Patine Cellars
Patine Cellars is a privately held Napa-based winery producing small-lot Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon through a direct-to-consumer mailing list allocation model, with secondary distribution through select California fine-dining restaurants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersNapa, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Patine Cellars does
Patine Cellars is a privately held, mailing-list-only California winery founded in 2011 in Napa by Dean Nucich, Mike Smith, and Jim Fox. The company produces handcrafted Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in deliberately limited quantities (49–275 cases per vineyard designate) sourced from three highly regarded vineyards: Gap's Crown and Sun Chase on the Sonoma Coast, and Soberanes in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Production also includes a Chardonnay from Sangiacomo Green Acres Vineyard and a small-lot Cabernet Sauvignon project called 'The Earnest's Eye' from Samuel Brannan Vineyard in Calistoga, launched in 2020.
The business operates exclusively through a direct-to-consumer allocation model managed via the acquire.patinecellars.com e-commerce storefront (powered by Offset Commerce, with Stripe as payment processor). Customers sign up for the mailing list and receive priority access to wine releases, with previous buyers granted a one-week exclusive purchasing window before general list members. Orders are placed in 3-bottle packs from a single vineyard, with allocation limits of one pack per vineyard per customer (nine-bottle maximum per release) and a wish list option for additional packs. A secondary distribution channel exists through seven California fine-dining restaurant accounts, including The Plumed Horse in Saratoga and the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Direct shipping is currently permitted to 23 U.S. states.
The company is founder-owned with no external institutional capital, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. Winemaker Mike Smith also operates Myriad Cellars with his wife Leah Smith and is credited with twenty-one 100-point scores across his career. Operations are lean (1–10 employees), with day-to-day sales and marketing handled by a dedicated manager (Elizabeth Dea) and brand ambassadorship by co-founder Jim Fox, a former Los Angeles Kings NHL player. The company generates revenue through one-time wine sales with no disclosed pricing, no public revenue figures, and no institutional funding events.
Patine Cellars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Patine Cellars
- Legal name
- Patiné Cellars
- Website
- https://patinecellars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Patine Cellars is a privately held Napa-based winery producing small-lot Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon through a direct-to-consumer mailing list allocation model, with secondary distribution through select California fine-dining restaurants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Patine Cellars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Wine Production
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Patine Cellars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Napa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Patine Cellars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales: Patine Cellars generates revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of their Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Sales are conducted exclusively through their e-commerce platform using a mailing list allocation model. Orders are placed in 3-bottle packs from the same vineyard, with allocation limits per customer.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mailing List Allocation Model - 3-Bottle Pack minimum order |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Patine Cellars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Patine Cellars produces and sells extremely small-lot (50-275 cases per vineyard) Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from three premium California appellations (Gap's Crown and Sun Chase on the Sonoma Coast, Soberanes in Santa Lucia Highlands), plus a Cabernet Sauvignon project called The Earnest's Eye from Samuel Brannan Vineyard. All wine is sold via a direct-to-consumer mailing list allocation model through their e-commerce platform, with orders placed in 3-bottle packs from a single vineyard.
Product overview
Patine Cellars is a mailing-list-only wine label specializing in single-vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from premium California AVAs. The portfolio consists of Pinot Noir from three primary vineyards (Gap's Crown, Sun Chase, and Soberanes) plus a Chardonnay from Sangiacomo Green Acres Vineyard and a Cabernet Sauvignon project called The Earnest's Eye. The company operates exclusively through a consumer direct mailing list allocation system, where customers sign up to receive priority access to limited production wines released throughout the year.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- the Earnest's Eye: A special collaborative Cabernet Sauvignon project from Samuel Brannan Vineyard in Napa Valley AVA (Calistoga), produced in small quantities (173 cases for 2023 vintage). Named to represent vision and determination during challenging times including the global pandemic.
Products and services
- The Earnest's Eye Cabernet Sauvignon A single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon produced from the Samuel Brannan Vineyard in Napa Valley AVA (Calistoga). A collaborative project with winemaker Mike Smith, featuring 173 cases of 100% new French Oak aged wine for the 2023 vintage.
- 2023 Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir Single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Petaluma Gap AVA (Sonoma County), aged in 50% French new oak. Produced in 149 cases with aromas of cherry, plum, blackberry, and rose petals. Sourced from Gap's Crown Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (sourcing began with the 2011 vintage).
- 2023 Sun Chase Vineyard Pinot Noir Single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Sun Chase Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast, featuring notes of violets, black cherry, and strawberry with baking spice undertones. Produced in 73 cases. Sourcing began with the 2012 vintage.
- 2023 Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir Single-vineyard Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands AVA (Monterey County), featuring currants, black plum, and dark cherry with earthy and herbal notes. Produced from the Pisoni and Franscioni family partnership vineyard. Sourcing began with the 2013 vintage.
- 2021 Sun Chase Vineyard 100% Whole Cluster Limited Edition Pinot Noir Limited edition Pinot Noir from Sun Chase Vineyard Block 3 (clone 828), aged 10 months in 100% neutral French oak. Produced in 49 cases with delicate fruit, crushed herbs, and exotic spice characteristics.
- 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (Multi-Vineyard Blend) Multi-vineyard blend combining Gap's Crown and Sun Chase grapes from Sonoma Coast AVA. Produced in 164 cases, offering a berry medley of dark and bright fruit with baking spice and savory undertones.
- 2024 Sangiacomo Green Acres Vineyard Chardonnay Chardonnay from Sonoma Coast AVA, fermented in 100% stainless steel and aged on sur lie for 14 months. Produced in 143 cases with notes of lemon curd, nectarine, and oyster shell.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wines consistently score 90-94 points from major critics
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Patine Cellars
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Patine Cellars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
Patine Cellars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.
- Offset CommercesupportingOffset Commerce provides the e-commerce platform powering acquire.patinecellars.com, the company's direct-to-consumer sales website.
- Stripe.comsupportingStripe.com processes credit card payments securely using AES 256-bit encryption over HTTPS connections. Credit cards are securely stored at stripe.com.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Patine Cellars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kosta Browne: The most iconic California cult Pinot Noir, Kosta Browne built its brand on premium single-vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinots (including Gap's Crown) via a mailing-list allocation model — directly overlapping with Patine's positioning, sourcing, and GTM.
- Auteur Wines: Will Bucklin's small-lot Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir label operating on a mailing-list allocation model — a tight functional peer for boutique DTC Pinot economics.
- Sante Arcangeli Family Wines: Boutique Santa Cruz Mountains/Santa Lucia Highlands producer of single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sold primarily through a consumer mailing list — comparable size, channel, and varietal mix.
- Littorai: Ted Lemon's Sonoma Coast label producing small-lot, terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from premium sites, sold predominantly through mailing list and fine-dining accounts — same varietals, same AVA focus, same low-volume craft model.
- Failla Wines: Ehren Jordan's boutique Sonoma Coast label producing small-lot Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with a vineyard-driven philosophy and a DTC allocation model — squarely comparable to Patine's varietal mix and scale.
- Radio-Coteau: Eric Sussman's Sonoma Coast label focused on cool-climate, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from sites including the Sonoma Coast — a closely analogous boutique, allocation-based producer.
- Peay Vineyards: Small Sonoma Coast estate producing single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah via mailing list, with a farming-first philosophy and similar micro-production scale to Patine.
- Rhys Vineyards: Estate-grown, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Santa Cruz Mountains with a long mailing-list allocation model and similar terroir-first, low-intervention winemaking ethos.
- Williams Selyem: Iconic Russian River Valley Pinot producer with a long-established mailing list and allocation system; one of the benchmarks of California cult Pinot and a direct competitor for premium Pinot buyer mind-share.
- Myriad Cellars: Founded in 2005 by Mike Smith (Patine's winemaker) and Leah Smith, Myriad is the sibling label run by the same winemaker with the same mailing-list allocation model and the same purist, terroir-driven style. It is the most directly comparable peer operationally.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Patine Cellars social profiles
Digital presencePatine Cellars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Patine Cellars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Patine Cellars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Patine Cellars 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 Patine Cellars
What does Patine Cellars do?
Patine Cellars produces and sells extremely small-lot (50-275 cases per vineyard) Single Vineyard Designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from three premium California appellations (Gap's Crown and Sun Chase on the Sonoma Coast, Soberanes in Santa Lucia Highlands), plus a Cabernet Sauvignon project called The Earnest's Eye from Samuel Brannan Vineyard. All wine is sold via a direct-to-consumer mailing list allocation model through their e-commerce platform, with orders placed in 3-bottle packs from a single vineyard.
Is Patine Cellars a public or private company?
Patine Cellars is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Patine Cellars founded?
Patine Cellars was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Patine Cellars based?
Patine Cellars is headquartered in Napa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Patine Cellars make money?
One revenue line is on record: direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales.
Who are Patine Cellars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kosta Browne, Auteur Wines, Sante Arcangeli Family Wines, Littorai, Failla Wines, Radio-Coteau, Peay Vineyards, Rhys Vineyards, Williams Selyem and Myriad Cellars.
Does Patine Cellars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Patine Cellars.
What industry is Patine Cellars in?
Patine Cellars's product category is Premium Wine Production. 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.