Keuka Lake Vineyards

What Keuka Lake Vineyards does

Keuka Lake Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery founded in 1992 by Mel and Dorothee Goldman, operating from a historic tasting barn at 8882 County Route 76 on the west shore of Keuka Lake in Hammondsport, New York, within the Finger Lakes AVA. The company cultivates 40 acres of estate vineyards across both the east and west slopes of the lake's southern end, producing six varietals — both vinifera and hybrid — led by single-vineyard Rieslings sourced from distinct blocks including Falling Man, 20 Rows, Evergreen Lek, and Goldman vineyards. Production is intentionally small-scale, with single-vineyard bottlings ranging from 62 to 107 cases per vintage, employing block-specific viticulture on steep southeastern slopes with glacial till soils, minimal-intervention winemaking, and vegan-friendly processes without animal-derived fining agents.

The business operates a hybrid four-channel go-to-market: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through its own online storefront, three-tier wine club subscriptions (All Riesling, Red & White, Grand Cru) with three curated shipments per year, an on-site tasting room with a Friday Happy Hour Concert Series and seasonal group tastings, and wholesale distribution to 117 retail and restaurant accounts across multiple states. Direct shipping is licensed to 40 states plus Washington D.C., with restrictions in Alabama, Delaware, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah. Wine club shipments range from $95 to $220 per drop depending on tier, with a 15% bottle discount (27.75% on 12+ bottles); large group tastings are priced at $20 per person.

In 2023, Keuka Lake Vineyards became part of the first cohort of New York vineyards certified as a New York Sustainable Winegrower, reinforcing a brand identity built on craftsmanship and terroir-driven wines. Critical validation includes 91-93 point scores from Wine Spectator and James Suckling on Rieslings, gold medals at Le Mondial des Vins Blancs in Strasbourg (notably the only non-French/German Gold in 2022), and recognition in Forbes, Decanter, Tasting Table, and The Buyer. The company remains under founder control with no disclosed institutional investors, operating with a small team (founder, winemaker, club manager, tasting room manager, machinery operator, two consultants) and explicitly prioritizing hand-crafted production over scale, as Mel Goldman has publicly stated: "We do everything by hand, that's why we are not very profitable."

Name

Keuka Lake Vineyards

Legal name

Keuka Lake Vineyards

Website

https://klvineyards.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keuka Lake Vineyards is a family-owned estate winery in New York's Finger Lakes, producing small-lot, terroir-driven Rieslings and five other varietals from 40 acres, sold via direct-to-consumer, wine club, tasting room, and selective wholesale accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery / Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Estate wine production
• Finger lakes riesling
• Wine club subscriptions
• Vineyard tasting experiences
• Small batch winemaking

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct wine sales: Direct-to-consumer sales through the winery's online storefront and at the tasting room. Wine shipments range from $95-$220 depending on club tier.
2. Wine club memberships: Three wine club tiers (All Riesling, Red & White, Grand Cru) with curated shipments three times per year. Members receive 15% discount on bottles (27.75% off 12+ bottles), complimentary tastings, and priority event access. No annual fee.
3. Tasting room experiences: Year-round tastings and seasonal tours. Large group tastings at $20 per person. Happy Hour Concert Series on Fridays. Reservations highly recommended.
4. Wholesale distribution: Wines sold through 117 retail and restaurant locations across multiple states including wine bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and specialty wine shops

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Keuka Lake Vineyards produces fine dry wines, led by single-vineyard Rieslings, from approximately 40 acres of estate vineyards on the east and west slopes of Keuka Lake's southern end in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The winery sells its wines through direct-to-consumer online shipments, a tiered wine club with three seasonal shipments per year, on-site tastings at a historic tasting barn, and wholesale distribution to retail and restaurant locations across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Riesling (Dry, Semi-Dry, Single-Vineyard)
• Vignoles (Turkey Run Vineyard)
• Leon Millot Estate-grown hybrid red varietal from KLV vineyards, recognized with Best Red Wine in New York State awards at the NY Wine Classic in 2011 and 2022.
• Blaufränkisch / Lemberger Estate red varietal from KLV with cherry, plum, and lavender notes scored 89 points by James Suckling in 2024.
• Cabernet Franc Estate-grown Cabernet Franc from the Eastside vineyard planted in 2004.
• Pinot Noir Estate Pinot Noir vines planted in 1998 as one of the original varietals of the vineyard.
• Seyval Blanc Seyval Blanc from approximately 50-year-old vines on a neighboring vineyard that KLV began managing in 2022.
• Vignoles Method Ancestral Sparkling ancestrally-method Vignoles wine recognized with a Gold medal at NY Wine Classic 2023.
• Syrah Estate Syrah recognized at the NY Wine Classic 2023.
• All Riesling Wine Club Subscription wine club tier featuring four bottles of dry, single-vineyard, and semi-dry Rieslings per shipment, with at least one library vintage bottle, shipped three times per year (March, August, November) with shipments ranging $105-$135.
• Red & White Wine Club Subscription wine club tier featuring four bottles selected from the full spectrum of KLV wines (two reds, two whites, including one library vintage), shipped three times per year with shipments ranging $95-$130.
• Grand Cru Wine Club Premium subscription wine club tier combining both the All Riesling and Red & White clubs with eight bottles per shipment including at least two library vintage selections, with shipments ranging $185-$220.
• Tasting Experiences & Vineyard Tours
• Happy Hour Concert Series

Quantifiable outcome

• 91-93 point scores from Wine Spectator and James Suckling on single-vineyard Rieslings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Carrie and Marko RadivoyevitchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Neighboring vineyard owners who asked KLV to take over management of their Seyval Blanc vineyard starting in 2022. The approximately 50-year-old Seyval Blanc vines have produced excellent still and sparkling wines in KLV's first efforts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Red Newt Cellars: Finger Lakes winery on Seneca Lake with estate vineyards, tasting room, and restaurant, producing Riesling and other cool-climate varietals. Comparable DTC-plus-on-premise model.
• Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard: Estate Finger Lakes winery specializing in dry Riesling and single-vineyard wines from Seneca Lake, with comparable tasting room, wine club, and small-lot production model. Direct category peer in premium dry Riesling from the region.
• Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Cellars: Pioneering Finger Lakes winery on Keuka Lake focused on cool-climate vinifera and Riesling with a long heritage of estate-grown, terroir-driven wines and tasting room experiences. Closest large-scale analog to KLV's positioning.
• Fox Run Vineyards: Finger Lakes winery on Seneca Lake producing estate Rieslings, Cab Franc, and other cool-climate varietals with a tasting room and DTC/wine club model. Direct regional peer at similar scale and price point.
• Forge Cellars: Finger Lakes producer focused on Riesling and Pinot Noir with minimal-intervention, terroir-driven winemaking on Seneca Lake. Strong peer on artisanal production philosophy and price positioning.
• Shalestone Vineyards: Small Seneca Lake winery producing estate single-vineyard wines from steep, shale-derived soils with a focus on terroir expression. Comparable scale, steep-slope viticulture, and small-lot production.
• Boundary Breaks Vineyard: Finger Lakes winery specializing in dry Riesling and single-vineyard bottlings from Seneca Lake with a tasting room and DTC focus. Closely comparable on varietal mix, scale, and style.
• Ravines Wine Cellars: Finger Lakes winery on Keuka Lake producing estate-driven Rieslings and other cool-climate varietals with a tasting room and DTC focus. Morten Hallgren of Ravines produced KLV's first vintage, making it a direct heritage and category peer.
• Chateau Frank: Sparkling-wine-focused sister label of Dr. Frank on Keuka Lake; comparable Finger Lakes estate sparkling producer with tasting room presence.

Broad incumbents

• Wagner Vineyards: Established Seneca Lake winery with broader varietal range and large-scale tasting room and brewery operations. Comparable Finger Lakes footprint but at materially larger scale and broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KeukaLakeVineyards
• Instagraminstagram.com/keukalakevineyards
• Xx.com/KLVwines

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Keuka Lake Vineyards