Delinat
Delinat is a privately held organic wine e-commerce company founded in 1980 that curates more than 250 wines from roughly 100 European family wineries and sells them directly to consumers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria via its online shop, subscription service, and Swiss wine depots under proprietary standards stricter than EU-Bio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersSaint Gallen, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Delinat does
Delinat is a Switzerland-rooted, privately held organic wine e-commerce company founded in 1980 by Karl Schefer, operating today as the legal entity Delinat GmbH in Grenzach-Wyhlen, Germany, with operational presence in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The company curates and sells more than 250 wines sourced from approximately 100 family-owned wineries across eight European countries (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Germany, Switzerland), distributing primarily to consumers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria through its own e-commerce platform, a long-running subscription (DegustierService, launched 1987), five Swiss wine depots, and a wine bar in Bern.
The technical and standards backbone is the proprietary Delinat-Richtlinien, a 100+ criterion framework exceeding EU-Bio, Demeter, and Bioland limits on sulfur, copper, biodiversity, and processing, all wines vegan from the 2017 vintage onward. Delinat also operates Château Duvivier, a 25-hectare research winery in Provence where approximately 40 PIWI (fungus-resistant) grape varieties are trialed for climate-adapted viticulture, funded by a stated 1% of company revenue.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and recurring-revenue-led: bottle and package sales (EUR 6.30-95 per bottle; EUR 58-135 for 6-12 bottle packages), subscription wine deliveries (2-4 per year, no minimum term, free shipping), gift vouchers, specialty organic products (honey, olive oil, vinegar, spirits), and experiential revenue from wine courses and multi-day wine trips. Marketing relies on content (WeinLese blog/magazine), events, SEO, and newsletter, with 3+ million bottles sold annually to a long-tail consumer base. The firm employs 51-100 people, holds no external institutional funding, and is governed as a founder-controlled independent.
Delinat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Delinat
- Legal name
- Delinat GmbH
- Website
- https://delinat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Delinat is a privately held organic wine e-commerce company founded in 1980 that curates more than 250 wines from roughly 100 European family wineries and sells them directly to consumers in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria via its online shop, subscription service, and Swiss wine depots under proprietary standards stricter than EU-Bio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Delinat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Wine Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wineries (31213)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAB), Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
Keywords
Where Delinat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Gallen
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
Delinat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wine Sales (E-commerce): Direct online sales of over 250 organic wines from approximately 100 family wineries across 8 European countries. Customers purchase individual bottles or packages through the Delinat online shop with delivery to Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
- Wine Subscription (DegustierService): Subscription wine delivery service since 1987. Customers choose between red, white, rosé, sparkling, or premium packages and receive 2-4 deliveries per year with 3 surprise organic wines each time. No minimum contract period, always free shipping.
- Gift Packages and Vouchers: Pre-packaged wine gift sets and wine estate vouchers sold as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries. Includes the DegustierService as a gift subscription.
- Specialty Products: Additional bio products including honey, olive oil, vinegar, and spirits from certified organic production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine packages with 6 bottles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Wine packages with 12 bottles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual wine bottles |
| Subscription | Annual | Wine subscription (DegustierService) |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Shipping rates |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Delinat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Delinat is a DACH-region (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) organic wine retailer founded in 1980 by Karl Schefer. It curates and sells wines from roughly 100 family wineries that meet its proprietary Delinat-Richtlinien standards — guidelines stricter than EU-Bio, Demeter, and Bioland — through an online shop, a wine subscription (DegustierService), physical wine depots, and a wine bar in Bern. The company also operates Château Duvivier, a research winery in Provence focused on biodiversity, climate-resilient PIWI grape varieties, and pest-resistant viticulture.
Product overview
Delinat is an online organic wine merchant founded in 1980, operating a core e-commerce platform with over 250 organic wines from ~100 family estates across eight European countries (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Germany, Switzerland). The primary offering is the curated wine shop, complemented by the DegustierService (wine subscription, no minimum term, free shipping) and physical wine depots/bar in Switzerland. Supporting services include in-person and virtual wine tastings (Weinseminare), wine travel experiences, and sampler packs (Probierpakete). Delinat's proprietary Delinat-Richtlinien (100+ organic criteria exceeding EU Bio) and its own research winery Château Duvivier in Provence for PIWI grape research form the brand's quality and innovation pillars. A specialties line extends the offering to organic honey, olive oil, vinegar, spirits, and wine accessories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Delinat Online Wine Shop DACH-region e-commerce storefront curating and selling organic wines from approximately 100 family-owned wineries that comply with Delinat's proprietary standards stricter than EU-Bio, Demeter, and Bioland.
- DegustierService (Wine Subscription)
Quantifiable outcome
- Maximum 100mg/l total SO2 (vs 150mg/l EU-Bio limit) - approximately 50% less than conventional wines
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Delinat
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Delinat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature3 records
Delinat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Labelinfo.ch (WWF Switzerland, Stiftung Pusch)coreLabelinfo.ch is an independent label comparison platform operated by WWF Switzerland and Stiftung Pusch. They provide the highest rating of 'Ausgezeichnet' (Excellent) to Delinat's organic wine standards, confirming Delinat exceeds Demeter, Bioland, and Naturland standards. This third-party validation is a core trust signal for Delinat's marketing.
- ~100 Family Wine Estates (European)coreDelinat works with approximately 100 family wine estates across 8 European countries (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Germany, Switzerland). These estates must comply with Delinat's proprietary guidelines exceeding EU-Bio standards. The relationship is long-term and collaborative, with Delinat providing market access and premium positioning in exchange for verified sustainable production.
- Château DuviviercoreDelinat's own research winery in Provence, France. On 25 hectares, Delinat researches approximately 40 PIWI (disease-resistant) grape varieties. This facility is central to Delinat's climate adaptation strategy and innovation in sustainable viticulture. 1% of Delinat's revenue flows to research projects here.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Delinat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mövenpick Wein: Mövenpick Wein is a German premium wine retailer (part of Mövenpick Group) operating online and through tasting-focused retail locations. It is a broad incumbent competing on curated wine assortment and physical tasting experiences, overlapping with Delinat on customer profile.
- Hawesko Holding: Hawesko Holding is Germany's largest specialty wine retailer, publicly listed, operating multiple brands including Hawesko, Jacques' Wein-Depot, and Wein & Co. It is a broad incumbent that dwarfs Delinat on scale, assortment breadth, and capital access in the same DACH footprint.
Direct peers
- Vivino: Vivino is a Denmark-based global wine marketplace and app with over 60 million users, enabling wine discovery, ratings, and purchase. It competes directly with Delinat by aggregating organic and conventional wine options and routing demand to retailers, including subscription-like discovery features.
- Wine in Black: Wine in Black is a Berlin-based DTC wine e-commerce and curated subscription service operating primarily in Germany. It is the closest direct competitor to Delinat's DegustierService model in the DACH region, targeting wine enthusiasts with discovery-oriented delivery.
- Wijnbeurs: Wijnbeurs is one of the Netherlands' largest online wine retailers, offering a curated multi-country assortment with delivery across the Netherlands and parts of Europe. It is directly comparable to Delinat on DTC e-commerce mechanics and European family-estate sourcing model.
- Schlumberger Wein- und Sekt KG: Schlumberger is a major Austrian wine and sparkling wine importer-retailer with a strong Austria and DACH presence. It is directly comparable to Delinat on customer geography (Austria/Germany) and assortment model, though Schlumberger's portfolio extends beyond organic.
Others
- Yves Beck Wine Consultant: Yves Beck is a prominent Swiss-based wine critic and consultant covering organic and biodynamic European producers. He is adjacent rather than competitive, but reflects the broader Swiss wine ecosystem in which Delinat operates and provides editorial influence on organic wine perception in the DACH region.
Regional players
- Wein & Co: Wein & Co is Austria's leading specialty wine retail chain, owned by Hawesko Holding, operating physical wine shops and online ordering. It overlaps with Delinat on Austria consumer demand and assortment strategy, though it is generalist rather than organic-focused.
- Loosen Bros. (Weingut Dr. Loosen): Loosen Bros. is a renowned German Mosel wine estate with its own DTC e-commerce channel. While primarily a producer rather than retailer, it competes for DACH online wine demand through direct customer relationships, overlapping with Delinat's high-engagement enthusiast target segment.
Emerging players
- Biovino: Biovino is a Swiss specialist online retailer of organic and biodynamic wines, headquartered in Switzerland. It is an emerging peer with strong direct overlap on the organic/biodynamic positioning and Swiss customer base, though at smaller scale than Delinat.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Delinat social profiles
Digital presenceDelinat compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Delinat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Delinat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Delinat subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Delinat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Delinat 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 Delinat
What does Delinat do?
Delinat is a DACH-region (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) organic wine retailer founded in 1980 by Karl Schefer. It curates and sells wines from roughly 100 family wineries that meet its proprietary Delinat-Richtlinien standards — guidelines stricter than EU-Bio, Demeter, and Bioland — through an online shop, a wine subscription (DegustierService), physical wine depots, and a wine bar in Bern. The company also operates Château Duvivier, a research winery in Provence focused on biodiversity, climate-resilient PIWI grape varieties, and pest-resistant viticulture.
Is Delinat a public or private company?
Delinat is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Delinat founded?
Delinat was founded in 1980. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Delinat based?
Delinat is headquartered in Saint Gallen, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Delinat make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wine Sales (E-commerce) is the primary driver. The others are wine Subscription (DegustierService), gift Packages and Vouchers and specialty Products.
Who are Delinat's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mövenpick Wein and Hawesko Holding. Direct peers are Vivino, Wine in Black, Wijnbeurs and Schlumberger Wein- und Sekt KG. Yves Beck Wine Consultant is listed as an others. Regional players are Wein & Co and Loosen Bros. (Weingut Dr. Loosen). Biovino is listed as an emerging player.
Does Delinat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Delinat.
What industry is Delinat in?
Delinat's product category is Online Wine Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants), with a secondary code of CRANAAAB, Wine Shops (Off-Premise). Its NAICS code is 445320 and its SIC code is 2080.