Grounded Wine Co.

What Grounded Wine Co. does

Grounded Wine Co. is a privately held, Napa Valley-based wine producer founded in 2017–2018 by winemaker Josh Phelps, a second-generation Napa winemaker who works alongside his father Chris Phelps (formerly of Chateau Montelena). The company operates from a single office at 1400 Oak Avenue, St. Helena, with a headcount of 1–10, and produces terroir-driven wines under six distinct sub-brands: Grounded by Josh Phelps (Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc), Space Age (rosé and canned spritz), Collusion (Washington Cabernet), Landform (Willamette Valley Pinot Noir), Steady State (Napa Valley Cabernet from Oak Knoll), and Public Radio (Paso Robles Grenache blend). Grape sourcing spans five West Coast AVAs — Napa Valley, Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley, Paso Robles, and the Central Coast — with winemaking techniques including optical sorting, steel fermentation, French oak aging, controlled pumpovers, and direct-to-press rosé modeled on French Provençal methods. Bottles are priced from $15 (entry Sauvignon Blanc) to $75 (premium Steady State Napa Cabernet), with a mid-tier concentration at $19–$28.

The business runs a hybrid direct-to-consumer and wholesale model. The DTC channel is the company's own e-commerce storefront at groundedwineco.com, powered by Offset, shipping wine via FedEx, UPS, and GSO with weather-protective practices and compliance with state-by-state direct-shipping laws (sales pass title in California). A national retail partner network accessed through the "Find Our Wines" page provides brick-and-mortar distribution. Marketing combines owned digital channels (website, email newsletter), a dedicated trade and media portal with product sheets and bottle shots, and substantial earned media including Wine Spectator, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Food & Wine, and a Wine Business Monthly "Hot Brands 2023" designation. The company has no disclosed external funding, no parent organization, no subsidiaries, and no M&A history — operating as a founder-owned, bootstrapped label.

The customer base is horizontally segmented between general wine consumers (primary) and a trade/media persona (secondary), with no named enterprise accounts, subscription programs, or B2B contracts disclosed. Revenue figures are not publicly available; given sub-10 headcount, bootstrapped status, and the boutique nature of the operation, the implied scale is small. The primary strategic assets are the Phelps family winemaking heritage, a multi-label portfolio that captures multiple price points and consumer occasions, and accelerating editorial recognition across tier-one wine and lifestyle publications.

Name

Grounded Wine Co.

Legal name

Grounded Wine Co.

Website

https://groundedwineco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grounded Wine Co. is a private, Napa Valley-based wine producer founded by winemaker Josh Phelps, offering terroir-driven wines across six sub-brands via DTC e-commerce and national retail, priced from $15 to $75 per bottle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Winery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB), Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

Keywords

• Terroir-driven wines
• Napa Valley Cabernet
• Direct-to-consumer wine
• Boutique winery
• Wine e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: Primary revenue from selling wines directly to consumers through their e-commerce website, with wines shipped via FedEx, UPS, and GSO. The company sells at various price points from $15 Sauvignon Blanc to $75 Cabernet Sauvignon.
2. Retail Distribution: Wines sold through retail partners across the country, allowing consumers to purchase at brick-and-mortar locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grounded Wine Co. produces and sells terroir-driven, accessibly priced wines under six sub-brand labels (Grounded by Josh Phelps, Space Age, Collusion, Landform, Steady State, Public Radio) sourced from sustainable vineyards across Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Central Coast, Willamette Valley, and Columbia Valley. The company sells these wines primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce site (groundedwineco.com) with weather-protected shipping, and secondarily through a national network of retail partners, with prices ranging from $15 (entry-level Sauvignon Blanc) to $75 (premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon).

Product overview

Grounded Wine Co. is a wine company producing terroir-driven wines under multiple sub-brands. The portfolio consists of six distinct wine labels: Grounded by Josh Phelps (the primary personal brand featuring California Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc), Space Age (rosé and spritz wines inspired by the Space Age), Collusion (Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon), Landform (Willamette Valley Pinot Noir), Steady State (Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon), and Public Radio (Paso Robles Rhône blend). Additionally, Space Age offers a canned Rosé Wine Spritz product. The company sells wines directly to consumers through its e-commerce platform, with wines available at various price points from $15 to $75 per bottle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grounded by Josh Phelps: Core wine line reflecting Josh's connections with growers throughout California and the broader west coast, emphasizing heritage, soil, and simplicity.
• Space Age
• Collusion
• Landform
• Steady State
• Public Radio

Products and services

• Grounded by Josh Phelps Primary brand portfolio of terroir-driven wines from California and the West Coast including Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, representing Josh Phelps' personal brand and his relationships with sustainable vineyard growers throughout the region. Entry-level tier priced at $15-18 per 750mL bottle.
• Space Age Rosé Rosé-focused brand inspired by the American Space Age and the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969, offering traditional Provençal-method rosé wines and a canned Rosé Wine Spritz companion product. Priced at $19 per 750mL bottle.
• Collusion Washington-based wine project focusing on prohibition-era history and the vintners who kept the wine industry alive, featuring Cabernet Sauvignon from Columbia Valley. Mid-tier priced at $25 per 750mL bottle.
• Landform Pinot Noir-focused brand that is a reaffirmation of the company's commitment to creating wines that evoke a sense of place, featuring wines from Willamette Valley made from Dijon clones 115, 777, and 828. Priced at $28 per 750mL bottle.
• Steady State 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, paying homage to growing up in Napa Valley and learning from its traditions, featuring wines from the Oak Knoll estate vineyard. Premium single-vineyard Napa Valley expression priced at $75 per 750mL bottle.
• Public Radio Red Rhône varieties blend inspired by radio as a medium of popular expression, founded on the premise of allowing consumers freedom to form their own opinions; features a Grenache-based blend from Paso Robles.
• Rosé Wine Spritz Canned ready-to-drink rosé wine spritzer from the Space Age brand, available in 4-packs, featuring 90 calories per serving with 5.5% alcohol from Central Coast appellation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in Wine Spectator alongside established Napa producers Beaulieu Vineyard and Robert Mondavi
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stag's Leap Wine Cellars: Established, larger Napa Valley Cabernet producer (Ste. Michelle Wine Estates ownership) with broad retail and DTC distribution. Comparable as a benchmark for premium Napa Cab positioning, but operates at materially greater scale and distribution depth.

Direct peers

• Faust (Huneeus Vintners): Premium Napa Valley Cabernet brand positioned as a more accessible entry into the Huneeus portfolio. Direct comparable to Grounded's Steady State Napa Cabernet in varietal, region, and tier positioning.
• Tor Wines: Boutique Napa Valley Cabernet producer (Tobias 'Tor' Kenison) operating with a small, allocation-based model. Comparable to Grounded's premium Napa Cab (Steady State) and small-team operating model.
• Frog's Leap Winery: Napa Valley estate producer with a strong sustainability, terroir, and family-legacy narrative. Comparable to Grounded's heritage-rooted brand story and sustainable vineyard sourcing.
• Odette Estate Winery: Stags Leap District Napa Valley producer focused on single-vineyard Cabernet with strong DTC and limited retail distribution. Comparable in varietal focus, premium pricing, and DTC emphasis.
• PlumpJack Winery: Napa Valley estate producer with strong DTC presence and multiple sub-labels. Comparable to Grounded's multi-brand strategy and Oakville/Napa positioning.
• Cayuse Vineyards: Boutique, terroir-driven Washington/Oregon-focused producer with strong cult following and high-end pricing. Comparable to Grounded's Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley sub-brands (Collusion, Landform) for small-lot, sense-of-place winemaking.
• Sinegal Estate: Boutique Napa Valley winery founded by a next-generation owner-operator with family heritage, similar multi-region, terroir-driven ethos. Direct comparable in scale, brand story, and DTC-led growth.
• Realm Cellars: Boutique Napa Valley Cabernet producer with allocation-based mailing list and multi-cuvée portfolio. Comparable to Grounded's premium Napa Cab strategy and small-lot release model.
• DAOU Vineyards: Premium Paso Robles producer with strong DTC, hospitality, and broad varietal portfolio. Comparable to Grounded's Public Radio Rhône blend sourced from Paso Robles and DTC/retail hybrid model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GroundedWineCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/groundedwineco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grounded-wine-co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Grounded Wine Co.