Parley Lake Winery

What Parley Lake Winery does

Parley Lake Winery is a privately held boutique winery established in 2008 and based on a 125-acre property in Waconia, Minnesota, just west of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. The winery cultivates 7 acres of cold-hardy hybrid grape varieties — including Frontenac, Frontenac Gris, Frontenac Blanc, La Crescent, Marquette, and Itasca, all developed by the University of Minnesota — and co-locates with Deardorff Orchards' 20 acres of Honeycrisp and Haralson apples, enabling a distinctive apple-wine portfolio alongside its grape wines. The winery's portfolio includes signature products such as the award-winning Marquette (33 medals), Brianna Breeze, Apples & Vines, the Artisan Series cross-regional blend with Napa Valley grapes from Kitchak Cellars, and Frontenac Dessert, collectively winning over 200 medals in national and international competitions.

The business operates across five revenue channels: (1) an on-site tasting room housed in a restored 1880s barn with expanded tasting bars, an art gallery, restrooms, and a bridal suite; (2) an online wine shop with Minnesota-only shipping; (3) a Wine Club subscription program with three annual releases plus a Barrel Club sponsorship tier; (4) wholesale distribution to Twin Cities retailers (Lunds & Byerlys, Total Wine, Surdyk's) and restaurants; and (5) wedding and private event hosting with capacity for up to 200 guests across five ceremony locations and six tiered packages ($2,000-$5,995). Experiential revenue is augmented by the Concert in the Vines summer music series, the annual ArtStock Art, Wine & Music Festival, the Waconia Wine Festival, and Peace at Parley yoga programming.

Ownership remains with the two founding families, Lin & Bonnie Deardorff and Steve & Deb Zeller, with Steve Zeller serving as Head Winemaker while retaining a separate full-time corporate role. No external funding rounds, parent companies, or M&A activity have been disclosed. Operations are constrained to a three-day-per-week tasting room schedule (Friday-Sunday), with the broader business leveraging Minnesota's cold-climate wine industry and agritourism demand in the Twin Cities region.

Name

Parley Lake Winery

Legal name

Parley Lake Winery

Website

https://parleylakewinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Parley Lake Winery is a boutique Minnesota winery producing handcrafted cold-hardy grape and apple wines, serving local wine enthusiasts, wedding and event hosts, and Twin Cities wholesale accounts. Founded in 2008, it operates a tasting room, wine club, wholesale distribution, and full-service event venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery and Craft Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Minnesota cold-climate wines
• Winery and tasting room
• Wine club membership
• Wedding and event venue
• Estate-grown grape wines

Headquarters

HQ city

Waconia

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales (Tasting Room and Online): Direct wine sales to consumers through the on-site tasting room and online shop. Tasting room offerings include wine flights ($15-$17), glasses of wine ($8-$9), and wine slushies ($13). The winery offers a variety of wines including whites (Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Brianna Breeze, Apples & Vines, Lake View White), reds (Marquette, Barn Quilt Red, Artisan Series, Frontenac Limited Edition), rosés (Parley Vu Rose, Marquette Rose), and dessert wines (Frontenac Dessert, Parley Vu Blanc).
2. Wine Club Membership: Annual membership program offering three wine releases per year (May, September, December), 15% discount on club orders and additional wine purchases, complimentary tastings for members and guests, first access to new wines and concert tickets, and member-only events. The Barrel Club allows sponsorship of wine barrels with two cases of wine throughout the barrel's life, custom engraving, and exclusive barrel visits.
3. Wedding and Private Events: Full-service wedding venue hosting up to 200 guests with multiple ceremony locations including Sweet Tango, Lakeview Stage, Itasca Vineyard, Big Woods, and Historic Apple Barn. Reception packages range from Petite Amie ($3,495 for up to 25 guests) to Marquette ($5,995 for 150-200 guests), plus ceremony-only ($2,000) and cocktail social add-ons ($500).
4. Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of wines to local liquor stores, wine shops, and restaurants throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area including cities such as Bloomington, Burnsville, Chanhassen, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, Plymouth, and Waconia.
5. Private Event Space Rental: Venue rental for corporate events, team building, bus tours, and private celebrations. The expanded tasting room and art gallery are available for private bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Parley Lake Winery is a boutique Minnesota winery that produces, sells, and serves handcrafted wines from estate-grown cold-hardy grapes and apples. Its offering spans wine bottles sold through a tasting room, an online shop, and wholesale accounts; a subscription wine club with quarterly releases; and a wedding and private-event venue hosting up to 200 guests on a 125-acre vineyard/orchard property in Waconia, MN.

Product overview

Parley Lake Winery is a boutique Minnesota winery producing handcrafted wines from cold-hardy grape varieties developed by the University of Minnesota. The winery's portfolio consists of estate wines including Frontenac Blanc, Frontenac Gris, La Crescent, Marquette, Marquette Rose, and Frontenac Dessert, along with fruit wines like Apples & Vines and Brianna Breeze, and reserve wines like the Frontenac Limited Edition and Artisan Series. The winery operates a Wine Club offering three seasonal releases with member discounts, and a Barrel Club for sponsorship enthusiasts. Visitor experiences include wine tastings in a historic 1880s barn, wedding and private event hosting for up to 200 guests, and seasonal events including the Concert in the Vines outdoor music series, ArtStock Festival, Waconia Wine Festival, and Peace at Parley yoga classes. The winery has won over 200 medals in national and international competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Frontenac Blanc
• Frontenac Gris
• La Crescent
• Apples & Vines
• Brianna Breeze
• Lake View White
• Frontenac Limited Edition (Reserve)
• Marquette

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 medals won in national and international wine competitions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• TC ExperienceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTransportation partner company offering public and private wine tours to Parley Lake Winery and other Waconia wineries.
• Renée's LimosminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLimousine service partner for group transportation to the winery.
• Deardorff Orchards & VineyardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located family orchard and vineyard partnership. Parley Lake Winery was established at Deardorff Orchards & Vineyards in 2008. The Deardorff family (Lin & Bonnie) began growing apples in 1981 and planted cold-hardy grapes in 2005. Apple wines are made from estate-grown Honeycrisp and Haralson apples. The partnership enables unique apple wines and shared agritourism destination.
• Kitchak CellarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNapa Valley grape supplier providing Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for the Artisan Series wine. Peter and Patricia Kitchak own 13 acres of vineyards on the Silverado Trail. Parley Lake receives 6,000 lbs of grapes annually to create the unique Napa/Minnesota blend.
• Westfalia Vineyards / Nissan WinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNebraska vineyard supplying Brianna grapes for the Brianna Breeze wine. Tim Nissan of Westfalia Vineyards operates a mobile bottling line that visits Parley Lake to bottle their wines. Close working relationship enabling the production of this signature white wine.
• University of MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University of Minnesota developed the cold-hardy hybrid grape varieties used by Parley Lake Winery, including Frontenac (1996), La Crescent (2002), Frontenac Gris (2003), Marquette (2006), and Itasca (2016). These varieties are essential to Minnesota's wine industry.
• Arts Consortium of Carver CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit arts organization that presents ArtStock festival at Parley Lake Winery. Dedicated to creating and sustaining the vibrant arts scene in Carver County through community events and artist support.
• Cannon BellesminorOthersLocal cheese and cracker supplier featured at the tasting room.
• Von Hanson's SnacksminorOthersLocal seasoned pretzel supplier available at the tasting room.
• Abdallah CandiesminorOthersLocal chocolate supplier providing chocolates for the tasting room.
• Northern SodaminorOthersCraft soda supplier for non-wine beverage options at the tasting room.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carlos Creek Winery: Alexandria, MN boutique winery producing Minnesota wines from cold-climate grapes. Operates a comparable model combining tasting room, wedding venue, live events, and wine club, and is one of the larger scale direct comparables in the Minnesota category.
• Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery: Kasota, MN winery focused on estate-grown cold-climate varieties with tasting room, weddings, and events. Directly comparable as a Minnesota-based winery combining vineyard, hospitality, and events.
• Nisswa Winery: Nisswa, MN winery specializing in Minnesota cold-hardy grape wines with tasting room, wine club, and limited wholesale distribution. Comparable in varietal focus and boutique DTC model.
• Schram Vineyards: Waconia, MN winery sharing the same Carver County destination cluster as Parley Lake. Both focus on estate Minnesota wines, offer tasting room experiences, and host weddings and private events, making them immediate geographic peers.
• Cannon River Winery: Cannon Falls, MN winery producing Minnesota cold-climate wines with on-site tasting room and event hosting. Comparable in scale, varietal focus, and DTC-driven business model to Parley Lake.
• Sovereign Estate Wine: Waconia, MN winery located within the same town as Parley Lake. Both produce Minnesota wines from cold-hardy grape varieties, operate tasting rooms, and serve the Twin Cities metro wholesale market, making them the most direct local competitor.
• Indian Island Winery: Sleepy Eye, MN estate winery producing cold-climate wines with tasting room and events. Comparable boutique Minnesota winery with similar agritourism and DTC structure.
• WineHaven: Chaska, MN (Carver County-adjacent) winery producing Minnesota cold-climate wines with tasting room, events, and wine club. Closely comparable on varietal, geography, and DTC/wedding-event model.

Regional players

• Round Barn Winery & Estate: Michigan winery combining estate wines, tasting room, weddings, and an event-driven hospitality model. Comparable as a Midwest cold-climate winery with significant event-venue business, though at larger scale and in a different state.
• Villa Bellezza Winery & Vineyards: Pepin, WI winery with Italian-inspired estate, tasting room, wine club, and event venue. Comparable cold-climate Midwest hybrid model (winery + destination venue), though operating in Wisconsin rather than Minnesota.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ParleyLakeWinery
• Xx.com/ParleyLakeWine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/parley-lake-winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Parley Lake Winery