What St. Julian Winery does

St. Julian Winery & Distillery is a family-owned winery and distillery founded in 1921 in Paw Paw, Michigan, currently in its fourth generation of family leadership. The company claims to be Michigan's oldest, largest, and most-awarded winery, and operates a 40-acre estate vineyard (Mountain Road Estate Vineyard) in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA, sourcing fruit from 19+ local growers within a 40-mile radius. It produces an integrated portfolio spanning wines (red, white, rosé, sparkling, fruit, and dessert), craft spirits distilled since 1998 on a Christian Carl Copper Column Still (agave, brandy, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey), hard ciders, mocktails, and sparkling juices.

The company generates revenue through direct-to-consumer retail sales across six Michigan tasting rooms (Paw Paw, Dundee, Frankenmuth, Union Pier, Rockford, Troy) and an e-commerce storefront shipping to most US states; recurring subscription revenue from three Wine/Spirits/Discount Clubs; and a Wine Finder tool connecting customers to thousands of US retail partners. On the B2B side it offers bulk wine/spirits/juice sales with tanker pricing, private label and co-packaging, custom crush and fermentation services, and state-of-the-art lab testing with volume-based discounts for winery and cidery clients.

Operationally, St. Julian runs an estate-to-bottle supply chain including vineyard cultivation, membrane and thermovinification pressing, in-house fermentation, distillation, lab analytics, bottling, and shipping. Recent activity includes an upcoming seventh tasting room in Gaylord (2026), new sweet and fruit-forward product launches (Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Rings, Raspberry Sorbet, Beach Please White/Rosé), and awards at the 2026 Michigan Governor's Cup. The business is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or revenue figures.

Name

St. Julian Winery

Legal name

St. Julian Winery & Distillery

Website

https://stjulian.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

St. Julian is a fourth-generation family-owned Michigan winery and craft distillery (founded 1921) producing 100+ wines, spirits, ciders, and juices sold across six tasting rooms, an e-commerce site, and wholesale and B2B custom-production channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery and Distillery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Distilleries (312140), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Distilleries (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAG), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Mixed Alcohol Specialty Retail (Beer/Wine/Spirits Combined) (CRANABAH), Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Michigan wine production
• Craft spirits distilling
• Estate-grown wine
• Winery tasting rooms
• Private label wine

Headquarters

HQ city

Paw Paw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Wine & Spirits Sales: Retail sales of wines, spirits, ciders, juices, and merchandise through six tasting rooms and online e-commerce shop with shipping to most US states.
2. Bulk Wine, Spirits & Juice Sales: Wholesale bulk sales of wines, spirits, and juices in bulk quantities (minimum 50 gallons for wine/juices) to retailers, restaurants, and other businesses with tanker pricing and multiple container options.
3. Private Label & Co-Packaging: B2B private label services for retailers, restaurateurs, and corporate clients to custom label bottles with their brand, including dry/sweet red and white blends, cherry wine, sparkling juices, hard ciders.
4. Custom Crush & Fermentation Services: Custom crush services (membrane press, hot press) and custom fermentation with minimum 5 tons for membrane press or 10 tons for hot press crush; 5,000-gallon minimum for fermentation.
5. Lab Testing Services: State-of-the-art wine and juice testing services including alcohols, acids, sugars, sulfites, physical parameters, yeast nutrition, and comprehensive wine/cider/juice panels with volume-based discounts.
6. Wine Club Memberships: Wine Club with 6 options (Vineyard Select, Vineyard Select: Red, Vineyard Select: White & Rosé, Sweet Harvest, Perfectly Paired, Perfectly Paired: White and Rosé) in 2, 4, or 6 bottle quarterly shipments with 15-20% discounts.
7. Spirits Club Membership: Quarterly automatic credit charge of $45 for priority access to new-release small-batch spirits, complimentary tastings, exclusive events, and 15% off spirits.
8. Shore to Door Discount Club: $15 monthly charge becoming $15 credit for online wine and merchandise purchases with 10-25% discounts on orders.
9. Loyalty Points Program: Club members earn 4 points per dollar, non-members earn 2 points per dollar. Points can cover up to 75% of order total.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

St. Julian Winery & Distillery manufactures and sells a portfolio of over 100 alcoholic beverages including red, white, rosé, sparkling, fruit, and dessert wines; craft distilled spirits (agave, brandy, gin, rum, vodka, whiskey); hard ciders; and non-alcoholic mocktails and sparkling juices. Distribution is through six Michigan tasting rooms, a direct-to-consumer online shop, a Wine Finder retail locator, bulk B2B sales, private label/co-packaging, custom crush and fermentation services, and lab testing.

Product overview

St. Julian Winery & Distillery offers a diversified portfolio of alcoholic beverages centered on wine production with parallel spirits manufacturing. The core offering spans over 100 products organized into wine categories (Red, White, Rosé, Sparkling, Fruit, Dessert) and spirits categories (Agave, Brandy, Gin, Rum, Vodka, Whiskey), supplemented by Hard Ciders, Mocktails, and Sparkling Juices. Sub-brands include Founder's Series and Braganini Reserve for premium estate wines. Membership programs (Wine Club, Spirits Club, Shore to Door Discount Club) provide recurring revenue, while loyalty points incentivize purchases. Services include bulk wine/juice sales, lab testing, custom crush/fermentation, and private label solutions for business partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Founder's Series: Estate wine collection featuring grapes sourced from Mountain Road Estate Vineyard, honoring four generations of family leadership.
• Braganini Reserve
• Wine Clubs
• Spirits Club
• Shore to Door Discount Club

Products and services

• Wine Club
• Spirits Club
• Shore to Door Discount Club
• Bulk Wine, Spirits & Juice Sales
• Private Label & Co-Packaging
• Custom Crush & Fermentation Services
• Lab Services
• Red Wines
• White Wines
• Rosé Wines
• Sparkling Wines
• Fruit Wines
• Dessert Wines
• Hard Ciders
• Agave Spirits
• Brandy
• Gin
• Rum
• Vodka
• Whiskey
• Mocktails and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
• Gift Cards
• Braganini Reserve Wines
• Founder's Series Estate Wines

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bronconess (Western Michigan University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBronconess is a wine brand created and operated by Western Michigan University students to honor the spirit of the WMU Broncos. St. Julian produces Bronconess Peach and Bronconess Raspberry sparkling wines in collaboration with the student-run brand.
• Flo's Wood Fired PizzeriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Julian's Rockford tasting room shares space with Flo's Wood Fired Pizzeria. Customers can enjoy St. Julian wines while waiting for pizza or get takeout to enjoy on the patio alongside their wine purchases.
• The Cheese LadyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Wine & Cheese Pairing events at Rockford tasting room, providing expertly paired cheeses from The Cheese Lady to complement curated wine flights.
• Great Lakes CraftingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for crafting workshops including Resin Glass Tree Workshop at Frankenmuth tasting room, providing hands-on crafting guidance.
• Words on Pages BookshopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Read Between the Wines Book Club at Paw Paw tasting room, providing specially chosen books each month for wine enthusiasts and book lovers.
• Artisan Food Trucks (Cousins Maine Lobster, Pigs Head BBQ, The Mobile Crave, Flying F Smoked Meats, Waffle Stix, LaChula)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVarious food truck partners provide food offerings at tasting rooms across multiple locations, enhancing the visitor experience with diverse culinary options during events and regular hours.
• Local Growers Network (Steve and Lauryn Holden, Cronenwett Family Farms, Matt and Emily Dietrich, Ed and Phyllis Oxley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 19+ local growers providing grapes sourced within 40-mile radius of Paw Paw location. Includes featured spotlighted growers like Steve and Lauryn Holden in Lawton, MI, Cronenwett Family Farms, Matt and Emily Dietrich in Baroda, MI, and Ed and Phyllis Oxley. Mountain Road Estate Vineyard (Sarah and John Braganini) supplies estate wines.
• Sarah and John Braganini (Mountain Road Estate Vineyard)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwners of Mountain Road Estate Vineyard (40 acres in Lake Michigan Shore AVA) providing estate-grown fruit exclusively for Founder's Series Braganini Reserve wines, honoring four generations of family leadership.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Copper & Kings American Brandy Company: Louisville-based craft distillery specializing in American brandy, gin, and absinthe with a tasting room and DTC focus. Comparable on craft-distillery operations, copper-pot production, and tasting-room-driven growth.
• Chateau Grand Traverse: Older Michigan winery on the Old Mission Peninsula AVA producing varietal wines with tasting rooms, retail, and a wine club. Highly comparable regional premium producer with similar DTC, club, and distribution structure.
• Bel Lago Vineyards & Winery: Leelanau Peninsula AVA winery producing estate-grown cool-climate whites and reds with tasting room. Comparable as a Michigan estate winery pursuing premium positioning and DTC experiences.
• Black Star Farms: Michigan winery with estate vineyards in Leelanau and Suttons Bay AVAs and a multi-location tasting room presence. Directly comparable as a Michigan-based, family-operated producer of estate wines, spirits, and on-site hospitality.
• Round Barn Winery & Estate: Southwest Michigan multi-product producer (wines, spirits, beers) with multiple tasting rooms, distillery operations, and event venues. Closely comparable diversified beverage producer with tasting-room, distillery, and B2B adjacency.
• New Holland Brewing / New Holland Spirits: Michigan craft brewer and distiller producing beer, spirits, and cider with tasting rooms and pubs. Comparable diversified Michigan beverage producer with overlapping spirits, cider, and hospitality channels.
• Tabor Hill Winery & Restaurant: Southwest Michigan winery with restaurant and tasting-room hospitality near Buchanan. Directly comparable as a Michigan producer combining estate winemaking, on-site dining, and DTC wine club sales.

Regional players

• Wollersheim Winery & Distillery: Wisconsin winery and distillery producing estate wines, brandy, and grappa with a long heritage and tasting room. Comparable as a Midwest heritage winery-distillery hybrid with overlapping spirit portfolio and DTC focus.
• Traverse City Whiskey Co. Michigan craft distillery producing whiskeys and bourbons with a tasting room and retail presence. Comparable on the distillery side via shared Michigan craft spirits positioning and DTC retail.

Broad incumbents

• E. & J. Gallo Winery: Largest US wine producer with a portfolio spanning mass, premium, and emerging brands across multiple categories. Comparable as a broad incumbent wine producer competing for shelf space, distributor attention, and consumer occasions against St. Julian's regional premium positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 St. Julian Winery