What Knapp Winery does

Knapp Winery is a privately held, family-owned producer of cool-climate wines founded in 1983 in Romulus, New York on the western shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes appellation. The winery cultivates 16 grape varietals — including signature Finger Lakes staples (Riesling, Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Cabernet Franc) and distinctive plantings such as Blaufränkisch, Saperavi, Syrah, Siegerrebe, and Baco Noir — and produces still, sparkling (Méthode Champenoise in development), ice, and dessert wines using precision viticulture techniques with reduced-pesticide protocols. In 2024 the team harvested 97 tons of fruit, crafted 98 barrels across 21 wine lots, and released two new wines.

The business is a direct-to-consumer, vertically integrated hospitality operation. Revenue is generated through (1) on-site tasting room sales priced at $12 per person for six-wine flights, (2) a four-tier Knapp Wine Club (Bud Break, Veraision, Harvest, and the credit-based Accrual tier) with quarterly recurring shipments and member discounts of 10–25%, (3) bottle and case shipments to 39 U.S. states, (4) the on-site farm-to-table Field & Vine restaurant (lunch, brunch, and prix-fixe dinner), (5) private event bookings in the Barrel Room and Field & Vine, and (6) wholesale grape sales to eight other Finger Lakes wineries (55 tons in 2024). Experiential programming — 30 annual Saturday live music sessions, wine pairing dinners, blending classes, comedy nights, spa events, and two hosted European wine cruises — drives tasting-room traffic and wine-club acquisition.

Ownership transferred from founders Doug and Susan Knapp to Cole and Karen Wilson in December 2021. The current operating team is small (11–50 employees) and led by Winemaker Vanessa Hoffman (UC Berkeley neurobiology, Italian viticulture & enology master's, prior roles at Groth Vineyards and Duckhorn Portfolio's Decoy label) and Vineyard Manager Jim Bond IV (17+ Finger Lakes harvests). The brand's positioning leans on pioneer status — first Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc, first winery restaurant on Cayuga Lake (1992), only U.S. east-of-Mississippi grower of Siegerrebe — supported by Governor's Cup and Best-of-Class awards and a 2024 Forbes feature for Riesling. No outside institutional capital, M&A, or IPO activity is indicated.

Name

Knapp Winery

Legal name

Knapp Winery

Website

https://knappwine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knapp Winery is a privately held Finger Lakes (Cayuga Lake, Romulus, NY) winery founded in 1983 that produces 16 varietals of cool-climate still, sparkling, and ice wines and sells direct-to-consumer via a 7-day tasting room, four-tier wine club, the on-site Field & Vine restaurant, and shipments to 39 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

Keywords

• Cool-climate wines
• Finger Lakes winery
• Wine club subscriptions
• Winemaking and viticulture
• Farm-to-table dining

Headquarters

HQ city

Romulus

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. Direct Wine Sales: On-site bottle sales, wine by the glass, and online wine shop for home delivery. Wine shipments to 39 states.
2. Wine Club Memberships: Quarterly shipments with customizable wine selections. Four tiers: Bud Break (4 bottles/quarter), Veraision (8 bottles/quarter), Harvest (12 bottles/quarter), and Accrual ($25/month credit). Members receive discounts on wine, spirits, merchandise, and restaurant visits.
3. Restaurant Revenue: Field & Vine restaurant serving lunch, dinner, brunch, and prix-fixe menus. Farm-inspired, locally sourced cuisine paired with Knapp wines.
4. Event Bookings: Private event bookings including bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, corporate events. Venue rental with customized menus and wine pairings.
5. Grape Sales to Other Wineries: Sells grapes to other wineries; 55 tons sold to 8 wineries in 2024 from 97 tons harvested.
6. Tasting Fees: $12 per person for tastings (choose 6 wines or curated flights). Group tours available for 9-12 people at $15/person with $3 rebate toward wine purchase.
7. Event Tickets: Tickets for wine dinners ($125/person), blending classes ($50), comedy nights ($10-$15), spa events ($130), and other experiential events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Knapp Winery produces and sells a portfolio of cool-climate wines (still, sparkling, ice, and dessert) from 16 grape varietals grown on Cayuga Lake vineyards. The winery operates a direct-to-consumer business through its on-site tasting room, online wine shop, four-tier wine club, Field & Vine farm-to-table restaurant, private event venues, and experiential programs (live music, wine dinners, blending classes). Wholesale grape sales to other Finger Lakes wineries supplement wine production.

Product overview

Knapp Winery is a single-brand Finger Lakes winery founded in 1983, offering a portfolio of wines centered around its core Knapp Winery brand. The winery's main offerings include the Tasting Room for wine flights and bottle sales, the Knapp Wine Club subscription with four membership tiers, the Field & Vine on-site restaurant, private event bookings, and live music sessions every Saturday. Its wine product line spans sparkling, rosé, white (Riesling, Chardonnay, Cayuga White, Vidal Blanc), red (Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch, Saperavi, Syrah, Baco Noir), and dessert/fortified wines. Additional services include wine cruises, wine pairing dinners, and educational winemaking classes. The winery operates year-round with its tasting room open seven days a week and its restaurant open seasonally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Field & Vine: On-site farm-inspired restaurant located at Knapp Winery, offering locally sourced dishes with vineyard views. Formerly known as Vineyard Restaurant.
• Knapp Wine Club

Products and services

• Knapp Winery Wine Product Line The full range of Knapp wines spanning sparkling, rosé, white (Riesling, Chardonnay, Cayuga White, Vidal Blanc), red (Cabernet Franc, Blaufränkisch, Saperavi, Syrah, Baco Noir), dessert/fortified (Forte Bianco), and Vidal Blanc Ice Wine, sold direct to consumers via the tasting room and online shop and shipped to 39 U.S. states.
• Winery Tasting Room The on-site tasting room offers wine flights (choose 6 wines or curated flights at $12/person), wines by the glass and bottle, local craft beer, and non-alcoholic beverages; open 7 days a week for walk-in visitors and reservations. Group tours available for 9-12 people at $15/person with $3 rebate toward wine purchase.
• Knapp Wine Club Membership A wine subscription club with four customizable quarterly shipment tiers: Bud Break (4 bottles/quarter, 10% discount), Veraision (8 bottles/quarter, 15% discount), Harvest (12 bottles/quarter, 25% discount), and Accrual ($25/month credit, 6-month minimum). Members receive discounts on wine, spirits, merchandise, restaurant visits, free tastings, and access to member-only events.
• Field & Vine Restaurant The on-site farm-to-table restaurant at Knapp Winery, originally opened as Vineyard Restaurant in 1992 as the first winery restaurant on Cayuga Lake, offering lunch (Thu-Sat 11am-3:30pm), dinner (Fri-Sat 5pm-8pm), Sunday brunch (10am-3:30pm), and prix-fixe menus with vineyard views. Closed Mon-Wed.
• Private Event Bookings Two private event spaces (Field & Vine restaurant and The Barrel Room) available for bridal showers, baby showers, birthday parties, corporate events, and conferences, with customized menus, catering, and wine pairings.
• Live Music Sessions Weekly live music performances every Saturday in the tasting room featuring local and regional artists across genres including rock, blues, Americana, jazz, and acoustic performances.
• Wine Cruises Hosted European wine cruises for wine enthusiasts featuring vineyard visits, wine tastings, and curated food pairings, including a Rhine River cruise (November 2025) and a Douro River cruise (March 2027).
• Wine & Food Pairing Dinners Themed wine pairing dinners hosted at the winery and at partner restaurants, featuring multi-course meals curated to complement specific Knapp wines. Standard pricing $125 per person with tax & gratuity included.
• Educational Winemaking & Viticulture Classes Winemaking and viticulture educational experiences including Red Wine Blending Classes and Vineyard Pruning & Bonfire sessions led by winemaker Vanessa Hoffman and vineyard manager Jim Bond ($50 each, 10% discount for wine club members).
• Wholesale Grape Sales Wholesale grape sales to other Finger Lakes wineries from Knapp's 97-ton annual harvest across 16 varietals; 55 tons sold to 8 wineries in 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97 tons of grapes harvested in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AmaWaterways / Envision TravelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 March 2027Douro River wine cruise (March 23-30, 2027) hosted by owners Cole & Karen Wilson. Partnership with AmaWaterways cruise line and Envision Travel for organization.
• Cayuga Lake Wine TrailcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKnapp is an active member of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, participating in joint marketing events, wine trail weekends, and collaborative promotional activities with other regional wineries.
• Lento RestaurantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative wine pairing dinner events hosted at Lento Restaurant in Rochester, NY. Chef Art Rogers creates menus paired with Knapp wines.
• Little Clover Wine CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPop-up wine tasting event featuring Little Clover Wine Company's traditional-method sparkling wines and other varietals.
• Vagabond WinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPop-up event featuring Vagabond Wines, a label created by vineyard manager Jim Bond and his wife. Known for wines made in harmony with nature.
• Earthen Art & BotanicalsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBotanical craft workshops including vine wreaths and pressed flower frames led by Danielle Slentz.
• Lodi Food PantryminorOthersNon-profit partner; owner Cole Wilson serves on the board. Knapp supports local community through charitable partnerships.
• UR Golisano Children's HospitalminorOthersCo-owner Karen Wilson is a pediatrician at UR Golisano Children's Hospital in Rochester. Knapp supports the hospital through charitable activities.
• Hydrocephalus AssociationminorOthersKnapp regularly works with the Hydrocephalus Association as part of community outreach.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery: Finger Lakes pioneer winery on Keuka Lake producing cool-climate varietals including Vinifera reds and Rieslings, with a comparable DTC tasting room, wine club, and restaurant program. Closest regional analog in terms of legacy, red-wine focus, and agritourism stack.
• Ravines Wine Cellars: Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake) winery producing estate dry Rieslings and cool-climate reds with a tasting room and wine club. Comparable in varietal mix, DTC focus, and family-scale operations.
• Wagner Vineyards: Seneca Lake Finger Lakes winery with a full estate experience including tasting room, restaurant (Ginny Lee Café), brewery, and inn. Comparable in scale of agritourism stack and multi-revenue model.
• Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards: Long-established Finger Lakes winery on Seneca Lake with a tasting room, wine club, and event venue. Notable as the prior employer of Knapp's vineyard manager Jim Bond IV, making it a particularly relevant operational peer.
• Red Newt Cellars: Finger Lakes winery with a notable on-site bistro (Red Newt Bistro) pairing local cuisine with estate wines, plus a wine club. Closest direct match for the Field & Vine restaurant plus wine club model Knapp operates.
• Sheldrake Point Winery: Cayuga Lake winery specializing in estate-grown Rieslings, Pinot Noir, and other cool-climate varietals with a tasting room and wine club. Direct Cayuga Lake peer with comparable varietal and DTC model.
• Fox Run Vineyards: Seneca Lake Finger Lakes winery with a portfolio of estate-grown reds, whites, and dessert wines and a tasting room plus bistro. Direct analog in scale, DTC model, and restaurant-on-premise format.
• Glenora Wine Cellars: Cayuga Lake Wine Trail member and one of the earliest Finger Lakes wineries, with on-site inn, restaurant, tasting room, and sparkling wine production. Highly comparable in trail membership, lodging-adjacent experience, and sparkling investment.
• Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard: Premium Seneca Lake winery renowned for Riesling and Chardonnay with a focused wine club and tasting-room experience. Comparable Finger Lakes producer with a similarly tight DTC-driven model and varietal specialization.

Emerging players

• Boundary Breaks Vineyard: Smaller-scale Finger Lakes (Seneca Lake) producer focused on Riesling and cool-climate whites with a tasting room. Comparable varietal focus and DTC orientation at a similar small-batch scale, though a more limited experience stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/knappwinery
• Facebookfacebook.com/knappwine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knapp-vineyard

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 Knapp Winery