Brown County Winery
Brown County Winery is a family-owned Indiana winery, founded in 1985, producing handcrafted grape and fruit wines at its Gnaw Bone production facility and selling directly to consumers through two Brown County tasting rooms, online shipping to 40+ states, a wine club, and Indiana retail partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Brown County Winery does
Brown County Winery is a privately held, founder-owned winery established in 1985/1986 by Dave and Cynthia Schrodt in Nashville, Indiana. It produces a portfolio of handcrafted grape and fruit wines using traditional winemaking methods (whole fruit or fresh-pressed juice fermentation, with manual crushing, pressing, fermenting, filtering, and bottling performed on-site at the Gnaw Bone production facility). The product line spans dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet fruit, and fortified wines, including bestsellers Vista Red and Blackberry, alongside seasonal offerings such as White Sangria, Sangria, and Spiced Red/Cranberry Apple. The winery has received multiple awards at the Indy International Wine Competition, Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, and Indiana State Fair between 2017 and 2023.
The company operates two tasting room locations in Brown County, Indiana — a retail shop in the Village of Nashville and a larger winery and tasting room in Gnaw Bone — and serves consumers primarily through direct-to-consumer channels. Revenue streams include walk-in tastings ($5 for 6 wines) and on-premise bottle/case sales, online DTC shipping to 40+ U.S. states via UPS, a Wine Club subscription with three annual releases at a 15% discount, and Indiana-only retail distribution through liquor stores plus Kroger and Meijer via Carroll Wine and Spirits. Pricing is accessible, with bottles ranging from $10.99 to $19.99 and a 12.5% discount on orders of 12 or more bottles.
Brown County Winery targets wine enthusiasts and tourists visiting Brown County (a known Indiana arts and outdoors destination), families and groups (the tasting rooms are family- and pet-friendly), and Indiana retail wine consumers. Its marketing combines its own website, Instagram, Facebook, and email newsletter with partnerships across the Indiana Uplands Wine Country trail, Brown County Art Gallery, Brown County CVB, and Indiana Wine and Vine Association, plus participation in regional wine festivals and experiential events such as Paint by the Glass and seasonal markets.
Brown County Winery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Brown County Winery
- Legal name
- Brown County Winery
- Website
- https://browncountywinery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brown County Winery is a family-owned Indiana winery, founded in 1985, producing handcrafted grape and fruit wines at its Gnaw Bone production facility and selling directly to consumers through two Brown County tasting rooms, online shipping to 40+ states, a wine club, and Indiana retail partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Brown County Winery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Winery / Wine Production
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL), Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
Keywords
Where Brown County Winery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Brown County Winery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Tasting Room Sales: Wine sales at two tasting room locations with option to purchase by the glass, bottle, or case. Tastings available 7 days a week. Additional merchandise, gifts, cheese and gourmet food items sold at locations.
- Wine Club Subscription: Three releases per year (February, May, August) with 3 bottles each at 15% discount. Members receive 9 bottles annually at better than case discount. Additional benefits include 10% off merchandise, 4 free glass coupons, exclusive shipping discounts, and optional 15% holiday discount.
- Online Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer online ordering with shipping to over 40 states via UPS. Adult signature required. Orders of 12+ bottles receive 12.5% discount.
- Retail Distribution: Wine sold through Indiana liquor stores, Kroger, and Meijer retailers. Distributed through Carroll Wine and Spirits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Tasting |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine Bottle Prices |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Wine Club - Three Tiers (Dry, Variety, Sweet) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk Discount |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Paint by the Glass Event |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Brown County Winery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Brown County Winery produces and sells a diverse portfolio of handcrafted grape and fruit wines (dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and fortified varieties) made from whole fruit and fresh-pressed juice at its Gnaw Bone, Indiana production facility. The winery distributes these wines through two Brown County tasting rooms, an online store shipping to 40+ states, a recurring wine club subscription, and Indiana retail channels including liquor stores, Kroger, and Meijer.
Product overview
Brown County Winery is a single-location winery offering a diverse portfolio of handcrafted wines across multiple categories: dry wines (Overlook White, Autumn White, Shiraz, Barbera, Merlot), semi-dry wines (Vignoles, Autumn Red), semi-sweet wines (Vidal Blanc, Vista White, Vista Rosé, Vista Red), seasonal wines (White Sangria, Sangria, Autumn Apple, Spiced Cranberry Apple, Spiced Red), fruit wines (Apple, Cranberry Apple, Plum, Strawberry, Blackberry), and fortified wine (Old Barrel Port). The winery also operates a Wine Club membership and offers wine tasting experiences at two tasting room locations in Brown County, Indiana.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Handcrafted Wine Collection (Dry, Semi-Dry, Semi-Sweet, Sweet, Fortified) Diverse portfolio of handcrafted grape and fruit wines produced on-site at the Gnaw Bone, Indiana winery from whole fruit and fresh-pressed juice, sold to adult consumers across dry through sweet and fortified styles.
- Seasonal Wine Releases Limited-rotation wines tied to seasons and holidays, including White Sangria (Cayuga White and Vignoles blend with citrus and tropical fruit), classic Sangria, Spiced Red Wine, and Spiced Cranberry Apple Wine.
- Wine Club Membership Recurring subscription delivering approximately 9 bottles per year across three annual releases, with 15% wine discount, 10% merchandise discount, four free glass coupons, exclusive shipping discounts, and an optional 15% holiday discount.
- Wine Tasting Experience Walk-in wine tastings at the Nashville village shop and Gnaw Bone production winery, featuring 6 wines of choice for $5; family-friendly and pet-friendly on the Gnaw Bone deck.
- Paint by the Glass Event Hosted painting and wine experience where guests paint a wine glass while enjoying a complimentary glass of Brown County wine, with all materials and instruction included.
- White Sangria (Seasonal Launch) Sweet seasonal sangria-style wine blend built on Cayuga White and Vignoles with added citrus and tropical fruit flavors, designed for sangria cocktail use.
Quantifiable outcome
- Established in 1985/1986, celebrating 40 years in 2026
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Brown County Winery
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Brown County Winery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Brown County Winery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Indiana Uplands Wine CountrycoreBrown County Winery is a member of the Indiana Uplands Wine Country association, participating in joint marketing events including Winter Wine Market, Chocolate Lover's Weekend, Cheese Lover's Weekend, Spring into Summer Wine Market, and Uncork the Uplands. The wine trail promotes all 9 Uplands wineries collectively.
- Brown County Art GallerycoreVenue partner for Indiana Uplands Winter Wine Market events held at the Brown County Art Gallery. Cross-promotional relationship with Brown County's arts community.
- Brown County CVB (Convention and Visitors Bureau)minorCross-promotional partner for Brown County tourism, linking winery visits with broader Brown County travel experiences.
- Carroll Wine and SpiritscoreIndiana-based wine and spirits distributor that handles Brown County Winery's retail distribution to liquor stores throughout the state. Contact for retailers wanting to carry Brown County wines.
- Indiana Wine and Vine Association (IWVA)minorIndiana state wine industry association supporting the growth and promotion of Indiana wines. Brown County Winery is listed as an IWVA member.
- Explore Indiana WineriesminorMarketing partner for Indiana winery tourism, promoting Brown County Winery as a destination for wine enthusiasts visiting the state.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Brown County Winery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oliver Winery: Indiana's largest winery based in Bloomington, also a member of Indiana Uplands Wine Country. Operates a comparable DTC model with tasting room, wine club, retail distribution, and an award-winning portfolio spanning dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, and fruit wines; the closest direct competitor to Brown County Winery within the same state and wine trail.
- Huber Winery: Family-owned Indiana winery and Indiana Uplands member located in Starlight, IN. Combines vineyard/winery operations with a tasting room, gift shop, and on-site food service; directly comparable size, business model, and tourism-driven GTM to Brown County Winery.
- French Lick Winery: Indiana-based winery with tasting rooms, wine club, and a similar diversified grape and fruit wine portfolio. Competes with Brown County Winery for Indiana wine tourism dollars and retail shelf space; comparable mid-size regional positioning.
- Turtle Run Winery: Small Indiana Uplands winery in Corydon, IN producing dry to sweet wines with a tasting room and DTC focus. Operates at a similar scale to Brown County Winery and targets the same Indiana wine-tourist customer.
- Mallow Run Winery: Bargersville, Indiana winery with estate vineyard, tasting room, and event programming. Comparable in scale, geography (Indiana), and DTC/tasting-room-driven GTM to Brown County Winery.
- St. James Winery: Family-owned Missouri winery, comparable Midwest regional scale with tasting rooms, wine club, multi-state distribution, and a portfolio spanning dry to fruit wines. Closely parallels Brown County Winery's business model and target customer.
- Stone Hill Winery: Historic Hermann, Missouri winery (1847) with tasting room, wine club, and a broad dry-to-sweet portfolio including fruit wines. Similar size, longevity, and family-operated DTC model to Brown County Winery.
- Best Vineyards: Indiana Uplands member winery (Elizabeth, IN) producing a comparable mix of grape and fruit wines with tasting room and wine club. Direct competitor for Indiana regional wine customers.
Broad incumbents
- Willamette Valley Vineyards: Oregon-based publicly listed regional winery with a strong DTC, tasting room, and wine club model. Larger and more premium-positioned than Brown County Winery, but illustrative of the DTC-direct regional winery archetype the company aspires to scale toward.
- Biltmore Winery: Asheville, NC tourism-anchored winery operating from the Biltmore estate. Larger and broader, but exemplifies the destination tasting-room-plus-wine-club DTC model that Brown County Winery pursues within its own Indiana tourism corridor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Brown County Winery social profiles
Digital presenceBrown County Winery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Brown County Winery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Brown County Winery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Brown County Winery M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Brown County Winery
What does Brown County Winery do?
Brown County Winery produces and sells a diverse portfolio of handcrafted grape and fruit wines (dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and fortified varieties) made from whole fruit and fresh-pressed juice at its Gnaw Bone, Indiana production facility. The winery distributes these wines through two Brown County tasting rooms, an online store shipping to 40+ states, a recurring wine club subscription, and Indiana retail channels including liquor stores, Kroger, and Meijer.
Is Brown County Winery a public or private company?
Brown County Winery is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Brown County Winery founded?
Brown County Winery was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Brown County Winery based?
Brown County Winery is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Brown County Winery make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct Tasting Room Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Subscription, online Wine Sales and retail Distribution.
Who are Brown County Winery's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oliver Winery, Huber Winery, French Lick Winery, Turtle Run Winery, Mallow Run Winery, St. James Winery, Stone Hill Winery and Best Vineyards. Broad incumbents are Willamette Valley Vineyards and Biltmore Winery.
Does Brown County Winery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Brown County Winery.
What industry is Brown County Winery in?
Brown County Winery's product category is Winery / Wine Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms). Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 2080.