Wine Cellar
Brice & Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) is a South African online fine wine merchant headquartered in Cape Town, selling curated local and international wines via DTC e-commerce, complemented by cellaring, investment, brokerage, auction, and en primeur services, plus a subscription box.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wine Cellar does
Brice & Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) is a South African online fine wine merchant headquartered in Cape Town, founded in 2000, operating as a private company with 11–50 employees. The business sells curated South African and international wines through its own e-commerce storefront, spanning value offerings from around R105 per bottle to collectible icons priced above R26,000, and serves three primary customer groups: wine collectors and enthusiasts, high-net-worth wine investors, and gift buyers.
The core platform is a standard DTC e-commerce site with integrated inventory management, customer accounts, advanced search, wishlist, and a newsletter subscription system. On top of retail, the company operates a layered services stack that monetises adjacent parts of the fine wine value chain: professional cellaring, wine investment advisory, brokerage, an in-house auction platform, Bordeaux en primeur offerings, curated mixed cases, and a bi-monthly Insiders subscription box. Distribution is direct-to-consumer within South Africa, with free delivery above R1,500 and reach into international fine wine regions (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, US, Australia) alongside South African sub-regions (Stellenbosch, Swartland, Hemel-en-Aarde, Elgin, etc.).
The revenue model is multi-stream: one-time retail transactions, transaction fees on investment and brokerage activity, and recurring subscription revenue. Marketing is executed through bi-weekly email newsletters, content marketing (region, grape, and pairing guides), organic SEO, and managed Google reviews (4.9 stars from 150 reviews). The company has been recognised by the Luxury Lifestyle Awards as Best Luxury Wine Retailer in South Africa and rated top retailer in the Winemag.co.za 2026 reader survey. There is no public funding history, no disclosed revenue, and no evidence of AI/ML capability or proprietary technology beyond standard e-commerce tooling.
Wine Cellar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wine Cellar
- Legal name
- Brice & Burnett
- Website
- https://winecellar.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Brice & Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) is a South African online fine wine merchant headquartered in Cape Town, selling curated local and international wines via DTC e-commerce, complemented by cellaring, investment, brokerage, auction, and en primeur services, plus a subscription box.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wine Cellar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Wine Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Wine Cellar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wine Cellar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Retail Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of curated international and South African wines through their e-commerce platform. One-time transaction model with individual bottle and mixed case purchases.
- Wine Investment & Brokerage: Services for collectors to invest in and trade rare blue-chip wines. Includes brokerage, auction services, and investment advisory.
- Wine Subscription (Insiders): Recurring subscription model offering curated mixed cases delivered bi-monthly. Brice & Burnett Insiders boxes at R1,490-R1,515 per delivery.
- En Primeur: Futures purchasing of Bordeaux wines before they are bottled and released, typically at preferential pricing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Value wines under R200 per bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mid-range wines R200-R600 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium wines R600-R3,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Collectible/Icon wines R3,000+ |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Brice & Burnett Insiders Subscription |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Wine Cellar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wine Cellar, now operating as Brice & Burnett, is South Africa's online fine wine merchant selling curated South African and international wines directly to consumers via an e-commerce platform. The offering spans retail bottle and mixed-case sales, a bi-monthly subscription (Brice & Burnett Insiders), wine investment advisory, brokerage, auction, en primeur (Bordeaux futures), professional cellaring, tasting events, and rare blue-chip collectibles, with delivery available within South Africa.
Product overview
Brice & Burnett (formerly Wine Cellar) operates as a single unified e-commerce platform offering online wine retail alongside specialized wine services. The core product is the online wine store featuring South African and international wines, supplemented by value-added services including wine investment, brokerage, auction, en primeur purchasing, professional cellaring, tastings, and curated subscription cases (Brice & Burnett Insiders). The company also sells wine accessories such as stemware. The platform serves both retail customers and serious wine collectors seeking investment-grade wines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Brice & Burnett Online Wine Retail Curated online retail of South African and international fine wines including rare and collectible bottles, with shopping cart, wishlist, advanced search, customer accounts, and multiple payment options. Targets wine collectors, enthusiasts, and gift buyers across South Africa.
- Wine Investment Investment advisory service enabling customers to invest in fine wines as an asset class, with portfolio management support and access to investment-grade bottles.
- Wine Brokerage Brokerage service that connects buyers and sellers of fine and rare wines for two-way trading.
- En Primeur Early-access purchase program for Bordeaux wines bought before they are bottled and released, typically at preferential pricing.
- Wine Auction Auction platform for buying and selling rare and collectible wines among collectors and investors.
- Wine Cellaring Professional storage and cellaring service to preserve wine quality over time for collectors and investors.
- Wine Tastings Organized tasting events and wine education sessions for customers to sample wines from various regions and producers.
- Rare Blue-Chip Selection Curated offering of investment-grade and icon wines from prestigious producers and vintages, including Latour Pauillac 2000, Margaux 2020, and Haut-Brion 2000.
- Brice & Burnett Insiders Subscription Recurring subscription delivering curated mixed cases of wines bi-monthly at R1,490–R1,515 per delivery, with free delivery included.
- Stemware (Wine Glassware) Wine glassware and stemware accessories including Gabriel-Glas and Sydonios brands, sold alongside the wine retail offering.
- Mixed Cases Pre-curated mixed case selections featuring wines organized by region, style, or producer.
- Gift Selections Curated gift packaging and wine gift sets designed for special occasions and holiday gifting.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.9 star customer rating from 150 reviews
Companies that use Wine Cellar
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wine Cellar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wine Cellar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wine Cellar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Norman Goodfellows: South Africa's most established premium wine and spirits retailer with physical stores and online presence. Directly competes with Brice & Burnett in the fine wine segment, targeting the same collector and connoisseur customer base in South Africa.
- Cybercellar: Long-running South African online wine merchant selling curated local and international wines. Closest direct competitor in the DTC online fine wine category, serving overlapping enthusiast and gift buyer segments.
- Vinimark: South African wine distribution and retail group supplying premium producers to retail and hospitality channels. Comparable in product depth and producer relationships though primarily wholesale-oriented.
- eWine: Online wine retailer operating in South Africa with curated selections and subscription offerings. Competes for the same online fine wine buyer, with overlap in subscription/box and gifting use cases.
- Probeer (formerly Wine of the Month Club SA): South African wine subscription club delivering curated cases monthly. Directly competes with the Brice & Burnett Insiders subscription product on price point, cadence, and target persona.
Broad incumbents
- Berry Bros. & Rudd: Historic UK fine wine merchant with global delivery, en primeur, brokerage, and auction services. Mirrors Brice & Burnett's vertically integrated service model (retail + en primeur + auction + cellaring) at much larger scale; serves as a strategic benchmark.
- Sotheby's Wine: Global fine wine auction house and broker. Comparable on the auction and brokerage service lines that Brice & Burnett offers, though operating internationally and at a larger scale.
Others
- Wine-Searcher: Global wine marketplace and price comparison platform that drives significant buyer intent traffic to retailers including Brice & Burnett. Adjacent ecosystem participant; not a direct competitor but a key demand channel for fine wine merchants.
Emerging players
- Vivino: Global wine marketplace and community app with a South African user base. Partially overlaps as a discovery and purchasing channel for fine wine; more mass-market positioning but increasingly encroaching into the curated segment.
Regional players
- Cape Wine Academy: South African wine education provider offering tastings, courses, and certifications. Overlaps with Brice & Burnett's tasting/events vertical and shares the same HNW enthusiast customer base in the Western Cape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wine Cellar social profiles
Digital presenceWine Cellar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wine Cellar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Wine Cellar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wine Cellar 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 Wine Cellar
What does Wine Cellar do?
Wine Cellar, now operating as Brice & Burnett, is South Africa's online fine wine merchant selling curated South African and international wines directly to consumers via an e-commerce platform. The offering spans retail bottle and mixed-case sales, a bi-monthly subscription (Brice & Burnett Insiders), wine investment advisory, brokerage, auction, en primeur (Bordeaux futures), professional cellaring, tasting events, and rare blue-chip collectibles, with delivery available within South Africa.
Is Wine Cellar a public or private company?
Wine Cellar is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Wine Cellar founded?
Wine Cellar was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wine Cellar based?
Wine Cellar is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Wine Cellar make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Investment & Brokerage, wine Subscription (Insiders) and en Primeur.
Who are Wine Cellar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Norman Goodfellows, Cybercellar, Vinimark, eWine and Probeer (formerly Wine of the Month Club SA). Broad incumbents are Berry Bros. & Rudd and Sotheby's Wine. Wine-Searcher is listed as an others. Vivino is listed as an emerging player. Cape Wine Academy is listed as a regional player.
Does Wine Cellar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wine Cellar.
What industry is Wine Cellar in?
Wine Cellar'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 CRANABAE, Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail. Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 5961.