Whalebone Vineyard

What Whalebone Vineyard does

Whalebone Vineyard is a family-owned estate winery located in Adelaide, California, within the Santa Lucia Mountain Range west of Paso Robles. The 128-acre property was purchased by Robert and Janalyn Simpson in 1986 from the former King Vidor Estate and planted with Estrella Clone 8 Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1989 at 1,800 ft elevation on south-facing fractured limestone and calcareous shale soils, where fossilized whalebones were unearthed during planting — giving the winery its name. The operation raises Angus cattle alongside the vines and produces estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, the cult-favorite BOB WINE red blend (introduced 1994), plus a portfolio of red blends (Boneyard, Bonefire, Rancho Deluxe, Son of BOB, SOB Reserve), Zinfandel (Zinagain), and a Rosé (WOW Rosé). Winemaking is traditional: hand-harvested grapes, small-batch fermentation with manual punch-down and pump-over, 20 months in French and American oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered, with low yields of 2-2.5 tons/acre.

The business model is direct-to-consumer-led. Revenue is generated through four streams: an on-site Whalebone Tasting Barn open daily 11-5 ($30 tasting fee, waived with every 2-bottle purchase); an e-commerce store on OrderPort with a 10% case discount on 12+ bottles; a subscription wine club offering exclusive releases and multiple private parties per year; and limited wholesale distribution to three California restaurant partners (Cafe Roma, McPhee's Grill, and The Cannery in Newport Beach). Bottle pricing ranges from $40 (WOW Rosé, Zinagain) to $67 (Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, SOB Reserve).

The company holds no patents, has no funding rounds, and operates without subsidiaries under family ownership. The portfolio has accumulated a long-running awards track record — primarily at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition — including Double Golds for Zinagain, BOB WINE, Bonefire, and Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Best of Class designations for Rancho Deluxe, indicating consistent regional recognition rather than mass-market scale.

Name

Whalebone Vineyard

Legal name

Whalebone Vineyard

Website

https://whalebonevineyard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whalebone Vineyard is a family-owned estate winery in Adelaide, California (Paso Robles) producing estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends from a 128-acre vineyard, selling direct to consumers through a tasting barn, wine club, online store, and limited restaurant wholesale.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Estate Winery / Viticulture

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ), Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB), Wine Bars (CRANACAE)

Keywords

• Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon
• Red wine blends
• Wine tasting room
• Wine club membership
• Direct-to-consumer winery

Headquarters

HQ city

Paso Robles

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-to-Consumer Tasting Room: On-site wine tastings and purchases at the Whalebone Tasting Barn. Tasting fee of $30 per person, waived with 2-bottle purchase. Open daily 11am-5pm.
2. Online Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer wine sales through their e-commerce platform at orderport.net. 10% case discount on 12+ bottles.
3. Wine Club Membership: Subscription-based wine club with exclusive wines and member-only events. Private wine club parties held several times per year.
4. Restaurant/Hospitality Wholesale: Wholesale distribution of wines to restaurant partners including Cafe' Roma, McPhee's Grill, and The Cannery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Whalebone Vineyard is a family-owned estate winery that hand-farms 128 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on limestone and calcareous soils in Adelaide, Paso Robles, and produces, sells, and ships estate-grown wines from its on-site Tasting Barn, online store, and wine club. Its product portfolio centers on Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends (BOB WINE, BONEFIRE, BONEYARD, SON OF BOB, RANCHO DELUXE, SOB Reserve) plus Zinfandel and rosé, sold direct-to-consumer and through California restaurant partners.

Product overview

Whalebone Vineyard is a family-owned winery in Paso Robles, California, producing estate-grown wines exclusively from their Whalebone Vineyard planted in 1989. The product portfolio centers on Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends, including the cult favorite BOB WINE, alongside Zinfandel, Rosé, and Rhône-style blends. The winery operates a Tasting Barn for cellar door sales and an online store powered by OrderPort. Products are sold directly to consumers and through restaurant partners. The wine collection includes multiple vintages of varietal wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Rosé) and proprietary blends (BOB WINE, BONEFIRE, BONEYARD, RANCHO DELUXE, SON OF BOB, SOB RESERVE) ranging from $40 to $67 per bottle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BOB Wine: Cult favorite red blend wine, originally made as a garage wine in 1994. Currently composed of 74% Estate Cabernet, 20% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot (2022 vintage).
• Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
• Zinagain
• Boneyard
• Rancho Deluxe
• Bonefire
• Son of BOB
• WOW Rosé
• Ballena Blanca

Products and services

• BOB WINE (Red Blend) Cult favorite red blend, 2022 vintage composed of 74% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot ($44 per bottle). Sold via tasting room, online store, and wine club; offered at the Whalebone Tasting Barn for tastings and bottle sales.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 100% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in French and American oak barrels, bottled unfined and unfiltered. 2023 vintage priced at $67 per bottle and sold direct-to-consumer and through restaurant wholesale.
• Cabernet Sauvignon Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from Whalebone Vineyard. 2022 vintage is 80% Estate Cab, 12% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc, priced at $47 per bottle. Sold via tasting room, online store, and wine club.
• ZINAGAIN (Zinfandel) Zinfandel-led wine from the Whalebone portfolio. 2022 vintage composed of 80% Zinfandel and 15% Merlot. Available at the tasting room, online store, and through restaurant wholesale partners.
• WOW Rosé Rosé wine, 2025 vintage blended from 70% Syrah and 30% Tempranillo, priced at $40 per bottle. Sold via tasting room, online store, and wholesale.
• BONEFIRE (Red Blend) Bordeaux-style red blend. 2022 vintage: 50% Estate Cabernet, 25% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot, 10% Malbec, 5% Merlot. Offered direct-to-consumer and through wholesale.
• BONEYARD (Red Blend) Rhône-style red blend. 2022 vintage: 50% Grenache/Tannat, 15% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 7.5% Zinfandel, 7.5% Syrah, 5% Petit Verdot, and 5% Estate Cabernet. Sold direct and at wholesale partner restaurants.
• RANCHO DELUXE (Red Blend) Tempranillo-based red blend. 2022 vintage is 75% Tempranillo, 20% Tempranillo (as stated in source), and 5% Malbec. Available at the tasting barn, online, and at restaurant partners.
• SON OF BOB (Red Blend) Merlot-led red blend companion to BOB WINE. 2022 vintage is 85% Merlot and 5% Estate Cabernet. Sold through tasting room, online store, and wine club.
• SOB RESERVE (Red Blend) Reserve-tier red blend of 42% Estate Cabernet, 24% Merlot, 17% Malbec, and 17% Cabernet Franc, priced at $67 per bottle. Sold via direct channels and restaurant wholesale.
• Whalebone Wine Club Membership Subscription-based wine club giving members exclusive wines, member pricing, and access to private wine club parties held several times per year. Subscription is recurring.
• Whalebone Tasting Barn Tasting Experiences On-site wine tastings at the Whalebone Tasting Barn in Paso Robles, open daily 11am-5pm with walk-ins welcome and groups of 8+ by reservation. $30 tasting fee per person, waived with every 2-bottle purchase; picnics and pets allowed.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Cafe' RomaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant retailer partner in San Luis Obispo, CA selling Whalebone wines to dine-in customers. Located at 1020 Railroad Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401.
• McPhee's GrillminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant retailer partner in Templeton, CA selling Whalebone wines. Located at 416 Main St, Templeton, CA 93465.
• The CanneryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRestaurant retailer partner in Newport Beach, CA (The Cannery Seafood of the Pacific) selling Whalebone wines. Located at 3010 Lafayette, Newport Beach, CA 92663.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• L'Aventure Winery: Paso Robles estate winery led by Stephan Asseo producing high-end Rhône-Bordeaux blends. Comparable in estate-only production, premium pricing, and award-winning cult positioning.
• Epoch Estate Wines: Paso Robles estate winery producing Rhône and Bordeaux blends on calcareous soils. Similar small-production, terroir-driven approach with strong tasting room and DTC presence.
• Tablas Creek Vineyard: Paso Robles estate winery producing Rhône-style blends from estate-grown fruit. Comparable as an estate-driven, terroir-focused Paso Robles producer with tasting room and wine club.
• Booker Vineyards: Paso Robles cult producer of estate Rhône-style and Cabernet blends with low yields and allocated production. Similar boutique scale, cult brand status, and DTC tasting room model.
• Kistler Vineyards: Family-owned, small-production Sonoma winery with strong cult following and award-winning portfolio. Comparable in family ownership structure, low-volume estate production, and allocation-driven DTC model.
• Saxum Vineyards: Paso Robles cult winery led by Justin Smith (whose father planted Whalebone's vineyard). Comparable in estate-grown Rhône-style and Bordeaux-style blends, low yields, and cult/allocated distribution model.
• DAOU Vineyards & Winery: Adelaide/Paso Robles estate winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon on calcareous soils at elevation. Directly comparable in varietal focus, terroir-driven positioning, and DTC-heavy distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Caymus Vineyards: Family-owned California winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon across Napa and other regions. Comparable in Cabernet focus and family ownership but operates at significantly larger scale with national distribution.
• Justin Vineyards & Winery: Larger Paso Robles producer specializing in estate Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Comparable in varietal focus and Paso Robles origin but operates at much greater scale with broader national distribution.
• Silver Oak Cellars: Family-owned California winery focused exclusively on Cabernet Sauvignon with estate vineyards and direct-to-consumer emphasis. Comparable in Cab specialization and DTC model but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bobblog
• Facebookfacebook.com/361338323919566
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whalebone-vineyard

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 Whalebone Vineyard