Grand Cru Custom Crush
Grand Cru Custom Crush is a cooperative winery collective operating a 31,000-square-foot shared production and hospitality facility in Windsor, CA, serving 20+ boutique independent wineries with custom crush services, an on-site bottle shop, tasting experiences, and themed events since 2017.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWindsor, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Grand Cru Custom Crush does
Grand Cru Custom Crush is a cooperative winery collective operating a 31,000-square-foot shared production facility in Windsor, California, founded in 2017 by Robert and Erin Morris together with Todd and Erin Gottula. The facility provides boutique, independent wineries with professional winemaking infrastructure — including a Burgstahler crush pad and sorting system, Euro Machines bladder presses (42Hl and 60Hl), a Carlsen basket press, 66 AAA-Metal stainless steel ferment tanks, four temperature- and humidity-controlled barrel rooms, and glycol systems governed by TankNET — without each winery bearing the capital cost of a standalone facility. Production tracking runs on the InnoVint winery management platform, and the operation has a stated capacity of roughly 25,000 to 30,000 cases annually across its member wineries.
The cooperative houses 22 named boutique brands spanning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, and specialty varietals sourced from Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lodi, and Central Coast AVAs. Members retain their individual brand identities while sharing production equipment, hospitality space, and DTC infrastructure. The company makes money through four streams: individually negotiated, multi-year custom-crush production contracts with member wineries; direct bottle-shop wine sales at unit prices ranging from $28 to $189; ticketed tasting experiences (Vintners' Selection flights and Member Winery tastings, typically $25-$30) booked via Explore Tock; and event-based revenue from recurring Sip & Savor Fridays plus seasonal Open House & Marketplace events. Distribution runs entirely through its single Windsor site, with bottle shop, private tasting salons, and ticketed events as the consumer-facing surfaces and direct sales outreach to wineries as the B2B channel.
Go-to-market is dual-motion: a sales-led B2B motion targeting small but proven boutique wineries that have outgrown smaller custom facilities and lack the capital to build their own, layered with an event-driven B2C motion built around themed tastings, food-truck pairings, and artisan pop-up markets. Press coverage in the San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, North Bay Business Journal, and The Press Democrat has established credibility in the Sonoma County custom-crush niche. The business is privately held, founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional funding or parent company, and currently accepts new crush clients for the 2026 harvest season.
Grand Cru Custom Crush firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Grand Cru Custom Crush
- Website
- https://grandcrucustomcrush.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Grand Cru Custom Crush is a cooperative winery collective operating a 31,000-square-foot shared production and hospitality facility in Windsor, CA, serving 20+ boutique independent wineries with custom crush services, an on-site bottle shop, tasting experiences, and themed events since 2017.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Grand Cru Custom Crush industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Winery Production Services
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Beverages (2080), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL)
Keywords
Where Grand Cru Custom Crush is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Windsor
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Grand Cru Custom Crush business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Custom Crush/Production Services: Provides end-to-end winemaking services and shared production facilities to member wineries. Wineries pay for production space, equipment access, and winemaking support. This is the core B2B revenue stream targeting boutique wineries that have outgrown existing custom wineries but lack resources to build their own facility.
- Direct Wine Sales (Bottle Shop): On-site bottle shop sales of wines produced by member wineries. Consumers purchase wines directly, with Grand Cru taking a margin on sales. Offers wines from 20+ member wineries including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé, Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, and specialty varieties.
- Hospitality and Tasting Experiences: Tasting room experiences including Vintners' Selection curated flights and individual member winery tastings. Bookings managed through Explore Tock platform. Private tasting salons available for hosted experiences.
- Event Hosting: Revenue from ticketed events including Sip & Savor Fridays series and seasonal Open House & Marketplace events. Features themed tastings, food trucks, and artisan pop-up markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Sip & Savor Fridays themed tasting events |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Vintners' Selection Tasting |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle Shop Wine Sales |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Crush Production Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Grand Cru Custom Crush product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Grand Cru Custom Crush operates a 31,000 sq ft shared winery production facility in Windsor, CA where 20+ boutique, family-owned member wineries access crush, fermentation, aging, and hospitality infrastructure on a custom crush basis. The cooperative produces roughly 25,000-30,000 cases annually and complements the B2B production services with an on-site bottle shop, two tasting experiences (Vintners' Selection and Member Winery tastings) in private salons, and ticketed community events such as the Sip & Savor Fridays series and seasonal Open House & Marketplace events.
Product overview
Grand Cru Custom Crush operates as a cooperative winery collective and custom crush facility offering an integrated platform of winemaking services. The core offering consists of Custom Crush Services (full-service production facilities with state-of-the-art equipment including crush pad, sorting systems, bladder presses, stainless steel tanks, and temperature-controlled barrel rooms managed via InnoVint and TankNET), complemented by a Bottle Shop for direct-to-consumer wine sales and Wine Tastings featuring two hospitality experiences (Vintners' Selection and Member Winery tastings). The platform houses 22 member winery brands producing diverse varietals (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel, Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay, Grenache, Albariño, Mencía, Riesling, and others), each operating as a distinct sub-brand while sharing production infrastructure and tasting salons at the Windsor, CA facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Crush Services Full-service custom winemaking production service offering state-of-the-art equipment, space, and expertise for boutique wineries from concept to bottled wine, including crush pad access, sorting systems, bladder presses, fermentation tanks, barrel storage, and TankNET fermentation control. Targeting boutique wineries that have outgrown existing custom crush facilities but lack resources to build their own production winery.
- Bottle Shop On-site retail bottle shop at 1200 American Way, Windsor, CA, open daily 10am-4pm, offering handcrafted wines from 20+ member wineries for direct purchase by wine consumers. Bottle prices range from $28 (e.g., Bienvenue Sauvignon Blanc, Morét-Brealynn Muscadelle) to $189 (Gabriel Glas wine glasses), with most wines priced between $45 and $75.
- Wine Tastings Hospitality service offering two tasting formats conducted in elegant private open-air tasting salons: Vintners' Selection (hand-selected wines from multiple member wineries, presented as curated flights) and Member Winery Tastings (individual tastings with participating wineries). Bookings are managed through the Explore Tock reservation platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Roughly 25,000-30,000 cases annually across 20+ member wineries
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Grand Cru Custom Crush
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Grand Cru Custom Crush technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Grand Cru Custom Crush partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Ernest VineyardsminorFounding member winery at Grand Cru Custom Crush. Erin Brooks, owner and principal at Ernest Vineyards, serves as spokesperson for Grand Cru's mission of approachable, accessible wine experiences.
- Three's a Platter CharcuterieminorLocal food vendor providing catering at Sip & Savor events and Grand Prix Edition tastings.
- The Spot (Local Food Truck)minorLocal food truck partner providing food for purchase at Kentucky Derby Edition event.
- Benny's Smash BurgersminorLocal food truck partner for US Open Edition Sip & Savor event.
- Beeyond Boutique CandlesminorLocal artisan vendor participating in French Riviera Pop-Up Market at Grand Prix Edition event.
- Gold Ridge Organic FarmsminorLocal artisan vendor participating in French Riviera Pop-Up Market at Grand Prix Edition event.
- Sura BotanicalsminorLocal artisan vendor participating in French Riviera Pop-Up Market at Grand Prix Edition event.
- Everlynks JewelryminorLocal artisan vendor participating in French Riviera Pop-Up Market at Grand Prix Edition event.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Grand Cru Custom Crush competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Benziger Family Winery: Benziger is a Sonoma County winery with estate production, biodynamic positioning, and tasting room/hospitality focus. Comparable as a premium Sonoma County producer with hospitality-driven DTC model.
- Ridge Vineyards: Ridge is a heritage Sonoma County winery producing premium wines from its own vineyards with hospitality and DTC channels. Comparable as a premium Sonoma producer with multi-revenue model and tour/tasting experience focus.
- Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates: Kendall-Jackson is one of the largest family-owned wine producers in Sonoma County with extensive production, hospitality, and DTC operations. Comparable as a Sonoma County wine operator with multi-revenue model, though at significantly larger scale than Grand Cru.
- Cakebread Cellars: Cakebread is a well-established Napa Valley family winery with production, hospitality, and DTC operations. Comparable as a premium-positioned family-owned California wine producer with multi-channel revenue model.
- Jordan Vineyard & Winery: Jordan is a premium Alexander Valley (Sonoma County) winery with estate production, hospitality, and DTC focus. Comparable as a premium-positioned Sonoma County producer leveraging location and tasting experiences, though without the shared-facility / custom crush model.
- Trefethen Vineyards: Trefethen is an established Napa Valley winery that operates its own production facility and offers limited custom crush and contract winemaking services. Comparable as a premium wine region operator with custom production capabilities, though broader in scope than Grand Cru's boutique-only focus.
- Silver Oak Cellars: Silver Oak operates premium Cabernet-focused wineries in Napa and Sonoma with significant hospitality and DTC operations. Comparable as a premium-positioned Sonoma/Napa producer with tasting room experience business.
- Rodney Strong Vineyards: Rodney Strong is a large Sonoma County wine producer with estate vineyards, production facilities, hospitality, and DTC operations in the Russian River Valley area. Comparable Sonoma County operator with multi-revenue model.
Direct peers
- Bin to Bottle: Bin to Bottle is a custom crush and winemaking services provider in the Napa Valley offering shared production facilities, equipment access, and winemaking support to boutique and startup wine brands. Closest comparable operating model to Grand Cru's B2B custom crush service.
- Rack & Riddle Custom Crush & sparkling wine services: Rack & Riddle operates a custom crush and sparkling wine production facility in Healdsburg, Sonoma County. Directly comparable to Grand Cru as a shared custom crush facility serving boutique wineries in the same region with similar production-services and hospitality models.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Grand Cru Custom Crush social profiles
Digital presenceGrand Cru Custom Crush financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Grand Cru Custom Crush leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Grand Cru Custom Crush funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Grand Cru Custom Crush 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 Grand Cru Custom Crush
What does Grand Cru Custom Crush do?
Grand Cru Custom Crush operates a 31,000 sq ft shared winery production facility in Windsor, CA where 20+ boutique, family-owned member wineries access crush, fermentation, aging, and hospitality infrastructure on a custom crush basis. The cooperative produces roughly 25,000-30,000 cases annually and complements the B2B production services with an on-site bottle shop, two tasting experiences (Vintners' Selection and Member Winery tastings) in private salons, and ticketed community events such as the Sip & Savor Fridays series and seasonal Open House & Marketplace events.
Is Grand Cru Custom Crush a public or private company?
Grand Cru Custom Crush is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Grand Cru Custom Crush founded?
Grand Cru Custom Crush was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Grand Cru Custom Crush based?
Grand Cru Custom Crush is headquartered in Windsor, United States, in the North America region.
How does Grand Cru Custom Crush make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Custom Crush/Production Services are the primary driver. The others are direct Wine Sales (Bottle Shop), hospitality and Tasting Experiences and event Hosting.
Who are Grand Cru Custom Crush's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Benziger Family Winery, Ridge Vineyards, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Cakebread Cellars, Jordan Vineyard & Winery, Trefethen Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars and Rodney Strong Vineyards. Direct peers are Bin to Bottle and Rack & Riddle Custom Crush & sparkling wine services.
Does Grand Cru Custom Crush have an API?
No public API is recorded for Grand Cru Custom Crush.
What industry is Grand Cru Custom Crush in?
Grand Cru Custom Crush's product category is Winery Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAL, Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site). Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 2080.