Zaca Mesa
Zaca Mesa is a family-owned estate winery in Santa Barbara County producing single-vineyard Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre) from its historic 1973 estate, selling direct-to-consumer via tasting room, wine clubs, and gift sets while operating a 200-guest wedding and corporate event venue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1973
- HeadquartersLos Olivos, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Zaca Mesa does
Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery founded in 1973 in Los Olivos, California, by John Cushman and five friends, making it the third winery established in Santa Barbara County. The company specializes in single-vineyard, estate-grown Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Cinsault) sourced from a high-elevation vineyard (1,400-1,500 feet) located 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The estate includes the Black Bear Block, the oldest Syrah vines in Santa Barbara County, planted in 1978, whose Estrella clone is currently undergoing UC Davis Foundation Plant Services Heritage Clone designation. Zaca Mesa also operates the TREAD Wines sub-brand, a separate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay program, and offers curated gift sets and amphora-aged experimental bottlings such as the Recusant Amphora.
The business operates a direct-to-consumer model anchored by the estate tasting room (open daily at 6905 Foxen Canyon Road), an e-commerce storefront via OrderPort (shop.zacamesa.com), and two wine club tiers (Zaca Mesa Club with four annual releases and TREAD Club with two), supplemented by a premium Black Bear Society reserve tier and a Library Allocation List. Tasting experiences range from $25-$45 flights to $60-$125 private tours, and the estate functions as an event venue hosting weddings, private parties, and corporate events for up to 200 guests, with bookings managed through Honeybook and tasting reservations through Tock. Wholesale distribution to retailers, restaurants, and trade accounts supplements DTC.
The company is led by Winemaker and General Manager Kristin Bryden (head winemaker since 2016, joined 2011) and long-tenured operations staff including Vineyard Manager Ruben Camacho (since 1977) and Cellar Master Agustin Robles (since 1981). The winery has historic brand credentials including a 1993 Syrah that achieved Wine Spectator Top Ten #6 and was served at a 1996 White House State Dinner for French President Jacques Chirac, and has earned the moniker 'Zaca University' for its role in training winemakers across the industry. The company practices sustainable winegrowing, farming only one-third of its total acreage to preserve open space and natural groundwater.
Zaca Mesa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zaca Mesa
- Legal name
- Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards
- Website
- https://zacamesa.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1973
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Zaca Mesa is a family-owned estate winery in Santa Barbara County producing single-vineyard Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre) from its historic 1973 estate, selling direct-to-consumer via tasting room, wine clubs, and gift sets while operating a 200-guest wedding and corporate event venue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zaca Mesa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wines
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)
Keywords
Where Zaca Mesa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Olivos
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zaca Mesa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Wine Sales: Retail sales of estate-grown wines through the tasting room, online shop (shop.zacamesa.com), and wholesale to retailers/restaurants. Subject to 1% Santa Barbara County Wine Preserve Fee on California retail orders.
- Wine Club Memberships: Subscription-style wine club with recurring shipments. Members receive 3 or 6 bottles per release (4 releases per year for Zaca Mesa Club, 2 releases per year for TREAD Club). Benefits include complimentary tastings, preferred pricing, exclusive events, and 10% venue discount.
- Wine Tastings & Tours: Revenue from wine tasting flights ($25-$45) and private winery tours ($125/guest) and private tastings ($60/guest). Tasting experiences available at Lounge, Terrace, and Courtyard.
- Private Event Venue Rental: Wedding, corporate event, and party venue rental. Packages include Vineyard Package, Estate Package, and View Room/Lounge/Terrace Package. Maximum capacity 200 guests. Wine purchase minimum: 1 case per 20 guests required.
- Gift Sets & Merchandise: Curated gift sets including The Dinner Party ($109), Valley of Syrah ($194), and Travel with TREAD ($138). Wine club memberships available as gifts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Courtyard Tastings - Mixed Flight and Reds-Only Flight |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lounge & Terrace - TREAD Flight |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lounge & Terrace - Reserve Flight |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Winery Tour & Tasting |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Private Group Wine Tastings |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | The Dinner Party Gift Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Valley of Syrah Gift Set |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Travel with TREAD Gift Set |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Zaca Mesa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery in Los Olivos, California that produces, ages, and sells estate-grown Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Cinsault), including the sub-brand TREAD Wines focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The estate generates revenue through direct wine sales via its on-site tasting room and online shop, three tiers of wine club subscriptions, paid tasting flights and private tours, curated gift sets, and private event venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, and parties.
Product overview
Zaca Mesa is a family-owned and operated winery producing distinctive, single-vineyard Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc) from its estate vineyard in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley. The company operates as a multi-brand portfolio including the flagship Zaca Mesa estate wines and the TREAD sub-brand focused on Burgundy varietals. Direct-to-consumer sales occur through the winery's online shop and wine club memberships offering quarterly releases. The estate also functions as an event venue, hosting weddings, private celebrations, and corporate events across multiple indoor and outdoor spaces including the Vineyard Lawn, View Room, Lounge, and Terrace, accommodating up to 200 guests. Wine tourism offerings include tasting flights, private vineyard and winery tours, and educational tastings. The company also offers premium membership tiers (Black Bear Society and Library Allocation) for collector-focused wines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zaca Mesa Estate Wines Estate-grown Rhône-style wines including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, and Cinsault produced from the vineyard in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley and sold direct to consumers.
- TREAD Wines
- Black Bear Block Syrah Limited-production Syrah from the oldest Syrah vines in Santa Barbara County, planted in 1978. The vineyard block is named after an incident involving a black bear eating grapes.
- Chapel G Syrah Single-bottling Syrah from the Chapel block, noted as one of the winemaker's favorite vineyard blocks with Mourvèdre vines planted in 1999.
- Z Cuvée, Z Three, and Inceptive Blends Popular proprietary blends using grapes from the Foxen block, combining Roussanne and Mourvèdre in distinctive recipes.
- Recusant Amphora Experimental Grenache and Mourvèdre blend aged in 100% clay amphora, noted for its texture and soft tannic structure.
- Zaca Mesa Wine Club Wine club membership with 3 or 6 bottles per release and 4 releases per year. Benefits include complimentary tastings, preferred pricing on tours, special wine pricing, preferred shipping rates, exclusive event invitations, early access to limited wines, and 10% off venue fees.
- TREAD Wine Club Wine club membership with 6 or 12 bottles per release and 2 releases per year, offering Burgundy-style wines (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) from Santa Barbara County.
- Black Bear Society (Reserve Club) Premium reserve-level club tier offering two additional shipments of limited-production wines, reserve-level wine discounts, and 'Early Bear' ticket rates to the annual Black Bear Dinner event.
- Library Allocation List Limited membership giving access to re-released aged wines from the Zaca Mesa cellar, released annually in December.
- Wedding Venue Rental Wedding ceremony and reception hosting with multiple venue spaces including Vineyard Lawn, View Room, Lounge, and Terrace. Accommodates up to 200 guests across three package tiers, with a minimum wine purchase of 1 case per 20 guests.
- Private Event Hosting Birthday, anniversary, corporate, retirement, and charitable event hosting with access to View Room, Lounge, Terrace, and Vineyard Lawn spaces for up to 200 guests.
- Corporate Events Corporate event hosting for workshops, meetings, presentations, seminars, and company retreats with customizable indoor and outdoor spaces.
- Tasting Experiences Wine tasting flights at the estate tasting room, including TREAD Flight ($30), Reserve Flight ($45), Mixed Flight ($25), and Reds-Only Flight ($25), with complimentary options for wine club members.
- Private Winery Tours & Tastings Immersive vineyard walking tours, winery process tours, and guided tastings with cheese pairings. Tour & Tasting at $125/guest ($95 for Zaca Mesa Club members and up to one guest); Private Group Tasting at $60/guest ($40 for club members and up to one guest).
- Gift Sets Curated gift box collections including The Dinner Party ($109), Valley of Syrah ($194), and Travel with TREAD ($138), featuring estate wines in themed packaging. Wine club memberships are also available as gifts.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wine Spectator Top Ten #6 ranking achieved by 1993 Zaca Mesa Syrah
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Zaca Mesa
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Zaca Mesa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature3 records
Zaca Mesa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Zaca Mesa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Qupe Wine Cellars: Santa Barbara County Rhône-focused producer with a long history of cool-climate Syrah and other Rhône varietals. Comparable as a regional Rhône specialist with similar viticulture traditions.
- Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard: Neighboring Foxen Canyon Road estate winery in Los Olivos with comparable Rhône varietal focus, direct-to-consumer tasting room, wine club, and event venue operations. Closest geographic and business-model analog to Zaca Mesa.
- Tablas Creek Vineyard: Pioneer California Rhône-style producer in Paso Robles with estate vineyard, tasting room, and wine club. Closely comparable as a Rhône specialist with DTC subscription business and similar vineyard heritage narrative.
- Sunstone Vineyard & Winery: Santa Ynez Valley estate winery focused on Rhône varietals with notable event venue business (weddings, corporate). Comparable estate-winery combination of Rhône production and venue-driven hospitality.
- L'Aventure Estate Wines: Estate Rhône-style specialist in Paso Robles focused on Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre blends with bottle-allocation wine club. Comparable craft Rhône producer with limited DTC subscription and tasting-room model.
- Foxen Vineyard: Historic Santa Barbara County winery located on the same Foxen Canyon Wine Trail as Zaca Mesa, producing estate Rhône-style and Burgundian wines with a tasting room and DTC focus. Direct regional and product overlap.
- Beckmen Vineyards: Family-owned Santa Ynez Valley winery focused on Rhône varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre) with estate vineyard, tasting room, and wine club. Comparable single-estate Rhône specialist positioning.
- Brander Vineyard: Santa Ynez Valley estate winery with tasting room and DTC focus on Bordeaux and Rhône varietals. Comparable boutique estate winery model in the same valley.
Broad incumbents
- Justin Vineyards & Winery: Established Paso Robles estate with tasting room, restaurant, inn, and event venue offerings. Overlaps Zaca Mesa on estate-winery hospitality and direct-to-consumer, though at significantly larger scale and broader varietal focus.
- DAOU Vineyards: Larger Paso Robles estate specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon and Rhône blends with extensive tasting room, restaurant, and event venue operations. Broader portfolio but overlapping premium estate-wine and venue business model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zaca Mesa social profiles
Digital presenceZaca Mesa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zaca Mesa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Zaca Mesa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Zaca Mesa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zaca Mesa 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 Zaca Mesa
What does Zaca Mesa do?
Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery in Los Olivos, California that produces, ages, and sells estate-grown Rhône-style wines (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Cinsault), including the sub-brand TREAD Wines focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The estate generates revenue through direct wine sales via its on-site tasting room and online shop, three tiers of wine club subscriptions, paid tasting flights and private tours, curated gift sets, and private event venue rentals for weddings, corporate events, and parties.
Is Zaca Mesa a public or private company?
Zaca Mesa is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Zaca Mesa founded?
Zaca Mesa was founded in 1973. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Zaca Mesa based?
Zaca Mesa is headquartered in Los Olivos, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zaca Mesa make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Direct Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Memberships, wine Tastings & Tours, private Event Venue Rental and gift Sets & Merchandise.
Who are Zaca Mesa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Qupe Wine Cellars, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Sunstone Vineyard & Winery, L'Aventure Estate Wines, Foxen Vineyard, Beckmen Vineyards and Brander Vineyard. Broad incumbents are Justin Vineyards & Winery and DAOU Vineyards.
Does Zaca Mesa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zaca Mesa.
What industry is Zaca Mesa in?
Zaca Mesa's product category is Wines. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAB, Wine Production & Winemaking, with a secondary code of CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands. Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 5180.