Proof Wine & Spirits

What Proof Wine & Spirits does

Proof Wine & Spirits, operating under the trade name Proof Distribution, is a regional craft beverage wholesale distributor founded in 2012 and headquartered at 331 W Main Street, Suite 605, in Durham, North Carolina. The company distributes a curated portfolio of independent wines, spirits, beers, ciders, mixology ingredients, and non-alcoholic beverages to restaurants, bars, hotels, and retail beverage stores across North Carolina and South Carolina. Its product mix is organized into separate NC and SC portfolios and emphasizes artisanal, story-driven producers that are not available through mass-market broad-line distributors, with represented brands including Cantillon, Põhjala, Jester King, Trillium, Castello di Verduno, and Marz Community Brewing.

The business operates on a wholesale distribution model, earning transaction-based margins on the products it represents. Customer acquisition is driven by relationship-based field sales to on-premise and retail buyers, supplemented by hosted trade events (notably a first-of-its-kind Triad-region trade show featuring Transparent Wine Co.) and organic Instagram marketing under the @proofwineandspirits handle. The company maintains five product categories — wine, beer & cider, spirits, mixology, and zero-proof — and has recently expanded its zero-proof, mixology, and international craft beer offerings to broaden share-of-wallet per account.

Proof Wine & Spirits is privately held with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no disclosed M&A activity. The company has 11–50 employees, no proprietary technology platform, no APIs, and no disclosed data or AI/ML capabilities, with operations grounded in physical distribution logistics and trade relationships rather than software. Founder and owner Sean Thomas Michelsen leads the firm. Pricing is handled via direct contact and is not publicly disclosed, consistent with negotiated B2B wholesale terms.

Name

Proof Wine & Spirits

Legal name

Proof Wine & Spirits

Website

https://proofwineandspirits.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Proof Wine & Spirits is a Durham, NC-based craft beverage wholesale distributor, founded in 2012, that distributes independent wines, spirits, beers, ciders, mixology ingredients, and non-alcoholic beverages to restaurants, bars, and retailers across North Carolina and South Carolina.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Distribution Services

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Craft beverage distribution
• Wine wholesale distribution
• Craft beer distribution
• Spirits distribution services
• Non-alcoholic beverage distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Beverage Distribution Services: Proof Distribution earns revenue by distributing craft wines, spirits, beers, ciders, mixology products, and non-alcoholic beverages to retail and hospitality establishments in North Carolina and South Carolina, operating on wholesale distribution margins from the products they represent.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Proof Wine & Spirits (also known as Proof Distribution) is a regional craft beverage wholesale distributor serving North Carolina and South Carolina since 2012. The company distributes a curated portfolio of independent, story-driven craft beverages across five categories — wine, beer & cider, spirits, mixology, and zero-proof/non-alcoholic — to restaurants, bars, and retail establishments, acting as the intermediary between small independent producers and Carolina on-premise/off-premise accounts.

Product overview

Proof Wine & Spirits is a beverage distribution company operating across North Carolina and South Carolina, serving since 2012. The company distributes a portfolio of craft, independent beverages from small producers worldwide, organized by state into separate NC and SC portfolios. The NC Portfolio includes Wine (with International, Domestic, and Vermouth sub-categories), Beer & Cider, Mixology, and Zero Proof offerings. The SC Portfolio includes Wine, Beer, Mixology, Spirits, and Zero Proof categories. Products range from natural wines, craft spirits, international beers, ciders, mixology ingredients (bitters, syrups, sodas), and non-alcoholic alternatives. The company specializes in unique, story-driven producers that customers won't find elsewhere.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Craft Wine Distribution Wholesale distribution of craft wines from small independent producers worldwide, including international selections (Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Austria), domestic U.S. wines (California, Oregon), natural wines, and vermouth, supplied to restaurants, bars, and retail stores in North Carolina and South Carolina.
• Craft Beer & Cider Distribution Wholesale distribution of craft beers from independent breweries globally (including Cantillon, Põhjala, American Solera, Jester King, Trillium, Great Notion) and craft ciders (Aval, Graft, Urban Orchard) to on-premise and off-premise accounts across the Carolinas.
• Craft Spirits Distribution Wholesale distribution of unique small spirit producers and distillers, including grappa, armagnac, calvados, eau de vie, and rums, supplied to South Carolina hospitality and retail establishments.
• Mixology Distribution Wholesale distribution of mixers, sodas, bitters, and syrups for cocktail programs, including brands such as Vichy Catalan, Lady Bird Soda, Liber and Co., B.G. Reynolds, and various bitters brands, supplied to bars, restaurants, and retailers in the Carolinas.
• Zero Proof (Non-Alcoholic) Distribution

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American SoleracoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAmerican Solera is a craft brewery featured in Proof's North Carolina beer portfolio.
• CantilloncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCantillon, the renowned Belgian brewery known for traditional lambic and gueuze, is distributed by Proof in North Carolina. Cantillon is one of the high-profile craft producers in Proof's portfolio.
• PõhjalacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPõhjala is an Estonian brewery located in Tallinn near the Baltic Sea. Proof Distribution brought Põhjala to North Carolina, representing an international craft beer partnership. The company specifically highlighted the brewery as 'one of our favorite breweries in the world.'

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Republic National Distributing Company: Largest U.S. beverage alcohol distributor with multi-state coverage including the Carolinas. Comparable because it operates the same B2B wholesale distribution model Proof uses, though RNDC is far broader in portfolio and scale and competes for the same on-premise and retail accounts.
• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: The largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor, operating across all 50 states including NC and SC. Comparable as a direct competitor in B2B beverage distribution; Proof's specialty position contrasts with Southern Glazer's full-spectrum scale and portfolio breadth.

Direct peers

• Tryon Distributing Company: Regional beer and beverage distributor headquartered in Charlotte, NC, serving the Carolinas. Directly comparable as a regional B2B distributor in the same NC/SC footprint with a multi-category beverage portfolio, though focused more on beer than Proof's wine-led mix.
• T. Edward Wines: Specialty wine distributor focused on organically and biodynamically produced wines from small importers, distributing across the U.S. Comparable because it represents a similar curated portfolio of natural, small-production producers—directly overlapping with Proof's natural-wine positioning.
• SKURNIK Wines: Specialty wine importer and distributor focused exclusively on family-owned and small-production wineries, primarily in the Northeast U.S. Highly comparable as a craft-and-independent-only wine distributor using a curated-portfolio model similar to Proof's wine vertical.
• Carolina Craft Distributing: Carolina-focused craft beer and cider distributor. Direct peer operating in a similar regional craft-distribution model within Proof's NC/SC territory, competing for the same on-premise tap handles and retail shelf space.
• Advintage Distribution: Specialty wine and craft spirits distributor serving the Southeast U.S., including the Carolinas. Highly comparable because it focuses on independent and small-production producers—overlapping directly with Proof's craft and indie producer thesis—and serves similar on-premise and retail accounts.
• Mutual Distributing Company: North Carolina-based wholesale beverage distributor serving on-premise and retail accounts. Direct peer because it operates the same B2B wholesale model in overlapping Carolina territory and competes for the same restaurant, bar, and retail buyers.

Regional players

• Empire Distributors: Multi-state beverage alcohol distributor serving the Southeast U.S. (Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama). Comparable as a regional B2B wholesaler with craft and import portfolios, though its primary strength is in GA/AL/TN rather than NC/SC.

Emerging players

• B. United International: Importer and distributor specializing in craft beer and cider from small international producers, with U.S. distribution across multiple states. Comparable because it brings the same international craft-producer access (e.g., Cantillon-style Belgian lambics, Nordic breweries) that Proof leverages to differentiate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/proofwineandspirits
• Xx.com/Proofws
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProofWineAndSpirits

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 Proof Wine & Spirits