Crow River Winery

What Crow River Winery does

Crow River Winery is a privately held farm winery and event venue headquartered in Hutchinson, Minnesota, founded in 2004 by sole proprietor Mike McBrady and operationalized in its current form in 2012 when McBrady acquired a foreclosed building on Highway 7 and 120 acres of surrounding farmland. The company cultivates eight University of Minnesota cold climate grape varietals (including LaCrescent, Marquette, Itasca, and Brianna) across five vineyards totaling 36 acres, with all winemaking and bottling performed on-site. A hard cider line uses apples sourced from Ashery Lane Farm, and an ancillary Vintner's Pantry line extends the brand into cooking wines and infused olive oils.

Revenue is generated across six distinct streams: (1) direct retail of wines and ciders through the on-site tasting room, online via Vinoshipper, and wholesale to Minnesota liquor stores; (2) the Club Crow quarterly subscription wine and cider club with three-to-twelve bottle tiers; (3) on-site event venue rentals across three event spaces (Great Hall up to 400 guests, Box Elder Hall up to 80, Fireside up to 50) with wedding packages starting at $4,000; (4) Bistro food service (pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, salads) with dine-in, courtyard, and DoorDash delivery; (5) guided wine tastings, tours, and combination packages for groups of ten or more; and (6) ticket-based events including the 2026 Concert Series and seasonal programming (Grape Stomp, Christmas Market, Piano Bar, Plant Bingo). Pricing models range from unit-pricing on tastings and tickets, to recurring quarterly subscriptions, to one-time event venue rentals, with an associated Raven Rewards loyalty program.

The customer base is geographically concentrated within Minnesota and segmented across wine and hospitality enthusiasts, wedding parties, corporate event clients, private event hosts, wine club members, and entertainment seekers. Marketing and distribution operate through a Wix-hosted website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, an email newsletter, the Minnesota Grown directory, and the Minnesota Cider and Grape Growers Associations. The company has no disclosed external funding, operates with 1-10 employees, and is run as an independent single-proprietor business without institutional backing.

Name

Crow River Winery

Legal name

Crow River Winery

Website

https://crowriverwinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crow River Winery is a privately held Minnesota farm winery and event venue in Hutchinson that produces handcrafted cold climate wines and hard ciders from estate-grown grapes and locally sourced apples, serving consumers via tasting room, subscription wine club, on-site bistro, and wedding/corporate event rentals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Craft Beverages

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wine Bars (THAFAEAF)

Keywords

• Cold climate wines
• Hard ciders
• Wine club
• Winery tours
• Wedding venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Hutchinson

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Wine and Cider Retail Sales: Direct sales of wines and hard ciders through on-site tasting room, online via Vinoshipper, and at local Minnesota liquor stores. Products include eight wine varietals and four cider flavors plus seasonal offerings.
2. Event Venue Rental: Rental revenue from hosting weddings, corporate events, and private gatherings in three event spaces (Great Hall, Box Elder Hall, Fireside). Includes full wedding packages starting at $4,000.
3. Wine Club Memberships: Club Crow subscription program with quarterly releases. Members choose 3, 6, or 12 bottles per release, with wine-only, cider-only, or mixed options. Includes member perks and discounts.
4. Bistro Food Service: On-site dining through the Bistro offering pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and salads. Food can be enjoyed dine-in, courtyard seating, or takeout via DoorDash.
5. Tour and Tasting Experiences: Guided tastings ($20/person), tours ($10/person), and combination packages ($25/person) for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation.
6. Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale sales to Minnesota liquor stores and retailers. Includes both wine and cider products through wholesale inquiry process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Crow River Winery is a Minnesota farm winery that cultivates cold climate grape varietals across five vineyards spanning 36 acres near Hutchinson, and crafts wines, hard ciders, and a line of cooking products (Vintner's Pantry) on-site. The winery sells directly to consumers through its tasting room, bistro, online store (Vinoshipper), subscription wine club (Club Crow), and wholesale to local Minnesota liquor stores, while also operating a multi-space event venue for weddings, corporate, and private events.

Product overview

Crow River Winery operates as a farm winery and event venue in Hutchinson, MN, offering handcrafted cold climate wines, hard ciders, and culinary products. The product portfolio centers on its core wines and ciders produced from locally grown Minnesota grapes and apples, supported by a subscription wine club (Club Crow), on-site bistro dining, and a cooking products line (Vintner's Pantry). The venue business includes wedding and event hosting across three event spaces, plus wine tour and tasting experiences. A loyalty program (Raven Rewards) and online ordering via Toast Tab round out the customer-facing services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vintner's Pantry: Premium collection of cooking essentials including cooking wines, flavored olive oils, and balsamic vinegar made from garlic grown on the vineyard.
• Club Crow
• Raven Rewards
• Crow River Ciders

Products and services

• Handcrafted Cold Climate Wines Wines crafted from Minnesota cold climate grape varietals including Brianna, Marquette, Itasca, LaCrescent, Red Coyote, and others, grown in five vineyards spanning 36 acres near Hutchinson, MN, and produced and bottled on-site.
• Hard Ciders Hard ciders made from locally harvested apples from Ashery Lane Farm, including Lake Hook (traditional sparkling), Bear Creek (berry blend), South Fork (strawberry-rhubarb), and Belle Lake (honey cider) varieties, sold in cans.
• Club Crow Wine & Cider Subscription Club Quarterly wine and cider subscription club allowing members to select 3, 6, or 12 bottles per release, with wine-only, cider-only, or mixed options, plus member perks such as discounts, early access to new releases, and event coupons.
• Wine Tours & Tastings Guided wine tastings ($20/person for 5 wines), educational winery tours ($10/person), and combined tour-tasting packages ($25/person) for groups of 10 or more with advance reservation.
• Wedding & Event Venue Rentals Event venue hosting with three spaces: Great Hall (capacity 400, private bar, A/V), Box Elder Hall (capacity 80), and Fireside (capacity 50), with wedding packages starting at $4,000 and customizable corporate and private event options.
• The Bistro On-site restaurant serving pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and salads with dine-in, courtyard seating, and takeout options, also available via DoorDash delivery.
• Vintner's Pantry Cooking Essentials Cooking essentials product line including Smoked Garlic Cooking Wine, Garlic & Herb Cooking Wine, Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2025 Minnesota Cider Producer of the Year - New York International Cider Competition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ashery Lane FarmcoreOthersAshery Lane Farm is the local apple supplier for Crow River Winery's hard cider production. Apples are grown and harvested locally from Ashery Lane Farm. A diverse blend of apple varieties are chosen to create well-balanced cider flavors. The apples are delivered for washing, sorting, pressing and juicing on-site at the winery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Falconer Vineyards: Minnesota winery specializing in cold climate varietals with tasting room. Direct competitor in the same varietal category.
• Carlos Creek Winery: Minnesota farm winery producing locally grown wines and hard ciders with on-site tasting room, restaurant, and event venue. Closely comparable in scale, region, and multi-revenue-stream model.
• Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery: Minnesota winery combining vineyard production, tasting room, restaurant, and event venue. Comparable integrated farm winery/event business model.
• Millner Heritage Vineyard & Winery: Minnesota cold climate grape winery with tasting room and on-site hospitality offerings. Comparable in varietal focus and DTC regional model.
• Parley Lake Winery: Minnesota farm winery with on-site tasting room, event hosting, and cold climate varietals. Direct competitor in the MN craft winery and wedding venue segment.
• Saint Croix Vineyards: Minnesota winery producing cold climate wines with tasting room and event programming. Regional peer in cold climate viticulture.

Regional players

• Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery: Illinois farm winery with tasting room, bistro, and event hosting. Comparable Midwest winery-hospitality hybrid model.

Broad incumbents

• St. Julian Winery: Michigan's largest and oldest winery with broad Midwest distribution across wine and cider. Comparable product mix but at materially larger scale and distribution footprint.
• Bully Hill Vineyards: Established New York farm winery with on-site restaurant, tasting room, and event programming. Comparable integrated winery-hospitality model at a larger scale.

Emerging players

• Round Barn Winery & Estate: Michigan farm winery combining wine, hard cider, spirits, restaurant, and event venue. Comparable Midwest farm-to-glass multi-product hospitality model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CrowRiverWinery
• Instagraminstagram.com/crowriverwinery
• Pinterestpinterest.com/crowriverwinery
• Xx.com/CrowRiverWinery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crow-river-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Crow River Winery