On-site German-inspired restaurant serving Bavarian pretzels, flatbreads, charcuterie plates, and wine/food pairing flights. Located inside the tasting room with indoor and outdoor seating.
4. Wine Club / Klub Membership: Recurring membership program offering exclusive wines, discounts, and pickup weekends for club members.
5. Event Venue Rental: Private event rentals including small dinners (15-25 guests, minimum $5/guest) and larger after-hours corporate/special events (minimum $500).
6. Gift Products: Private labeled wines for corporate/wedding gifts, made-to-order gift baskets, and gift certificates in any denomination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Winzerwald Winery produces and sells German-inspired wines, including dry Germanic varietals, fruit wines, and signature spiced and herbed wines (Gluhwein, Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry Gluhwein, Mai Wein), along with a limited-edition Heirloom wine from an 1800s German mystery grape. The winery operates a destination tasting room, an on-site German-inspired Wein Kitchen Restaurant, an e-commerce shop, a subscription wine club (Wein Klub), private label and gift products, and hosts group tastings, tours, and private events.

Product overview

Winzerwald Winery is a German-inspired winery offering a diverse portfolio of wines across multiple categories: dry Germanic varietals (Pinot Meunier, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Blaufränkisch, Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt), semi-dry and semi-sweet wines, sweet dessert/port wines, full-bodied American fruit wines (Blueberry, Cherry, Cranberry, Peach, Strawberry), and specialty German spiced & herbed wines (Gluhwein, Pumpkin Spice, Cranberry Gluhwein, Mai Wein). The winery also produces Ice Wein and a limited-edition Heirloom wine from a German mystery grape. Complementary offerings include the on-site Wein Kitchen Restaurant serving German-inspired cuisine, private label wines for corporate and wedding gifts, gift baskets and certificates, wine tasting experiences, production tours, and Wein Klub membership. The winery is a founding member of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail, offering passport programs and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• German-Inspired Dry Wines Dry wines made from traditional German and European grape varieties, sold to consumers on-site, online, and through Indiana retailers.
• German-Inspired Semi-Dry Wines Semi-dry German-style wines featuring Blaufränkisch, Catawba Rosé, Chambourcin, Gewürztraminer, and Traminette for consumers seeking off-dry European-style wines.
• German-Inspired Semi-Sweet Wines Semi-sweet German-inspired wines including Forest Red, Heirloom, Mai Wein, and Riesling for consumers preferring sweeter styles.
• Sweet and Dessert Wines Sweet and port-style dessert wines including Ambrosia Port (White), Decadence Port (Ruby), Indulgence Port Rosé, Little Rhineland Red, and Little Rhineland White.
• Fruit Wines Full-bodied, fruit-forward wines made from American grapes, including Blueberry, Cherry Red, Cranberry, Peach, and Strawberry.
• Spiced and Herbed Wines German-style spiced and herbed specialty wines including Gluhwein (spiced red), Pumpkin Spice (spiced white), Cranberry Gluhwein (spiced cranberry), and Mai Wein (herbed May Wine), marketed as a Winzerwald signature offering.
• Non-Alcoholic Wines Non-alcoholic wine alternatives such as Bubbles for consumers seeking alcohol-free options.
• Heirloom Wine Limited-edition wine made from an unidentified German mystery grape brought to America by ancestors in the 1800s, still growing in Ohio River Valley soils.
• Ice Wein Wines produced in the German ice wine style, with grapes harvested while frozen.
• Wein Kitchen Restaurant On-site German-inspired restaurant inside the tasting room featuring flatbreads, Bavarian pretzels, shareable plates, charcuterie, wine and food pairing flights, wine slushies, wine floats, and wine cocktails. Open Tuesday–Sunday.
• Private Label Wines Custom-labeled Winzerwald wines for corporate events, weddings, and special gifts, with personalized photo or message stickers.
• Gift Baskets Made-to-order gift baskets and boxes containing wines, foods, glasses, and wine accessories, available for direct purchase through the winery shop.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available in any denomination, allowing recipients to redeem for wines of their choosing.
• Wine Tasting Experience Guided wine tastings at the on-site tasting room offering up to 8 wine samples for $6.00 per person, led by friendly winetenders in an educational format.
• Production and Vineyard Tours Educational tours of the production facility and vineyard, available by appointment with 72 hours advance notice.
• Wein Klub Membership Subscription wine club offering exclusive wines, member discounts on wine purchases (minimum 4 bottles), and scheduled pickup weekends.
• Group Events and Private Parties Reserved spaces and event hosting for groups of 15+ guests, including bachelorette tastings, dinner parties, and corporate/special events, with rental minimums of $5/guest for 15–25 guests and $500 minimum for after-hours events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple medals at 2018 Indy International Wine Competition including Gold (Little Rhineland White), Silver (Little Rhineland Red, Pumpkin Spice, Concord Rouge, Cherry Red), and Bronze medals
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indiana Uplands Wine TrailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinzerwald is a founding and current member of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail, a collaborative group of 9 wineries along the trail. The trail offers a passport program and year-round ticketed and non-ticketed events to promote regional wine tourism.
• Grape Grower's CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinzerwald is a member of the Grape Grower's Cooperative, supporting regional viticulture and shared resources for grape cultivation in the Indiana Uplands region.
• Steinbach CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Steinbach Company and City of Carmel to feature Winzerwald's semi-sweet spiced Blush and spiced Cranberry wines at the authentic German pyramid at Carmel Christkindlmarkt for 6 weeks annually.
• Perry County Visitors Bureau and Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourism partnership promoting Winzerwald as a destination within Perry County, Indiana's visitor economy.
• Holiday World & Splashin' SafariminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint tourism partnership listing Winzerwald as a nearby attraction (20 minutes away) for Holiday World visitors in Santa Claus, Indiana.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Oliver Winery: Indiana's largest winery, also located in the Indiana Uplands AVA. It is the dominant regional competitor and benchmark for destination-winery economics in the same corridor, though at substantially greater scale and a broader (non-German-focused) portfolio.
• Huber's Orchard & Winery: Southern Indiana (Starlight) estate winery with on-site restaurant, tasting room, and agri-tourism programming. Direct regional peer for the destination-winery-plus-restaurant operating model in the Indiana tourism corridor.
• French Lick Winery: Indiana-based craft winery with a tasting room, gift shop, and on-site dining anchored to the French Lick resort tourism economy. Comparable destination-winery GTM motion and event-driven revenue mix.
• Turtle Run Winery: Southern Indiana (Corydon) member of the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail. Direct trail co-member and the closest apples-to-apples craft-winery peer in terms of size, distribution footprint, and tasting-room economics.
• Best Vineyards: Indiana Uplands Wine Trail member and small-batch Indiana winery. Comparable size, distribution, and DTC-tourism model — a useful benchmark for a craft winery's per-tasting-room economics.
• Chateau Grand Traverse: Midwest (Michigan) estate winery focused on cool-climate varietals including Riesling and Gewürztraminer — varietals that overlap with Winzerwald's Germanic portfolio. Useful peer for European-style varietal positioning in a non-California/non-Oregon US context.

Direct peers

• Wollersheim Winery: Wisconsin's largest and oldest winery, where founder Dan Adams previously worked. Comparable craft-to-mid-sized estate winery model with a strong heritage narrative, on-site tasting, and direct-to-consumer focus — making it a directly relevant operational and strategic reference point.

Broad incumbents

• St. Julian Winery: Michigan's oldest and largest winery, with broad regional and national distribution. Comparable as a Midwest craft-to-mid-sized winery that has scaled from a small estate into multi-state wholesale, illustrating both the upside and the competitive threat for an Indiana craft player.
• Biltmore Estate Wine Company: Large estate winery with on-site restaurant, tasting room, and event programming tied to a destination tourism brand. Less direct as a peer (much larger, non-German focus) but highly relevant for the destination-winery-plus-F&B-plus-events business model.
• E & J Gallo Winery: Largest US wine producer and the dominant wholesale competitor for retail shelf space. Winzerwald competes with Gallo-affiliated brands at Indiana retail and against Gallo's German-inspired mass brands for consumer mindshare in the segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/winzerwaldwinery
• Xx.com/winzerwaldwines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winzerwald-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Winzerwald Winery