Country Heritage Winery

What Country Heritage Winery does

Country Heritage Winery is a privately held, family-owned Indiana winery and distillery headquartered on a 101-acre farm in LaOtto, approximately 10 miles north of Fort Wayne. Operated by sixth-generation farmers Jennifer and Jeremy Lutter, the company operates what it claims is Indiana's largest vineyard, cultivating seven grape varietals for estate wine production. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Backroads Distilling Company, produces small-batch spirits — vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and flavored variants — using grains grown on the family farm and a 3-piece still for flexible small-batch distillation. The combined "field-to-bottle and grain-to-glass" operation is vertically integrated from raw agriculture through finished packaged goods.

The business sells through multiple direct-to-consumer channels: the main LaOtto tasting room and campus, a second tasting room in Nashville/Brown County, an online wine shop with direct shipping, gift cards via Square, and a Heritage Reserve Wine Club ($30 lifetime membership, quarterly selections, member discounts, complimentary tastings, loyalty points). Revenue is further diversified through on-site food and beverage service, paid tours and tasting experiences, and two private event venues — the Event Center (capacity 120 indoors / 150 with patio, $275–$325/hour weekends with F&B minimums) and the Barrel Room (capacity 30, $100–$275/hour). Programming is layered with seasonal events, themed gatherings, and the Vineyard Vibes outdoor concert series featuring regional and national acts.

The company targets four primary customer segments: wine enthusiasts (couples, families, groups seeking tastings and vineyard experiences), spirits enthusiasts interested in small-batch and single-barrel whiskey and craft cocktails, event hosters booking private parties, corporate gatherings, and rehearsal dinners, and local/tourist visitors including Brown County day-trippers. Marketing combines a blog, organic social (Facebook, TikTok), email, and a structured local micro-influencer program. No AI, no third-party enterprise customers, no wholesale distribution, and no funding activity are disclosed; the company remains a family-controlled regional destination operator with multi-revenue DTC mechanics.

Name

Country Heritage Winery

Legal name

Country Heritage Winery

Website

https://countryheritagewinery.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Country Heritage Winery operates Indiana's largest vineyard on a 101-acre family farm near Fort Wayne, producing estate wines from seven grape varietals and craft spirits under its Backroads Distilling subsidiary, serving wine enthusiasts, spirits drinkers, event hosters, and Indiana tourists through tasting rooms, online sales, and a wine club.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Distillery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Distilleries (31214), Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Spirits Distilling & Brands (CRADAIAC), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Luxury Farmhouses, Country Houses & Vineyard Estates (THAMAEAG)

Keywords

• Estate winery
• Craft distillery
• Farm-to-bottle wines
• Wine club membership
• Event venue rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Laotto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales: Direct wine sales through tasting rooms, online shop, and wine club. Includes bottle sales, tastings, flights, and seasonal releases.
2. Spirits Sales: Small-batch spirits sold at Backroads Distilling including vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and flavored spirits
3. Food and Beverage: On-site dining and beverage service at winery and distillery locations
4. Event Center Rentals: Private venue rentals for parties, showers, corporate gatherings, and rehearsal dinners. Main venue accommodates 120 indoors, 150 with patio. Barrel Room offers intimate space for 30 guests.
5. Wine Club Membership: $30 lifetime Heritage Reserve membership with quarterly wine selections, discounts on bottles and food, complimentary tastings, and loyalty points
6. Tours and Experiences: Paid tours of winery and distillery production spaces with winemaker/distiller meet-and-greets

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Country Heritage Winery produces and sells estate-grown wines from seven grape varietals cultivated on its 101-acre family farm near Fort Wayne, Indiana, alongside small-batch craft spirits (vodka, gin, rum, whiskey) manufactured at its Backroads Distilling subsidiary using locally-grown grains. The business operates two tasting room locations (LaOtto and Nashville, IN), an on-site Event Center for private rentals, a Heritage Reserve Wine Club membership program, and the Vineyard Vibes concert series.

Product overview

Country Heritage Winery operates as a dual-product destination featuring two core offerings: Country Heritage Winery (Indiana's largest vineyard producing estate-grown wines across dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and dessert varietals) and Backroads Distilling (craft spirits including vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey). The portfolio includes seven grape varietals and small-batch spirits made from farm-grown grains. Supporting these core products are membership (Wine Club), venue rental (Event Center), a second retail location (Nashville Tasting Room), entertainment (Vineyard Vibes concert series), and educational experiences (tours and cocktail recipes).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Country Heritage Winery Indiana's largest vineyard producing award-winning wines from seven estate-grown grape varietals. The winery offers daily tastings, flights, seasonal releases, and vineyard views on the 101-acre family farm just minutes from Fort Wayne.
• Backroads Distilling Spirits Small-batch spirits crafted from grains grown on the family farm, producing vodka, flavored vodka, white rum, gin, barrel aged whiskey, and flavored whiskeys using a 3-piece still for flexible distillation.
• Heritage Reserve Wine Club Subscription-based wine club membership offering quarterly selections of four wines, 20% off bottles, 15% off food, complimentary tastings, loyalty points, and exclusive access to events including an annual grape stomp. $30 lifetime membership fee.
• Event Center Private event venue at the main winery with dedicated entrance, tasting bar, restrooms, and patio overlooking pond and stage. Accommodates up to 120 indoors or 150 with patio. Barrel Room accommodates 30 for intimate gatherings. Hourly rental rates plus food/beverage minimums apply.
• Nashville Tasting Room Second tasting location at 225 Van Buren St. #3, Nashville, IN offering daily wine flights, tastings, wine slushies, canned ciders, and wine cocktails with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.
• Tours & Experiences Private tours of the winery and distillery production spaces where guests can meet the winemaker or distiller, tour production spaces, and learn about winemaking and distilling processes.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• French Lick Winery: French Lick Winery operates estate vineyards and multiple Indiana tasting rooms with a similar DTC, event, and wine club model. Directly comparable Midwest regional winery pursuing tasting-room-led growth.
• Copper & Kings American Brandy Company: Copper & Kings is a Louisville, KY craft distillery specializing in brandy and other aged spirits with a tasting room and event venue. Comparable as a craft distillery combining estate-style production with destination hospitality.
• Turtle Run Winery: Turtle Run is an Indiana estate winery with on-site tasting, music events, and a wine club, serving the same regional Hoosier consumer. Comparable as an Indiana farm winery with a destination-event emphasis.
• Oliver Winery: Oliver Winery is Indiana's largest wine producer, also based in Bloomington, IN, with a comparable DTC, tasting room, and wine club business model. Directly comparable as the leading Indiana estate winery competing for the same regional customer and tourism demand.
• Cardinal Spirits: Cardinal Spirits is a Bloomington, IN craft distillery producing vodka, gin, whiskey, and rum with a tasting room and cocktail bar. Directly comparable as an Indiana craft distillery competing for the same on-premise and DTC consumer.
• Huber's Orchard, Winery & Vineyard: Huber's is a family-owned Indiana winery and Starlight Distillery in Starlight, IN, combining estate-grown grapes, craft spirits, tasting rooms, and event venues. Closest comparable on combined winery + distillery + events estate model in Indiana.
• Hotel Tango Distillery: Hotel Tango is an Indianapolis-based craft distillery producing small-batch spirits with a tasting room and cocktail experience. Comparable as an Indiana craft distillery using estate/sourced grains in a DTC-led model.
• Whyte Horse Winery: Whyte Horse is an Indiana estate winery with tasting room experiences, events, and wine club. Comparable as a small-to-mid Indiana DTC winery pursuing experiential positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Biltmore Winery: Biltmore operates a large estate winery in Asheville, NC anchored by wine tasting rooms, events, and tourism at the Biltmore Estate. Comparable as a destination estate winery leveraging tourism, events, and on-site hospitality at materially larger scale.

Regional players

• St. Julian Winery: St. Julian is Michigan's oldest and largest winery, operating multiple tasting rooms and a broad DTC and wholesale footprint. Comparable Midwest regional winery with diversified varietals and tasting room chain model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/backroadsdistilling
• TikToktiktok.com/@backroadsdistilling
• Xx.com/ch_winery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Country Heritage Winery