Wine Charter
Vino Carta (Wine Charter) is a San Diego specialty wine retailer and bar offering curated natural wines from small family-run producers through a physical shop, e-commerce store, and monthly $60 wine club subscription.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSolana Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wine Charter does
Vino Carta (operating under the parent Wine Charter) is a single-location specialty wine retailer and wine bar founded around 2016 in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood. The business curates a rotating selection of over 400 wine items — reds, whites, rosés, sparkling, orange wines, and spirits — sourced from small family-run producers who farm organically, sustainably, and naturally, with bottle price points ranging from approximately $80 to over $1,600 (rare Barolo vintages at the high end, Bourgogne Aligoté at the entry end). The shop also operates an in-store wine bar offering pours by the glass and flights, with a waived corkage policy for wine club members.
The technology stack is commodity retail infrastructure: a Shopify e-commerce storefront at vinocartasd.com (with extensions for wine bar and merchandise), Recharge for subscription management, Mailchimp for the weekly newsletter, hCaptcha for form protection, and Golden State Overnight for wine club shipping to California, Arizona, and Nevada. The company monetizes across four streams: one-time retail bottle sales (priced $80–$1,666), wine bar pours (transaction-based), a monthly Wine Club subscription ($60/month for two curated bottles), and ancillary merchandise/gift cards ($12–$35). Sub-brands include the Vino Carta Wine Club and the Rare Cellar (premium allocations and large formats). Customer acquisition relies on Instagram, the Mailchimp newsletter, a staff-written blog, and recurring experiential events (walk-around tastings, winemaker visits, DJ nights, Friday pizza popups).
The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, funding rounds, or acquisition history. Ownership appears founder-operated. The legal entity is Vino Carta, operating as DBA Wine Charter per the firmographic header. No revenue figures are disclosed; the company has 11–50 employees per firmographic data, consistent with a single-location specialty retailer plus e-commerce and events.
Wine Charter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wine Charter
- Legal name
- Vino Carta
- Website
- https://vinocartasd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Vino Carta (Wine Charter) is a San Diego specialty wine retailer and bar offering curated natural wines from small family-run producers through a physical shop, e-commerce store, and monthly $60 wine club subscription.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wine Charter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Wine Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Bars (CRANACAE), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)
Keywords
Where Wine Charter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solana Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wine Charter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wine Retail Sales: Sale of bottled wines to customers for takeaway consumption. The store carries a rotating selection of over 400 wine items including reds, whites, rosés, sparkling, and orange wines from small family-run producers worldwide. Prices range from approximately $80 to over $600 per bottle.
- Wine Bar Sales: In-store wine bar offering pours by the glass or flight. The bar features a rotating lineup of wines available for on-site consumption with waived corkage fee for wine club members.
- Wine Club Subscription: Monthly subscription delivering two curated bottles per month themed around grape, region, style, or celebration. Priced at $60/month with in-store pickup or shipping to CA, AZ, and NV. Members receive 15% off retail purchases, waived corkage, and access to exclusive events.
- Merchandise: Branded merchandise including apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, pullovers), hats, wine tumblers, and posters sold through the online store and at the physical location.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Wine Club - In-Store Pickup |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Bottle Retail |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Wine Charter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wine Charter (operating as Vino Carta) runs a neighborhood wine shop and bar in San Diego's Little Italy that sells a rotating selection of over 400 wines from small family-run producers, available by the bottle for takeaway or by the glass/flight at the bar. The flagship recurring offering is the Vino Carta Monthly Wine Club, a $60/month subscription delivering two curated bottles per month with member perks, complemented by branded merchandise, gift cards, and in-store tastings and events.
Product overview
Vino Carta is a neighborhood wine shop and bar in San Diego's Little Italy, operating as a single-location specialty retailer built around a curated wine program. The core offering centers on a rotating selection of wines from small, family-run producers (reds, whites, rosés, sparkling, orange, and spirits) available for in-store consumption or retail purchase. The business is anchored by the Vino Carta Monthly Wine Club, a subscription product delivering two curated bottles monthly, which drives recurring revenue and member perks (15% off retail, waived corkage, exclusive events). The Rare Cellar collection features premium and rare allocations for collectors. Supporting the wine program, the shop offers branded merchandise (apparel, accessories) through its Gift Cards & Swag line, and a limited aperitivo/cider selection. Events and tastings (walk-around tastings, winemaker visits, pizza nights) provide experiential engagement. The store uses Shopify for its e-commerce platform and Recharge for subscription management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vino Carta Wine Club: Monthly wine subscription service offering two curated bottles each month, themed around grape, region, style, or celebration, with perks including 15% off retail, waived corkage fee, and exclusive event access.
- Rare Cellar
Products and services
- Vino Carta Wine Shop and Bar (in-store retail and wine bar)
- Vino Carta Monthly Wine Club Subscription A monthly curated wine subscription for adult consumers delivering two themed bottles per month to be picked up in-store or shipped to CA, AZ, and NV. Members receive 15% off retail purchases, waived corkage fees at the bar, and access to exclusive events and tastings. Priced at $60/month with auto-renewal and pickup on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the San Diego store.
- White Wine Collection A curated collection of white wines for retail purchase, including offerings from Burgundy and Savoie such as Domaine Roulot Meursault, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, and Domaine du Gringet. Currently lists 12 products online.
- Red Wine Collection A curated collection of red wines for retail purchase, featuring rare allocations such as Cappellano Barolo and Thierry Allemand Cornas. Currently lists 33 products online.
- Rosé Wine Collection A curated selection of rosé wines for retail purchase, currently listing Egly-Ouriet Rosé Grand Cru Extra Brut Champagne and Chateau Simone Palette Rosé (2 products).
- Sparkling Wine Collection A curated selection of sparkling wines for retail purchase, currently listing Bereche et Fils NV Brut Reserve Champagne in 3L Double Magnum format.
- Orange Wine Collection A wine collection category featuring skin-contact or orange wines, currently showing 0 products in stock on the online store.
- Rare Cellar Collection A curated selection of rare and premium wines, including rare allocations, large formats (Magnum), and older vintages from Burgundy, Piedmont, and other prestigious regions. Currently lists 59 products online.
- Spirits Collection A spirits collection category on the Vino Carta online store, currently showing no products listed.
- Cider Collection A small selection of ciders and aperitivos, currently listing Maley Pommerbe Aperitivo Sidro from Valle d'Aosta, Italy ($33).
- Gift Cards & Branded Merchandise (Swag) Gift cards starting at $25 plus branded merchandise including the Vino Carta Patio Shirt ($25), Debit de Boissons Unisex Tee ($20), Jules Chauvet Unisex Tee ($20), Avant Garde Swoop Pullover ($30), Vino Carta Wine Tumbler by Miir ($24), and the A Year of Vino Carta '25 Poster ($20).
- Wine Events and Tastings Hosted in-store experiences including tastings (e.g., the Monthly Walk Around Tasting - Wines of France), winemaker visits, DJ nights, and Friday pizza popups. Open to the public with no reservations required for many events, aimed at community engagement and customer acquisition.
Companies that use Wine Charter
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Wine Charter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Wine Charter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Culture Wine CominorCulture Wine Co distributes South African wines to Vino Carta. They are described as distributing South African wines featured in the store's new South African wine selection, including bottles from Luddite Wines, Magna Carta Wines, Klein Amoskuil, and Scions of Sinai.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights5 records
Wine Charter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Domaine LA: Los Angeles natural wine shop and bar with a rotating small-producer selection and on-premise by-the-glass program. Closely comparable to Vino Carta in format (shop + bar) and natural wine focus, differing mainly by LA location.
- Wine Library: New Jersey-based family-owned wine retailer with deep inventory across premium and collectible wines. Comparable as an independent, founder-led specialty wine retailer with a strong enthusiast following.
- Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant: Berkeley, California-based retailer and importer specializing in natural, organic, and traditional wines from small family-run French and Italian producers. Directly comparable to Vino Carta on curation philosophy, producer profile, and California retail footprint.
- Flatiron Wines & Spirits: New York City neighborhood wine shop specializing in natural, biodynamic, and small-producer wines with a curated retail and on-premise tasting program. Highly comparable in model: rotating curated selection, small-producer focus, and bar component.
- Sherry-Lehmann: Iconic New York wine retailer with a long history, broad premium assortment, and events programming. Comparable to Vino Carta on premium positioning and enthusiast customer base, though larger and more established.
- Skurnik Wines: New York-based importer and distributor specializing in wines from small family-owned estates across France, Italy, and Austria. Comparable as a portfolio-builder for the same small-producer ecosystem that Vino Carta retails, though operating as wholesaler/importer rather than retailer.
- Astor Wines & Spirits: Long-standing NYC wine retailer offering a broad and curated selection including natural, organic, and small-producer bottles, with in-store tastings and educational events. Comparable in retail-plus-events format targeting enthusiast consumers.
- Chambers Street Wines: NYC specialty wine shop known for natural and low-intervention wines from small producers. Comparable in curation model, small-producer focus, and emphasis on Burgundy, Loire, and Italian regions that overlap with Vino Carta's assortment.
Broad incumbents
- Wine.com: Largest US online wine retailer with nationwide shipping and a broad assortment. Broad incumbent in the same space but competing primarily on convenience and breadth rather than small-producer curation.
- Total Wine & More: Largest US independent wine retailer with massive selection and multi-state physical and online presence. Broad incumbent offering overlapping categories but with far less curation focus and no small-producer specialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Wine Charter social profiles
Digital presenceWine Charter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wine Charter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Wine Charter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wine Charter 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 Charter
What does Wine Charter do?
Wine Charter (operating as Vino Carta) runs a neighborhood wine shop and bar in San Diego's Little Italy that sells a rotating selection of over 400 wines from small family-run producers, available by the bottle for takeaway or by the glass/flight at the bar. The flagship recurring offering is the Vino Carta Monthly Wine Club, a $60/month subscription delivering two curated bottles per month with member perks, complemented by branded merchandise, gift cards, and in-store tastings and events.
Is Wine Charter a public or private company?
Wine Charter is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wine Charter founded?
Wine Charter was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Wine Charter based?
Wine Charter is headquartered in Solana Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wine Charter make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wine Retail Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Bar Sales, wine Club Subscription and merchandise.
Who are Wine Charter's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Domaine LA, Wine Library, Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Flatiron Wines & Spirits, Sherry-Lehmann, Skurnik Wines, Astor Wines & Spirits and Chambers Street Wines. Broad incumbents are Wine.com and Total Wine & More.
Does Wine Charter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wine Charter.
What industry is Wine Charter in?
Wine Charter's product category is Specialty Wine Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants), with a secondary code of CRANACAE, Wine Bars. Its NAICS code is 44532.