Decanter
Decanter is a global wine media brand publishing expert reviews, ratings, and editorial content through Decanter.com, print magazine, the DWWA wine competition, and Fine Wine Encounter events, serving wine consumers, collectors, trade professionals, and wineries worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Decanter does
Decanter is a wine media brand operating as part of Future plc's publishing portfolio through its subsidiary Future US Inc, with editorial roots dating to 1961 and the brand formally founded in 1975. The company provides expert wine reviews, ratings, news, travel guides, and educational content to wine consumers, collectors, trade professionals, and wineries through its flagship Decanter.com digital platform, a print magazine (Decanter Magazine), the Know Your Wine mobile application, email newsletters, and the Decanter Wine Club. Its core proprietary asset is an independent blind-tasting methodology paired with a globally recognized 100-point scoring system, operationalized through the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) — now in its 23rd year as the world's largest wine competition, evaluating nearly 17,000 entries from 58 countries with 245 international expert panelists.
Decanter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Decanter
- Legal name
- Future US Inc
- Website
- https://decanter.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Decanter is a global wine media brand publishing expert reviews, ratings, and editorial content through Decanter.com, print magazine, the DWWA wine competition, and Fine Wine Encounter events, serving wine consumers, collectors, trade professionals, and wineries worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Decanter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Media and Publishing
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
Keywords
Where Decanter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Decanter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Digital Subscriptions: Decanter Premium subscription providing exclusive access to in-depth wine insights, collector's guides, vintage guides, and premium articles
- Magazine Subscriptions: Print magazine subscription available (UK and international), with digital access included
- Events & Experiences: Fine Wine Encounter events in London, New York, and Singapore where wine lovers taste premium wines; tickets and sponsorships generate revenue
- Advertising & Sponsorships: Partner Spotlight sponsored content, advertising opportunities, and directory listings for wine brands and regions
- Wine Club: Decanter Wine Club offering curated wine selections to subscribers
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Decanter Premium - Digital subscription with full access |
| Subscription | Annual | Magazine Subscription - Print with digital access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Decanter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Decanter is a wine media brand that publishes expert wine reviews, ratings, region guides, and editorial content through its print magazine, Decanter.com website, and Decanter Premium subscription. It operates the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the world's largest wine competition, and runs premium Fine Wine Encounter tasting events in London, New York, and Singapore. Revenue is generated through digital and print subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, event tickets, and the wine club.
Product overview
Decanter operates as a multi-platform wine media brand offering both print and digital products. The core offerings include Decanter Magazine (print/digital publication), Decanter.com (digital platform with reviews and news), and Decanter Premium (subscription add-on for exclusive content). Key branded products include the annual Decanter World Wine Awards competition and Decanter Fine Wine Encounter events. Additional offerings include the Know Your Wine learning app, email newsletters, collector investment guides, and regional vintage guides. The portfolio also includes licensed editions such as Decanter China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA): The world's largest wine competition, now in its 23rd year, evaluating nearly 17,000 entries from 58 countries with a panel of 245 international experts.
- Decanter Fine Wine Encounter
- Decanter Presents: A Guide for Wine and Travel Lovers
Products and services
- Decanter Magazine Premium wine publication delivered in print and digital formats featuring expert wine reviews, region guides, producer profiles, and wine ratings from Decanter's panel of experts.
- Decanter.com Flagship digital platform offering wine reviews, latest wine news, region guides, expert columns, wine tasting notes, and educational content for wine enthusiasts.
- Decanter Premium
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 17,000 wines evaluated per year across 58 countries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Decanter
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Decanter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Decanter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Wiltshire Distilling CominorWiltshire Distilling Co partnered with English Heritage to create a collection of gins inspired by historic estates, with Decanter covering the partnership announcement and cocktail content. Each gin (Blackberry & Rosehip, Pomelo & Grapefruit, London Dry) is priced at £40/70cl and sold through English Heritage retail stores.
- Willamette Valley Wineries AssociationcoreDecanter critics participate in the Willamette Valley Wine Auction, providing ratings and tasting notes to nearly every lot. The auction has raised over $5 million over the past decade to support the association's marketing, education, and brand-building programs.
- International Pinot Noir CelebrationcoreDecanter magazine partners with the International Pinot Noir Celebration, bringing together Pinot Noir producers and enthusiasts for educational tasting events.
- Future plccoreDecanter is published by Future plc, a British media company. Decanter is part of Future US Inc, operating from New York with global digital publishing operations.
- BAR NSWminorBAR NSW in Australia promoted DWWA 2017 winners including Piper-Heidsieck, De Bortoli, and Pepper Tree wines during November-December 2017. Located at Echo Point, Sydney with views of the Blue Mountains Jamison Valley.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Decanter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wine Spectator: Wine Spectator is the dominant U.S. wine publication with ratings, reviews, and a long-running print magazine. It is the most direct peer to Decanter in editorial authority, target audience (wine enthusiasts and trade), and subscription business model — Decanter's new North America Regional Editor joined from Wine Spectator, underscoring direct talent competition.
- Wine Enthusiast: Wine Enthusiast is a major U.S. wine media brand combining editorial content, ratings, and a retail commerce business. It overlaps with Decanter on wine reviews, education content, and consumer subscription models, and competes for the same wine enthusiast and trade audiences.
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate: Wine Advocate (founded by Robert Parker) is one of the most influential global wine review platforms with a 100-point scoring system. It competes directly with Decanter on premium wine ratings, fine wine investment content, and credibility with collectors and trade professionals.
- Vinous Media: Vinous Media is a digital wine review and rating platform with strong coverage of Italian, Argentine, and other fine wine regions. It directly competes with Decanter on premium reviews, scores, and serving collectors and trade professionals, particularly in markets where Decanter has historically been weaker.
- The Drinks Business: The Drinks Business is a global trade-facing drinks media title covering wine, spirits, and beer. It overlaps with Decanter on trade audience, editorial coverage of producers and regions, and event/news reporting, and competes for the same wine trade advertising and sponsorship budgets.
- Imbibe: Imbibe is a drinks industry magazine covering wine, spirits, beer, and cocktails with a strong trade and hospitality audience. Several Decanter team members previously worked at Imbibe, demonstrating direct talent overlap and similar target audiences (sommeliers, bartenders, hospitality buyers).
Emerging players
- Wine Folly: Wine Folly is a digital-native wine education and review platform focused on visual learning, infographics, and approachable content for newer wine drinkers. It competes with Decanter at the entry-level education segment and complements (rather than directly replaces) Decanter's premium collector focus.
- VinePair: VinePair is a digital-first wine, beer, and spirits media brand producing daily editorial content and podcasts for consumers. It overlaps with Decanter on wine news, reviews, and lifestyle content, but with a younger-skewing consumer audience and a digital-native cost structure.
- GuildSomm: GuildSomm is an international wine education community for sommeliers and trade professionals, offering study tools, articles, and tasting content. It overlaps with Decanter on the trade/professional wine education segment, particularly for sommelier credentialing and technical content.
- Wine-Searcher: Wine-Searcher is a global wine price comparison and discovery platform used heavily by collectors and trade. It overlaps with Decanter on the fine wine collector audience and complements Decanter's investment and collector content with actionable pricing and availability data.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Decanter social profiles
Digital presenceDecanter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Decanter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Decanter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Decanter 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 Decanter
What does Decanter do?
Decanter is a wine media brand that publishes expert wine reviews, ratings, region guides, and editorial content through its print magazine, Decanter.com website, and Decanter Premium subscription. It operates the Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA), the world's largest wine competition, and runs premium Fine Wine Encounter tasting events in London, New York, and Singapore. Revenue is generated through digital and print subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, event tickets, and the wine club.
Is Decanter a public or private company?
Decanter is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Decanter founded?
Decanter was founded in 1975. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Decanter based?
Decanter is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Decanter make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are magazine Subscriptions, events & Experiences, advertising & Sponsorships and wine Club.
Who are Decanter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Vinous Media, The Drinks Business and Imbibe. Emerging players are Wine Folly, VinePair, GuildSomm and Wine-Searcher.
Does Decanter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Decanter.
What industry is Decanter in?
Decanter's product category is Wine Media and Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants).