Buttonwood Grove Winery

What Buttonwood Grove Winery does

Buttonwood Grove Winery is a family-owned, private Finger Lakes winery operating from a single 5986 State Route 89 property in Romulus, NY, on Cayuga Lake. Founded/relanched under current ownership when Dave and Melissa Pittard (joined by their children Skiff, Frances, and Marnie) acquired the property from the original Riemer family in May 2014. The winery produces still, sparkling (including Pét-Nat), rosé, and dessert wines from European vinifera grape varietals — Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Gewurztraminer — using traditional winemaking practices executed by Head Winemaker Susan Passmore (on-property since the prior ownership). Production capacity has been tripled since 2014 alongside construction of a new wine-making building and upgraded cabin inventory.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, destination-winery model organized around five revenue streams: (1) bottle sales through the on-site tasting room and e-commerce shop, with tiered quantity discounts (5%/10%/15% at 3–5/6–11/12+ bottles); (2) the Winemaker's Select wine club, a recurring quarterly subscription of 4+ bottles at a 20% member discount, $10 flat-rate shipping, and four complimentary tastings per visit; (3) paid tasting experiences in four formats (Standard, Blind, Private Premium, Tour & Taste); (4) April–November lodging in four vineyard-themed log cabins (Riesling, Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay) booked through Cloudbeds with a 50% deposit; and (5) the Between the Grove on-site food truck operating Friday–Sunday. Off-site retail tastings at Auburn Discount Liquor and Northside Wine & Spirits extend distribution without a wholesaler, and the on-site deck hosts a recurring live music series plus weddings/private events. Marketing relies on owned channels (website, email newsletter), organic social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TripAdvisor), and earned media coverage in Robert Parker Wine Journal, Wine Mag, Edible Finger Lakes, and The Somm Journal.

Brand equity is concentrated in three validated credibility signals: the 2017 Governor's Cup at the New York Wine & Food Classic (2016 Riesling, Best Wine in New York State, against 958 entries), a 90-point score from International Wine Review for the 2019 Rosé, and inclusion in Robert Parker Wine Journal's Top 10 Vineyard Vacation Spots worldwide. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company is structured as Buttonwood Grove Winery LLC, a private New York LLC with no venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Buttonwood Grove Winery

Legal name

Buttonwood Grove Winery LLC

Website

https://buttonwoodgrove.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Buttonwood Grove Winery is a family-owned, private Finger Lakes winery on Cayuga Lake in Romulus, NY, producing award-winning European vinifera wines and selling direct-to-consumer through a tasting room, e-commerce shop, wine club subscription, on-site cabins, paid tasting experiences, and a food truck.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery / Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

akta.pro primary industry

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine Bars (CRANACAE)

Keywords

• Wine production
• Vineyard operations
• Wine tasting experiences
• Wine club subscription
• Vineyard lodging

Headquarters

HQ city

Romulus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales (Tasting Room and Online): Direct wine sales to consumers through the tasting room and e-commerce website. Customers can purchase bottles individually with quantity discounts (5% off 3-5 bottles, 10% off 6-11 bottles, 15% off 12+ bottles).
2. Wine Club Membership: Quarterly subscription delivering 4+ bottles of seasonally-inspired wines. Members receive 20% discount on all wines, 10% off gift shop, and $10 flat rate shipping. This provides recurring revenue and customer loyalty.
3. Cabin Rentals: Onsite cabin accommodations available April through November. Cabins named after wine varieties (Riesling, Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay) offer lake views and vineyard proximity. Reservations require 50% deposit.
4. Tasting Experiences: Paid tasting experiences including Standard Tasting (4 wines with Welcome Wine), Blind Tasting (mystery wines in black glasses), and Private Premium Tastings (outdoor vineyard setting with charcuterie). Also offers Tour and Taste winter experience.
5. Food Truck (Between the Grove): On-site food truck operating Friday-Sunday, complementing wine sales and enhancing the visitor experience. Food truck crew members are currently being hired seasonally.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Buttonwood Grove Winery is a Finger Lakes winery that produces and sells a portfolio of European-style wines (Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer) across still, sparkling, rosé, and dessert categories, including a canned Farm Series line. The winery operates a direct-to-consumer tasting room, four distinct tasting experiences, a quarterly wine club, four onsite cabins, and an on-site food truck (Between the Grove).

Product overview

Buttonwood Grove Winery is a Finger Lakes winery offering a portfolio of artisan wines across multiple categories (dessert, red, white, rosé, sparkling, and Riesling), including the canned Farm Series wines. The winery provides hospitality experiences including cabin accommodations named after grape varieties, four distinct tasting experiences (Standard, Blind, Private Premium, and Tour & Taste), and operates the Between the Grove food truck. Wine Club Membership provides seasonal shipments with member benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Red Wines

Quantifiable outcome

• Governor of New York Cup Best Wine 2017 - beating 957 other entries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Auburn Discount LiquorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOff-site free tasting events at Auburn Discount Liquor location, held on Fridays from 2:30-5:30pm to promote Buttonwood Grove wines to local customers
• Northside Wine & SpiritsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOff-site free tasting events at Northside Wine & Spirits, held from 4-7pm to drive retail sales and brand awareness
• Between the Grove (Food Truck)coreOthersOn-site food truck operating Friday-Sunday (11am-4:30pm) providing dining options for winery visitors, complementing the wine tasting experience

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Standing Stone Vineyards: Seneca Lake Finger Lakes estate winery with tasting room and small-lot vinifera focus — comparable boutique estate peer.
• Glenora Wine Cellars: One of the original Finger Lakes wineries on Seneca Lake with on-site lodging (inn), restaurant, tasting room, and wine club — directly comparable multi-revenue estate model.
• Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery: Historic Finger Lakes winery on Keuka Lake specializing in European vinifera, with tasting room, hospitality programming, and D2C distribution — same core archetype as Buttonwood.
• Fox Run Vineyards: Finger Lakes winery with tasting room, café, and estate vineyard on Seneca Lake — similar diversified hospitality model serving wine tourists.
• Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard: Finger Lakes estate winery in Dundee, NY producing Riesling and other vinifera on Cayuga Lake with a comparable tasting room and D2C focus. Closest operational analogue to Buttonwood's Cayuga Lake estate model.
• Forge Cellars: Dry-focused Finger Lakes Riesling specialist with tasting room and D2C distribution on Cayuga Lake, comparable to Buttonwood's premium vinifera positioning.
• Ravines Wine Cellars: Finger Lakes winery with estate vineyard on Seneca Lake offering tasting flights, wine club, and on-site hospitality. Directly comparable boutique-scale D2C estate operation.
• Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars: Seneca Lake Finger Lakes winery with tasting bar, wine club, and estate vineyard; comparable mid-size boutique producer with similar D2C channel mix.
• Chateau Frank: Finger Lakes sparkling and Riesling specialist on Keuka Lake under the Dr. Frank umbrella — comparable portfolio and tourism-oriented tasting room.

Broad incumbents

• Biltmore Winery: America's most-visited winery at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC — much larger scale but a useful analogue for a winery built around estate tourism, tastings, and on-premise hospitality.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/buttonwoodgrove
• Facebookfacebook.com/buttonwoodgrovewinery
• Instagraminstagram.com/buttonwoodgrove
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buttonwood-grove-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Buttonwood Grove Winery