Wein‑Plus
Wein-Plus is an independent, subscription-based wine platform serving roughly 250,000 members across 40+ countries with blind-tasted wine reviews, the world's largest wine lexicon, producer profiles, e-commerce integration, and B2B services for European wine producers, merchants, and enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersErlangen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Wein‑Plus does
Wein-Plus GmbH is a privately held, Germany-based wine platform founded in 1998 by Utz Graafmann in Erlangen, with tasting manager Sam Hofschuster. The company operates an independent subscription-based online platform that combines a 177,923-review blind-tasting wine guide, a database of 25,403 European wine producers, the world's largest wine lexicon (26,275 entries), a multi-language magazine, an event calendar with 11,673 entries, a B2B web catalogue, and the find+buy wine search engine that routes consumers to the online shops of premium business members. The technical backbone is a manually curated content and commerce platform available in five languages (English, German, Italian, French, Spanish), with all wine evaluations performed blind in a dedicated Erlangen tasting room — a methodology used to preserve editorial independence from producer or merchant influence.
The platform serves roughly 250,000 private and professional members across 40+ countries, segmented into wine producers (28,515 business members), specialized wine merchants (12,150), HoReCa operators (3,894), and private wine enthusiasts. The business is financed entirely through member subscriptions — Private Premium at €58.80/year and Business Premium at €394.80/year — supplemented by B2B advertising, advertorials, social media marketing, and event management services. Customer acquisition is community-led: content marketing, the lexicon, the magazine, the 88,694-subscriber newsletter, social channels (Facebook 18,000, Instagram 8,000), and event participation drive roughly 300 new members per month. The company has partnerships with major European wine bodies including Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI), Österreich Wein Marketing (ÖWM), VDP, the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW), DOCa Rioja, Côtes du Rhône, Vins du Val de Loire, Pays d'Oc, and Wein Burgenland, plus a joint wine-travel offering with genussreisen.
The operating model is deliberately advertiser-light and independent of external capital: there are no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity, and the team numbers roughly 20 employees across several European countries. Recurring subscription revenue, deep editorial content, and a 28-year operating history make the platform a self-sustaining niche incumbent, though growth has been incremental rather than venture-scale, with limited evidence of aggressive expansion or AI-driven product development.
Wein‑Plus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wein‑Plus
- Legal name
- Wein-Plus GmbH
- Website
- https://wein.plus
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Wein-Plus is an independent, subscription-based wine platform serving roughly 250,000 members across 40+ countries with blind-tasted wine reviews, the world's largest wine lexicon, producer profiles, e-commerce integration, and B2B services for European wine producers, merchants, and enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wein‑Plus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Wine Information and Marketplace Platform
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail (CRANAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
Keywords
Where Wein‑Plus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Erlangen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Wein‑Plus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Premium Membership Subscriptions: Two-tier subscription model: Business Premium at €32.90/month (annual billing) or €49.90/month (monthly), and Private Premium at €4.90/month (annual billing, incl. VAT). Revenue is financed entirely by members with no external advertising.
- Advertising and Marketing Services: B2B advertising services including magazine ads, newsletter ads, advertorials, social media marketing, and event management for wine industry businesses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full access for wine businesses with visibility and sales tools |
| Subscription | Annual | Full access for private wine enthusiasts with exclusive discounts |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Basic free access to European wine platform |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Wein‑Plus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wein‑Plus operates a subscription-based online wine platform that publishes independent blind-tasted wine reviews (177,923 wines, 25,403 European producers) and the world's largest wine lexicon with 26,275 entries across five languages. Revenue comes from Business Premium and Private Premium membership subscriptions, supplemented by B2B advertising and marketing services, the GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS competition, and the find+buy wine search engine that links ~185,000 wines to premium members' online shops.
Product overview
Wein-Plus operates as a comprehensive wine platform offering multiple integrated products and services. The core platform consists of a wine review system (Wine Guide) with 177,923+ independently tasted wines, a producer database of 25,403 European producers, and the world's largest wine lexicon with 26,275 entries. Supporting content products include a news magazine with ~1,000 expert articles and a beginner FAQ. The platform extends to e-commerce through find+buy (wine search engine with 185,000+ wines), a B2B directory (Web Catalogue with 3,619 providers), wine travel features (Places and Travel), and an events calendar (11,673+ events). Additional revenue streams include advertising services and the GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS competition. The platform operates in five languages and serves approximately 250,000 members across 40+ countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wine Reviews (Wine Guide) Independent wine tasting platform containing 177,923+ reviews of European wines evaluated blind using the 100-point WP rating system, targeting wine enthusiasts seeking trustworthy evaluations.
- Wine Producers Database Database of 25,403 European wine producers with quality classifications and ratings, used by wine buyers and the wine trade to research suppliers.
- Wine Lexicon The world's most comprehensive wine encyclopedia with 26,275 keyword articles, 150,000+ cross-references, and thousands of pronunciation audios and translations across five languages.
- News+Stories (Magazine) Editorial wine magazine with ~1,492 reports covering wine news, tasting articles, food pairing, wine regions, travel and business topics, targeted at wine enthusiasts.
- Wine Regions Guide Comprehensive descriptions of European wine-growing areas with grape varieties, traditions, legal regulations and maps, targeted at trade and enthusiast researchers.
- find+buy Wine Search Engine Wine search engine providing direct purchase links and price comparison across 185,000 wines from premium members' online shops, targeted at consumers and connecting them to merchants.
- Business Directory (Web Catalogue) Searchable B2B industry directory with 3,619 providers of wines, accessories and services for the wine industry, targeted at trade buyers and professionals.
- Places (Wine Travel Platform) Wine travel platform for discovering wine regions, towns, specialized wine shops, winemakers and wine-loving restaurants, integrated with premium member promotions.
- Wein.plus Travel Program Exclusive wine travel offers co-developed with travel partner genussreisen for Premium Members, providing curated trips to wine regions.
- Events Calendar Calendar of 11,673+ wine events including tastings, seminars and fairs where members can promote wine events.
- Advertising & B2B Communication Services B2B marketing services for wine industry businesses including magazine ads, mailings, advertorials, newsletter ads, social media marketing and event management.
- GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS Wine competition organized by Wein-Plus offering free participation for Business Premium members, conferring medals usable in marketing materials.
- Business Premium Membership Subscription at €32.90/month with annual billing (€394.80/year) or €49.90/month with monthly billing, giving wine businesses full platform access, find+buy integration, visibility to 250,000+ members, business framework agreements and exclusive offers.
- Private Premium Membership Subscription at €4.90/month (annual billing, €58.80/year incl. VAT) for private wine enthusiasts including unlimited access to wine reviews, the world's largest wine encyclopedia, expert articles, eBook magazine, exclusive purchase discounts and ad-free reading.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250,000 members served across 40+ countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Wein‑Plus
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wein‑Plus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Wein‑Plus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.
- genussreisencoreJoint development partner for exclusive wine travel offers for Premium Members. Wein.plus collaborates with genussreisen to create exclusive travel experiences to wine regions.
- Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI)majorGerman Wine Institute - national wine marketing organization promoting German wines. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Österreich Wein Marketing (ÖWM)majorAustria Wine Marketing - service company for Austrian wine promotion. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW)majorProfessional body for Masters of Wine globally. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP)majorAssociation of German Prädikat Wine Estates - leading quality wine producers association. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Wein BurgenlandregionalWine marketing organization for Burgenland, Austria. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Pays d'Oc IGP winesregionalInterprofessional organization for Pays d'Oc IGP wines from southern France. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Côtes du RhôneregionalWine region association for Côtes du Rhône wines. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- Vins du Val de LoireregionalWine region association for Loire Valley wines. Listed as successful partner on about page.
- DOCa RiojaregionalRegulatory council for Rioja wine region in Spain. Listed as successful partner on about page.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wein‑Plus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vivino: Vivino is the largest mobile wine community and marketplace globally (60M+ users), offering label-scanning recognition, crowd-sourced ratings, and direct purchase. It directly competes with Wein-Plus for wine discovery and consumer-to-merchant commerce in Europe.
- Wine Spectator: Wine Spectator is one of the most recognized wine review publications globally with a 100-point rating system and subscription-based access to professional reviews, broadly comparable to Wein-Plus's paid review and rating model.
- Robert Parker Wine Advocate: Wine Advocate is a leading subscription-based wine review platform with professional critic ratings and a paid membership model — directly comparable to Wein-Plus's independent review and subscription offering, particularly for premium European producers.
- Wine Enthusiast: Wine Enthusiast (WineMag) operates a major wine rating and review platform with a 100-point system, paid professional reviews, and B2B commercial partnerships — overlapping significantly with Wein-Plus's editorial review and rating model.
- CellarTracker: CellarTracker is a community-driven wine cellar management and tasting-notes platform with millions of users, providing user-generated reviews and price data — comparable to Wein-Plus's community-led review and producer-rating model.
- Decanter: Decanter is a leading wine media brand offering expert reviews, ratings, news, and events with subscription access — comparable to Wein-Plus's premium content, magazine, and event calendar offerings.
- Vinous Media: Vinous is a subscription-based professional wine review platform founded by Antonio Galloni, with extensive European coverage and ratings — comparable to Wein-Plus's independent paid review proposition targeting premium European wine.
Emerging players
- Wine Folly: Wine Folly is a modern wine education and review platform with strong SEO, infographics, and consumer-friendly content — partially overlapping with Wein-Plus's magazine/lexicon educational content, but with a younger, more visual brand.
- Delectable: Delectable is a wine label-scanning and community-review mobile app — overlapping with Wein-Plus's find+buy and review functionality but with a mobile-first, social-network approach.
- Tim Atkin MW: Tim Atkin is an independent Master of Wine producing subscription-based reviews and reports on European wines — comparable as an independent reviewer in the same professional/independent review category that Wein-Plus occupies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wein‑Plus social profiles
Digital presenceWein‑Plus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wein‑Plus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Wein‑Plus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wein‑Plus 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 Wein‑Plus
What does Wein‑Plus do?
Wein‑Plus operates a subscription-based online wine platform that publishes independent blind-tasted wine reviews (177,923 wines, 25,403 European producers) and the world's largest wine lexicon with 26,275 entries across five languages. Revenue comes from Business Premium and Private Premium membership subscriptions, supplemented by B2B advertising and marketing services, the GOLDEN GRAPE AWARDS competition, and the find+buy wine search engine that links ~185,000 wines to premium members' online shops.
Is Wein‑Plus a public or private company?
Wein‑Plus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wein‑Plus founded?
Wein‑Plus was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wein‑Plus based?
Wein‑Plus is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Wein‑Plus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Premium Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Marketing Services.
Who are Wein‑Plus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vivino, Wine Spectator, Robert Parker Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, CellarTracker, Decanter and Vinous Media. Emerging players are Wine Folly, Delectable and Tim Atkin MW.
Does Wein‑Plus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wein‑Plus.
What industry is Wein‑Plus in?
Wein‑Plus's product category is Online Wine Information and Marketplace Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANAAAI, Alcohol Subscription Clubs & Membership Retail, with a secondary code of CRANABAF, Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail). Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 2080.