WineStyles Tasting Station

What WineStyles Tasting Station does

WineStyles Tasting Station, legally Tasting Station, Inc., is a privately held franchise system headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, that operates retail wine-and-beer boutiques combined with on-premise wine bar experiences. Founded in 2002, the company runs 8 locations across Iowa, Virginia, Illinois, and Wisconsin, each stocking approximately 150 wines and 100+ craft beers, with most bottles priced between $10 and $25. Its proprietary technology is a taste-profile categorization framework that organizes wines into eight intuitive styles (Crisp, Silky, Rich, Bold, Mellow, Fruity, Bubbly, Nectar) and beers into six flavor profiles (Crisp & Clean, Sour Tart & Funky, Fruity & Spicy, Hoppy & Bitter, Malty & Sweet, Dark & Roasty), replacing traditional varietal or regional classification to lower the barrier to selection.

The business makes money through a combination of on-premise and off-premise retail sales (wine by the glass, bottle, case; craft beer; artisanal cheese; tapas), ten recurring subscription products (Discovery, Taste, Learn, Enjoy, Sweet, Bubbly, and Collectors Wine Clubs; Beer Club; Cheese Club; Mug Club), gift cards ($25-$500) and gift baskets, private event venue rental, and a Styles Rewards loyalty program. Wine quality is governed by a Masters Wine Panel led by Doug Frost, one of only two individuals to hold both Master of Wine and Master Sommelier credentials; product depth is reinforced by an exclusive co-development partnership with Clos LaChance Winery producing proprietary wine styles per taste category. Distribution combines locally owned franchise stores with a centralized curbside pickup e-commerce platform (pickup.winestyles.com).

The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: weekly in-store tastings, the Uncorked educational series, the Boozie Banter podcast, a WineStyles Blog, social media and email programs at each local store, plus a "Corks for a Cause" fundraiser program drive acquisition and retention. Customer segments span wine enthusiasts (beginner to connoisseur), craft beer enthusiasts, gourmet food consumers, corporate gift buyers, and private event hosters. Trademarked brand assets (WineStyles®, Tasting Station®, "Taste, Learn and Enjoy®") anchor the franchisor's IP, and corporate offices remain at 5515 Mills Civic Pkwy #120, West Des Moines. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in available data.

Name

WineStyles Tasting Station

Legal name

Tasting Station, Inc.

Website

https://winestyles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

WineStyles Tasting Station is a privately held franchise wine-and-beer boutique operating 8 stores across 4 U.S. states, combining on-premise wine bars with retail and recurring wine, beer, and cheese subscription clubs organized by a proprietary taste-profile system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Retail and Bar Services

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail (CRANAAAI), Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Wine retail stores
• Craft beer retail
• Wine club subscriptions
• Wine tasting bars
• Gourmet food retail

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Wine and Beer Sales: On-premise and off-premise retail sales of wines, craft beers, artisanal cheeses, gourmet chocolates, and specialty food items. Most bottles priced between $10-$25. Includes wine by the glass, bottle, and case sales.
2. Wine Club Memberships: Monthly wine club memberships with various tiers: Discovery ($19.99/month - 1 bottle), Taste ($44.99/month - 2 bottles), Learn ($59.99/month - 3 bottles), Enjoy ($89.99/bi-monthly - 2 premium bottles), Sweet ($29.99/month), Bubbly ($49.99/month), Collectors ($250/quarterly). Auto-billed monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly with 30-day cancellation notice.
3. Beer Club Memberships: Monthly craft beer club membership at $19.99/month with monthly selections of craft beers, 5% discount on retail purchases, and advance notice of limited selections.
4. Cheese Club Memberships: Monthly artisanal cheese club at $19.99/month providing 2-3 premium gourmet cheeses monthly, with 5% discount on cheese purchases.
5. Mug Club Membership: Annual beer mug club with $75 first-year founders membership (reg. $99/year) offering $2 off draft pours, 10% off growlers, 5% off retail beer, free quarterly tastings, and collectable mug at year end.
6. Food and Beverage Service: On-premise sales of tapas/small plates, wine by the glass, craft beer on tap. Tasting events and educational classes with ticket sales.
7. Gift Cards and Corporate Gifts: Gift cards available in denominations from $25 to $500, gift memberships, and custom gift baskets for corporate and personal occasions.
8. Private Event Hosting: Venue rental and catering for private parties, corporate events, fundraisers, and business meetings. Includes themed tasting events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WineStyles Tasting Station operates a franchise of retail wine and beer bars that organize approximately 150 wines and 100+ craft beers using a proprietary eight-style taste profile system (Crisp, Silky, Rich, Bold, Mellow, Fruity, Bubbly, Nectar) alongside six beer-style profiles. Each store combines on-premise tasting bar service with retail bottle sales of wines, craft beers, artisanal cheeses, chocolates, and charcuterie. The offering is supported by recurring wine/beer/cheese club memberships, an educational Uncorked tasting series, private event hosting, e-commerce curbside pickup, gift cards, and a Styles Rewards loyalty program.

Product overview

WineStyles Tasting Station is a wine boutique retail and bar franchise offering a curated selection of approximately 150 wines and 100+ craft beers. The company operates a dual-concept combining retail wine sales with an in-store tasting bar experience. Products are organized through proprietary taste-based categorization systems: eight wine style profiles (Crisp, Silky, Rich, Fruity, Mellow, Bold, Bubbly, Nectar) and six beer style profiles (Crisp & Clean, Sour Tart & Funky, Fruity & Spicy, Hoppy & Bitter, Malty & Sweet, Dark & Roasty). The core offering is supported by subscription-based membership clubs (Taste, Discovery, Learn, Enjoy, Sweet, Bubbly, and Collectors Wine Clubs; Beer Club; Mug Club; Cheese Club), a Styles Rewards loyalty program, curbside pickup and online ordering, e-Gift Cards and gift baskets, educational programming (Uncorked Wine Tasting Series), private event venues, and the Boozie Banter podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Discovery Wine Club: Introductory wine club offering 1 bottle monthly at $19.99/month
• Taste Wine Club
• Learn Wine Club
• Enjoy Wine Club
• Sweet Wine Club
• Bubbly Wine Club
• Collectors Wine Club
• Beer Club
• Mug Club
• Cheese Club
• Boozie Banter Podcast

Products and services

• Taste Wine Club Monthly wine club delivering two bottles of wine from around the world with tasting notes and pairing recipes. Includes 10-15% discount on wine purchases and complimentary tickets to educational events for wine enthusiasts.
• Discovery Wine Club Introductory wine club delivering one bottle of wine (red or white) monthly with tasting notes and pairing recipes for newcomers to wine.
• Learn Wine Club Three-bottle monthly wine club designed for enthusiasts wanting to sample a wide range of varietals, with complimentary tickets to educational wine tasting events.
• Enjoy Wine Club Bi-monthly premium wine club delivering two bottles of top-scoring or limited-release wines every other month, with two complimentary tasting tickets.
• Sweet Wine Club Monthly club delivering one to two bottles of sweet wines with tasting notes and 15% discount on repeat purchases of club wines.
• Bubbly Wine Club Monthly club delivering one to two bottles of sparkling wines with 15% discount on repeat purchases and complimentary tickets to educational events.
• Collectors Wine Club Quarterly club delivering special fine wine selections for collectors, with 10% discount on retail wine purchases and 15% on repeat club wine purchases.
• Beer Club Monthly craft beer club delivering different beer styles such as Ales, IPAs, Lagers, Pilsners, Stouts and specialty beers chosen locally from small independent and regional micro-brewers.
• Mug Club Annual beer mug club with $2 off draft pours, 10% off growlers and twistees, 5% off retail beer, free quarterly tastings, and collectable membership mug at year end.
• Cheese Club Monthly artisanal cheese club delivering 2-3 premium gourmet cheeses (6-8 oz each) paired with wine selections, including 5% discount on cheese purchases and invitations to private tastings.
• Styles Rewards Loyalty Program Free loyalty card program where members earn one point per dollar spent; 200 reward points earns $10 off next in-store purchase of $50 or more.
• Curbside Pickup Contactless online ordering with curbside pickup at local WineStyles stores; orders processed within 24 hours or same business day.
• e-Gift Cards Digital gift cards available in denominations of $25, $50, $75, $100, $200, $300, $400, or $500, redeemable for wine, beer, cheese, accessories, gourmet items, and menu items.
• Gift Baskets Custom-made and pre-made gift baskets featuring exclusive wines, craft beers, gourmet foods, and specialty items, available for corporate gifts and personal occasions.
• Uncorked Educational Wine Tasting Series Monthly educational wine tasting class series for 2026 covering themed topics such as Sweet Sips, Ancient Vines, Wine Myths, Curds and Corks, Grape Escape, Wild Things, Dynamic Duos, American Classics, Wine Snob, Home Entertaining, Bubbles, and Blind Tasting.
• Clubhouse Events Private event venue hosting fundraisers, private parties, corporate events, and weekly wine/beer tastings, including the Corks for a Cause wine tasting fundraiser program.
• Tasting Station Retail and Bar Wine boutique retail store combined with wine bar experience offering wines by the glass, bottle, and case, rotating craft beers on tap, artisanal cheeses, chocolates, charcuterie, and tapas/small plates across approximately 150 wines organized by eight proprietary taste profiles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most wines priced between $10-$25, making quality wines accessible
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Clos LaChance WinerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive collaboration between Clos LaChance winery and WineStyles to develop proprietary wine styles (Bold, Mellow, Fruity, Crisp, Silky, Rich) under the WineStyles brand. Clos LaChance is a multi-generational family-owned winery located in the Central Coast AVA of California, certified sustainable by the California Sustainable Wine Growing Alliance. The partnership creates exclusive wine profiles representing each WineStyles taste category.
• Doug Frost (Masters Wine Panel)coreOthersDoug Frost, one of only two people in history to hold both Master of Wine and Master Sommelier distinctions, leads the WineStyles Masters Wine Panel that approves wines for the system. This expert oversight ensures consistent quality and curation across all WineStyles locations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Total Wine & More: Largest U.S. independent wine/beer/liquor retailer with 200+ superstores and on-premise tasting bars. Both retailers combine retail and bar/tasting formats and sell wine by style/varietal across price points, but Total Wine operates at vastly larger scale and broader assortment.

Direct peers

• BevMo!: Multi-category wine, beer, and spirits specialty retailer with tasting events and curated selections, including tasting bars in many locations. Directly comparable format to WineStyles as a smaller-footprint wine/beer specialty retail + tasting experience.
• Spec's Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods: Texas-based regional chain selling wine, beer, and gourmet foods with knowledgeable staff and tastings. Comparable retail-plus-advice model to WineStyles but with a much larger brick-and-mortar footprint.
• Wine.com: Largest U.S. online wine retailer offering curated wine selection, subscriptions, and gift baskets. Directly comparable to WineStyles on e-commerce, wine-club subscriptions, and gift-card/gift-basket offerings, though Wine.com is online-only.

Emerging players

• Winc (formerly Club W): Direct-to-consumer wine subscription club delivering curated bottles monthly with taste-based recommendations. Comparable to WineStyles' wine club subscription model with personalized taste preferences, though Winc is purely online and ships across permissive states.
• Firstleaf: DTC wine subscription service that quizzes customers on taste preferences and ships curated cases. Closest online-comparable to WineStyles' taste-profile categorization and monthly subscription club approach.

Regional players

• Binny's Beverage Depot: Midwest-based (Chicago) beer/wine/spirits superstore chain with in-store tastings and large craft beer selection. Direct match to WineStyles' Midwest concentration and craft beer focus, though Binny's operates at much larger store footprint.
• Surdyk's Liquor & Gourmet Food: Minneapolis-based independent wine/liquor retailer with tasting events and gourmet food offerings. Closely comparable to WineStyles on boutique format, expert curation, and combination with gourmet food adjacent categories.
• Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits: Historic New York specialty wine retailer with tasting events, curated selections, and expert staff. Comparable as boutique wine retailer with educational events and premium positioning, though operating on the East Coast.

Others

• World Market (Cost Plus World Market): National specialty retailer combining wine, gourmet food, beer, and cheese with gift baskets. Adjacent to WineStyles' multi-category strategy combining wine, beer, cheese, gourmet foods, chocolates, and gift baskets under one roof.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/winestyles
• Instagraminstagram.com/winestylessunprairie
• Xx.com/winestylesstore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winestyles

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 WineStyles Tasting Station