What Volcano Winery does

Volcano Winery is a family-owned winery located in Volcano, Hawaii, on the Big Island at 4,000 feet elevation on the southeast slope of Mauna Loa adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Founded in 1986 by retired veterinarian Lynn 'Doc' McKinney and now solely owned by Marie Bothof following the 2019 passing of her husband Del Bothof (who acquired it in 1999), the winery operates from a 64-acre parcel containing 14+ acres of vineyard and a one-acre estate tea garden. The technical core is traditional viticulture adapted to a volcanic terroir microclimate: 70 inches annual rainfall, winter temperatures dipping to 38°F yielding sufficient chill hours for dormancy, and summer highs in the upper 70s. Grape varieties include Pinot Noir (Dijon clones 777, 667, 115), Syrah (clone 877), Cayuga White, and historically Symphony. The winery also cultivates Black and White tea from USDA and University of Hawaii at Hilo-propagated cuttings and produces honey meads from local Big Island bees working Macadamia Nut and Ohia Tree fields. Its fruit-blended wines using Hawaiian tropical fruits (lilikoi, guava, papaya, starfruit, jaboticaba) earned their own regulatory category from the BATF, a distinctive product classification in the US wine market.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, anchored by an on-site tasting room open 364 days a year (12:00pm-5:30pm, walk-ins only), a tiered tour program priced $20-$75 per person, a quarterly wine club (Club Volcano) shipping 3 bottles per installment at $25 flat-rate FedEx 2-day shipping to approximately 32 US states, online direct bottle sales, and estate tea retail. Pricing for experiences is structured as pay-as-you-go unit pricing with Kama'aina (Hawaii resident) discounts; the wine club is a subscription model with a 20% member discount on wine and merchandise. Customer segments are wine enthusiasts and tourists visiting the Volcano area, Kama'aina local residents, and Club Volcano subscribers. Marketing relies on the winery's high-traffic tourist location, local community events (Experience Volcano Festival, monthly Makele markets, Pō'aono Pā'ina parties), and a cross-promotion partnership with the adjacent Volcano Golf Course. The team is small (11-50 employees), led by VP Alex Wood with Operations Manager Lani Delapenia, Winemaker Keeane Toriano, and Vineyard Manager Tommy Mochizuki. The company is privately held with no external institutional investment and no funding rounds.

Name

Volcano Winery

Legal name

Volcano Winery

Website

https://volcanowinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volcano Winery is a family-owned, direct-to-consumer winery in Volcano, Hawaii, producing estate wines, tropical fruit-blend wines, honey meads, and teas from a 64-acre parcel at 4,000 ft elevation adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, serving tourists, locals, and a quarterly wine club.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Tea Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Estate wine production
• Wine tasting experiences
• Fruit blended wines
• Wine club subscription
• Estate tea cultivation

Headquarters

HQ city

Volcano

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. On-site Tastings: Classic wine tasting for $20 includes 6 (1oz) pours of wines from dry to sweet. Additional paid tour experiences include Kilauea Ki Tea Presentation ($60), Ali'i Vineyard Tour ($40), and Wine Maker's Tour ($75). All tastings and tours are walk-in or reservation-based on-site experiences.
2. Wine Club Subscription (Club Volcano): Quarterly subscription wine club sending 3 bottles 4 times per year (March, June, September, December). Members receive 20% discount on wine and merchandise, $25 flat-rate FedEx 2-day shipping for 3-bottle installments. Members can customize up to 12 bottles at no additional shipping cost. Complimentary tastings for member plus 3 guests included.
3. Direct Bottle Sales: Wines available for purchase on-site and shipped to customers via FedEx 2-Day Service. Ships to most US states (notably excluded: many states - see shipping restrictions). 100% grape wines, fruit blends, and honey meads available for purchase.
4. Estate Tea Sales: Estate-grown Black and White teas sold directly: Estate Black Tea at $27.50 and Estate White Tea at $22.00. Teas are available for on-site tasting and online purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Volcano Winery is a family-owned winery on the Big Island of Hawai'i at 4,000 ft elevation on the slopes of an active volcano, producing estate wines (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cayuga White), tropical fruit-blended wines (Jaboticaba, Guava, Passion Fruit), signature honey meads, and estate-grown Black and White teas. The winery operates a daily walk-in tasting room, offers guided vineyard and tea garden tours, and runs the quarterly Club Volcano wine club subscription that ships 3-bottle installments via FedEx 2-Day to most US states.

Product overview

Volcano Winery is a family-owned winery on the Big Island of Hawai'i offering a portfolio of wines and tea products. The core offerings include signature grape wines (Volcano Red, Volcano White, Volcano Blush) and the Macadamia Nut Honey Wine. The winery also produces estate wines from its vineyard (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cayuga White, Symphony Dry, Symphony Mele), fruit-blended wines (Jaboticaba Red/Blush, Guava, Passion Fruit), honey meads, and estate-grown teas (Black and White). Experiential offerings include wine tasting flights, guided vineyard and production tours (Ali'i Tour, Winemaker's Tour), and the premium Kilauea Ki Tea Presentation. The subscription-based Club Volcano wine club delivers quarterly shipments of 3 bottles with member benefits. The winery also hosts community events including monthly Mākeke markets and Pō'aono Pā'ina parties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Club Volcano: Wine club membership program offering quarterly wine shipments, complimentary tastings, and 20% discount on wine and merchandise.

Products and services

• Classic Wine Tasting Walk-in tasting experience offering six 1oz pours of wines ranging from dry to sweet, including 100% grape wines, top-selling fruit blends, and honey meads. Available daily 12:00pm-5:00pm with no reservation required; $20 per person.
• Kilauea Ki Tea Presentation Guided tour and tasting walking through the vineyard on volcanic terroir to the tea presentation site, including three steeps each of Estate White and Black tea and concluding with a 1oz pour of Infusion Tea Wine; approximately 1 hour, $60 per person.
• Ali'i Vineyard Tour One-hour guided vineyard and production room tour followed by 6 classic wine pours and 2 estate tea tastings, with a 20% discount on wine bottle purchases; $40 per person.
• The Wine Maker's Tour Estate-guided walk through the vineyard and tea garden with a Vintner's choice wine tasting in the production room, followed by Ānuenue tasting, Meli dessert pairing, and estate tea; approximately 1 hour, $75 per person.
• Club Volcano Wine Club Subscription wine club with no signup fee and no annual fee, sending 3 bottles per installment with 20% discount on bottles and merchandise, $25 flat-rate FedEx 2-day shipping per installment, complimentary tastings for member plus 3 guests, and customizable selections up to 12 bottles per installment.
• Volcano Red Signature red wine from Volcano Winery's portfolio.
• Volcano White Signature white wine blended with local guava fruit, formerly known as Hawaiian Guava-Grape.
• Volcano Blush Signature blush wine blended with local Jaboticaba fruit, a tropical fruit that grows directly on the bark of the tree.
• Volcano Rosé Light, cotton candy-pink dry rosé wine with bright pomegranate notes, offered as a tasting flight option.
• Macadamia Nut Honey Wine Signature honey wine made with macadamia nut blossom nectar sourced from local Big Island bees.
• Jaboticaba Wines (Red and Blush) Tropical fruit wines blended with Jaboticaba, a fruit that grows directly on the bark of the tree, offered in Red and Blush styles.
• Guava Wine Tropical fruit wine made from guava, one of the original exotic fruit blends offered by the winery.
• Passion Fruit Wine (Lilikoi) Tropical fruit wine made from passion fruit (lilikoi), part of the original exotic fruit blends offered by the winery.
• Pinot Noir Estate wine made from Pinot Noir grapes (Dijon clones 777, 667, and 115), grafted to SO4, Freedom, and Salt Creek rootstocks.
• Syrah Estate wine made from Syrah grapes (clone 877 grafted to 5BB rootstock) grown in a warm microclimate section of the property.
• Cayuga White Estate white wine from Cayuga White hybrid grapes developed at Cornell University, well-suited for Volcano's cooler growing season.
• Symphony Dry Dry white wine made from Symphony grapes, a white grape cross of Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris developed at UC Davis in 1946.
• Symphony Mele White wine made from Symphony grapes grown on the estate.
• Estate White Tea Estate-grown loose leaf white tea produced from tea plants propagated on the property since 2005; sold for $22.00 per package.
• Estate Black Tea Estate-grown black tea produced from tea plants propagated on the property since 2005 and used for the Infusion Tea Wine; sold for $27.50 per package.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Volcano Golf CoursecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAdjacent golf course partnership offering 'Tee & Taste' and 'Wine & Nine' packages. After completing the 5-hole loop at Volcano Golf Course (one mile away), guests receive a free wine tasting coupon. After a full 9-hole round ($50 residents/$60 non-residents), guests receive a voucher for a complimentary glass of wine. Partnership drives cross-visitation between the two tourism businesses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schramsberg Vineyards: Historic Napa sparkling wine producer with cave tours and tasting experiences. Comparable as a tourism-driven small estate winery with premium experiential offerings and limited wholesale distribution.
• Willamette Valley Vineyards: Oregon DTC-focused winery with tasting room, wine club, and estate vineyards. Comparable for the wine-club-driven revenue model and DTC-first distribution strategy.
• Sterling Vineyards: Napa winery famous for its aerial tram and self-guided winery tour experience. Comparable as a tourism-first winery where the visitor experience itself is the primary product.
• Frog's Leap Winery: Napa estate winery known for organic and dry-farmed wines, estate tours, and a hospitality-focused tasting experience. Comparable for small-scale estate production and education-driven visitor experiences.
• Raymond Vineyards: Napa winery with highly experiential tasting tours including theater-style experiences. Comparable for premium tiered tour offerings ($40+) layered over a base tasting experience.
• St. Francis Winery & Vineyards: Sonoma estate winery with estate-grown varietals, tasting room, and food-pairing experiences. Comparable for small-scale estate production paired with curated visitor experiences.
• Benziger Family Winery: Family-owned Sonoma estate winery with estate-grown wines, biodynamic farming, guided tours, and a tasting room focus. Comparable as a small family-run producer with strong terroir story and experiential tourism positioning.
• Ridge Vineyards: Small premium California winery with estate vineyards, DTC focus, and a long operating history. Comparable for estate-grown single-vineyard wines and limited distribution through DTC channels.
• Korbel Champagne Cellars: Historic California sparkling wine producer with tours and tastings as a primary revenue channel. Comparable for tourism-anchored tasting room operations and traditional small-batch production.
• MauiWine: Hawaii's other major estate winery (formerly Tedeschi Vineyards), located on Maui. Operates a tasting room, produces estate-grown wines including pineapple and grape varietals, and serves the Hawaii tourism market with a similar DTC tasting-room-plus-events model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/volcanowinery
• Facebookfacebook.com/volcanowinery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volcano-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Volcano Winery