Donkey and Goat
Donkey & Goat is a craft natural winery in Berkeley, California, founded in 2004, that sells minimal-intervention wines directly to consumers via e-commerce, a tasting room, five wine-club tiers, and community events including the annual UNFILTERED festival.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Donkey and Goat does
Donkey & Goat Winery is a craft natural winery founded in 2003–2004 in Berkeley, California, by Jared and Tracey Brandt after Jared trained under Rhône natural winemaker Éric Texier in France. The company produces minimal-intervention wines from sustainably farmed California vineyards, including Chardonnay, Rosé, Pétillant-Naturel sparkling wines, Mourvèdre, and skin-contact (orange) whites. It is recognized as one of the pioneering forces behind the American natural wine movement, credited with producing the first commercially released Pét-Nat in the United States, early adoption of skin-contact whites, and early ingredient labeling on American wine bottles.
The business operates a fully direct-to-consumer model with no traditional wholesale distribution. Revenue is generated through five wine-club tiers (Adventure, Expedition, Weekender, Wanderlust, and GOAT for Business), an e-commerce storefront selling bottles at $32–$45, a Berkeley tasting room open four days per week, private event rentals, and ticketed community events including the annual UNFILTERED natural wine festival that convenes 60 winemakers. Wine clubs ship 3–4 times per year at $135–$390 per shipment, with member discounts, complimentary tastings, and exclusive access events that anchor retention.
Strategically, Donkey & Goat pursues community-led growth rather than scale: it has helped assemble the Berkeley Wine Block cluster (Broc Cellars, Hammerling, Tessier), partnered with Sofar Sounds for monthly live music, and launched the corporate GOAT Club for B2B hospitality. The company is privately held, founder-owned, employs 11–50 people, and serves customers almost exclusively within the United States.
Donkey and Goat firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Donkey and Goat
- Legal name
- Donkey & Goat Winery
- Website
- https://donkeyandgoat.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Donkey & Goat is a craft natural winery in Berkeley, California, founded in 2004, that sells minimal-intervention wines directly to consumers via e-commerce, a tasting room, five wine-club tiers, and community events including the annual UNFILTERED festival.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Donkey and Goat industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural Winemaking
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Donkey and Goat is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Donkey and Goat business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Direct Wine Sales: Sales of bottled wines through e-commerce (online shop) and at the physical tasting room. Wine prices range from $32 to $45 per bottle for current releases.
- Wine Club Memberships: Quarterly wine shipments with member discounts and exclusive perks. Community clubs (Adventure, Expedition) require in-person visits; Long-distance clubs (Weekender, Wanderlust) ship wines. Business club (GOAT) provides quarterly deliveries to corporate clients.
- Event Tickets and Private Bookings: Revenue from ticket sales for the UNFILTERED festival ($65/day, $95 weekend pass), Sofar Sounds events, and private event reservations at the Tasting Room, Barrel Room, and Wine Patio.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Adventure Club - 6 bottles/quarter at ~$200 |
| Subscription | Annual | Expedition Club - 12 bottles/quarter at ~$390 |
| Subscription | Annual | Weekender Club - 3 bottles/quarter at $135 |
| Subscription | Annual | Wanderlust Club - 6 or 12 bottles/quarter at $200-$390 |
| Subscription | Annual | GOAT Club for Business - 6 bottles/quarter |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Bottle Prices |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Donkey and Goat product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Donkey & Goat is a natural winery crafting minimal-intervention, terroir-driven wines from sustainably farmed California vineyards. The company sells its bottled wines direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce shop, a physical tasting room in Berkeley, and a portfolio of recurring wine club memberships (community, long-distance, and corporate tiers). It also operates on-site wine tasting experiences, private event hosting, and the annual UNFILTERED natural wine festival.
Product overview
Donkey & Goat is a natural winery offering a portfolio of terroir-driven wines including Chardonnay, Rosé, Pétillant-Naturel sparkling wines, and Mourvèdre, along with subscription-based wine club memberships (Adventure, Expedition, Weekender, Wanderlust, and GOAT for Business) and event services. The winery operates a tasting room in Berkeley's Gilman District and hosts the annual UNFILTERED festival celebrating natural winemakers. Founded in 2004, the company crafts wines from sustainably farmed vineyards with minimal intervention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- 2025 Chardonnay, Conzelman Vineyard Still wine Chardonnay from Conzelman Vineyard in Anderson Valley, featuring zip and zing with added depth and richness. Priced at $38.00 per bottle. Aimed at natural wine enthusiasts.
- 2025 Fine and Dandy Rosé Rosé from Petaluma Gap with flavors of crisp watermelon, fresh herbs, and pink grapefruit. Priced at $32.00 per bottle. Aimed at natural wine enthusiasts.
- 2025 Lily's Pét Nat, Sparkling Chardonnay
Quantifiable outcome
- Founded in 2003 before 'natural wine' had a name, helping ignite a new philosophy of winemaking in California
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Donkey and Goat
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Donkey and Goat technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Donkey and Goat partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Visit BerkeleycorePresenting sponsor of the UNFILTERED festival. Visit Berkeley promotes local tourism and events, helping to attract visitors to Berkeley's wine and culinary scene. They are collaborating with Donkey & Goat to build visibility for natural wine producers in the region.
- Vintage BerkeleycorePresenting sponsor and venue partner for UNFILTERED festival. Hosts festival after-party on both Saturday and Sunday evenings (6-9 PM) at their Vine Street store. Co-marketing the event to their wine club members with 20% ticket discount.
- The Indie Wine PodcastcorePresenting sponsor of UNFILTERED festival. Matt Wood serves as moderator for panel discussions. The podcast provides media coverage and audience reach for the festival and natural wine community.
- DoubleTree by Hilton BerkeleyminorOfficial hotel partner for UNFILTERED festival (July 24-26, 2026). Festival organizers have secured a sponsored booking link with discounted rates for festival attendees traveling from outside the Bay Area.
- Rucolina DiningminorChef collaboration for food pairings with wines. Rucolina Dining provides locally made snacks for quarterly GOAT Club business tastings. This culinary partnership enhances the wine tasting experience at corporate events.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Donkey and Goat competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Broc Cellars: Berkeley natural winery co-located on the Berkeley Wine Block since 2013. Directly comparable as a similarly sized natural wine producer serving the same Bay Area community and natural wine consumer.
- Hammerling Wines: Natural winery that joined the Berkeley Wine Block in 2018. Closely comparable as a small, minimally interventionist producer in the same neighborhood with overlapping direct-to-consumer and tasting room channels.
- Tessier Winery: Natural winery that joined the Berkeley Wine Block in 2024. Comparable as a small-batch, minimally interventionist California producer with a similar tasting-room-led go-to-market motion.
- Matthiasson Wines: Napa Valley producer widely regarded as a leader in restrained, low-intervention California winemaking. Comparable as a top-tier natural-leaning producer with premium pricing and direct-to-consumer distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Bonny Doon Vineyard: Established California winery that pioneered idiosyncratic, terroir-driven winemaking (including Cigar Vol and Rhône varietals). Comparable as a larger, more diversified natural-leaning California winery with broader distribution.
- Ridge Vineyards: Historic California producer practicing natural, minimal-intervention winemaking at substantially larger scale. Comparable on philosophy and California terroir focus, but operates with much broader distribution and brand recognition.
- Tablas Creek: Paso Robles Rhône-style producer practicing biodynamic and minimal-intervention viticulture. Comparable on Rhône stylistic roots and natural-leaning winemaking philosophy, though at significantly larger scale.
- Cayuse Vineyards: Walla Walla Valley biodynamic producer with strict natural-winemaking practices. Comparable as a cult, allocation-based, terroir-driven producer with strong direct-to-consumer and mailing-list model.
Emerging players
- Field Recordings Wine: California négociant-style producer making small-batch natural and minimal-intervention wines. Comparable as a younger, emerging natural wine producer targeting overlapping enthusiast consumers.
- Winc: Subscription-based wine club that curates and direct-ships wines to consumers. Comparable on the direct-to-consumer subscription distribution model, though Winc aggregates third-party wines rather than producing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Donkey and Goat social profiles
Digital presenceDonkey and Goat financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Donkey and Goat leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Donkey and Goat funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Donkey and Goat 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 Donkey and Goat
What does Donkey and Goat do?
Donkey & Goat is a natural winery crafting minimal-intervention, terroir-driven wines from sustainably farmed California vineyards. The company sells its bottled wines direct-to-consumer through an e-commerce shop, a physical tasting room in Berkeley, and a portfolio of recurring wine club memberships (community, long-distance, and corporate tiers). It also operates on-site wine tasting experiences, private event hosting, and the annual UNFILTERED natural wine festival.
Is Donkey and Goat a public or private company?
Donkey and Goat is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Donkey and Goat founded?
Donkey and Goat was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Donkey and Goat based?
Donkey and Goat is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Donkey and Goat make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Memberships and event Tickets and Private Bookings.
Who are Donkey and Goat's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Broc Cellars, Hammerling Wines, Tessier Winery and Matthiasson Wines. Broad incumbents are Bonny Doon Vineyard, Ridge Vineyards, Tablas Creek and Cayuse Vineyards. Emerging players are Field Recordings Wine and Winc.
Does Donkey and Goat have an API?
No public API is recorded for Donkey and Goat.
What industry is Donkey and Goat in?
Donkey and Goat's product category is Natural Winemaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms), with a secondary code of THAJAGAD, Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours. Its NAICS code is 312130.