Baur au Lac Vins
Baur au Lac Vins is a Swiss wine merchant founded in 1844 and operated by H. Kracht's Erben AG, selling over 2,000 wines, spirits, and delicacies to private consumers, gastronomy, and specialty trade through five Swiss retail locations and a direct e-commerce platform enhanced by an AI Sommelier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1844
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Baur au Lac Vins does
Baur au Lac Vins is a Swiss wine merchant founded in 1844 and operated under the parent company H. Kracht's Erben AG, which also operates the Hotel Baur au Lac in Zürich. The company sells wines, spirits, delicacies, gifts, and accessories through its own e-commerce platform and a network of five physical retail locations in Switzerland. Its customer base spans three segments: private consumers (B2C retail), gastronomy (hotels and restaurants, B2B), and specialty trade (Fachhandel). The assortment covers more than 2,000 wines, including a dedicated Fine & Rare vertical for investment-grade and collectible bottles.
The underlying technology stack centers on an in-house e-commerce platform integrated with SAP CRM for customer data management and multiple payment rails (Datatrans, TWINT, PostFinance, and major card networks). The company has deployed an AI Sommelier branded "Ask Marco" to assist customers with wine selection, alongside content assets including a Wine Wiki, grape database, and food-pairing resources that support both customer education and organic discovery. Operational certifications include BTA (organic trade), PCI DSS, Swiss Online Garantie, eCommerce Trustmark, and Great Place to Work.
Revenue is generated through direct e-commerce sales (with CHF 15 standard shipping and free shipping above CHF 200), recurring wine subscriptions anchored by the Bordeaux 2025 en primeur program, the high-margin Fine & Rare vertical, in-person tastings and events, and B2B sales to gastronomy and trade accounts. Local fulfillment is enhanced by a Wy-de-Blitz 2-hour courier service in Zürich starting at CHF 25. The company employs between 11 and 50 people and operates as a privately held Swiss SME with no public revenue or funding disclosures.
Baur au Lac Vins firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Baur au Lac Vins
- Legal name
- H. Kracht's Erben AG
- Website
- https://bauraulacvins.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1844
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Baur au Lac Vins is a Swiss wine merchant founded in 1844 and operated by H. Kracht's Erben AG, selling over 2,000 wines, spirits, and delicacies to private consumers, gastronomy, and specialty trade through five Swiss retail locations and a direct e-commerce platform enhanced by an AI Sommelier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Baur au Lac Vins industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine and Spirits Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Premium, Rare & Collectible Alcohol Retail (Fine Wine/Spirits) (CRANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Baur au Lac Vins is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
Baur au Lac Vins business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- E-commerce Wine Sales: Online sales of wines, spirits, and delicacies through the company's website with home delivery options
- Retail Store Sales: Physical store sales across multiple locations in Switzerland including Zürich, Männedorf, and Regensdorf
- Wine Subscriptions: Subscription services including Bordeaux 2025 subscriptions, offering recurring wine deliveries
- Fine & Rare Wines: Investment-grade wine buying and selling service for collectors, separate from regular consumption wines
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Shipping |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Baur au Lac Vins product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Baur au Lac Vins is a Swiss wine and spirits merchant that curates and sells more than 2,000 wines, 219 spirits and 27 delicatessen items through its own e-commerce site and five physical retail stores in Switzerland. Beyond standard wine and spirits retail, the company offers Fine & Rare investment-grade wine services, recurring wine subscriptions, tasting events, an AI sommelier ("Ask Marco") for personalized recommendations, and curated themed selections tied to seasons and featured producers.
Product overview
Baur au Lac Vins operates a Swiss wine and spirits e-commerce platform with multiple retail locations (Regensdorf, Männedorf, Zurich HB, Hotel). The core offering is an extensive wine and sparkling selection (over 2,000 wines across categories including sparkling, white, rosé, red, sweet, and fortified wines) complemented by spirits (219) and delicacies. Key differentiating services include The Art of Wine Selection (personalized recommendations), Ask Marco (AI sommelier), Fine & Rare (investment wines), wine subscriptions, and curated themed selections like Summer Wines and Winemakers of the Year. The company also offers events, tastings, and an educational wine wiki. Founded in 1844, it is one of Switzerland's oldest wine merchants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 15% price advantage on summer wine selection
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Baur au Lac Vins
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Baur au Lac Vins technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
Feature1 record
Baur au Lac Vins partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Allgeier (Schweiz) AGcoreTechnical partner for web operations, maintenance, and warranty of contractual offerings. Handles web hosting and web shop operations including customer data collection and processing for e-commerce activities.
- SAPcoreCRM and data management system used for central storage and linking of customer data, booking management, and contract fulfillment.
- Datatrans AGcorePayment processing provider for credit card transactions on the website, ensuring secure payment handling.
- Eventfrog AGminorEvent ticketing platform partner for purchasing event tickets and vouchers for Baur au Lac Vins events.
- aspectra AGcoreWeb hosting provider for the company's websites, ensuring website availability and functionality.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Baur au Lac Vins competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wine.com: Largest US online wine retailer offering extensive assortment and delivery across multiple states. Comparable as a digital-first specialist wine retailer combining large curated catalogs with subscription gifting programs.
- Corney & Barrow: Long-established UK wine merchant with strong trade and private client divisions, including investment-grade fine wine. Comparable as a heritage wine merchant serving connoisseurs, gastronomy, and fine wine collectors.
- Naked Wines: Online wine retailer built around a subscription/Angel funding model connecting consumers directly with independent winemakers. Comparable in combining e-commerce wine sales with subscription-based recurring customer engagement.
- Berry Bros. & Rudd: Historic UK wine merchant founded in 1698 with both retail and trade operations. Comparable as a long-established, heritage-led specialty wine merchant serving connoisseurs, collectors, and the hospitality trade.
- Majestic Wine: UK specialist wine retailer with a national chain of stores and online presence. Comparable as a multi-channel wine retailer combining physical retail, online sales, and subscription-style services.
- Divino Wein: Swiss specialty wine retailer with a network of physical shops and online ordering. Comparable as a domestic wine retail competitor targeting similar consumer and gift-giving occasions.
- Mövenpick Wein: One of Switzerland's largest wine retail chains with physical stores and an online shop. Directly comparable as a Swiss multi-channel wine specialist serving both consumers and gastronomy customers.
- Latour Vins Fins: Swiss fine wine merchant specializing in premium and aged wines. Comparable as a heritage-driven Swiss wine specialist focused on the collector and connoisseur segment similar to Baur au Lac Vins' Fine & Rare.
Emerging players
- Vivino: Global wine marketplace and recommendation app with crowdsourced reviews and AI-driven suggestions. Comparable in leveraging technology to drive wine discovery and purchase recommendations, overlapping with Ask Marco's value proposition.
Regional players
- Bodeboca: Spanish online wine retailer combining curated wine sales, subscriptions, and sommelier-led recommendations. Comparable in blending e-commerce, subscription services, and personalized wine advisory, though operating in a different European market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Baur au Lac Vins social profiles
Digital presenceBaur au Lac Vins compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Baur au Lac Vins financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Baur au Lac Vins leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Baur au Lac Vins funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Baur au Lac Vins M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Baur au Lac Vins
What does Baur au Lac Vins do?
Baur au Lac Vins is a Swiss wine and spirits merchant that curates and sells more than 2,000 wines, 219 spirits and 27 delicatessen items through its own e-commerce site and five physical retail stores in Switzerland. Beyond standard wine and spirits retail, the company offers Fine & Rare investment-grade wine services, recurring wine subscriptions, tasting events, an AI sommelier ("Ask Marco") for personalized recommendations, and curated themed selections tied to seasons and featured producers.
Is Baur au Lac Vins a public or private company?
Baur au Lac Vins is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Baur au Lac Vins founded?
Baur au Lac Vins was founded in 1844. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Baur au Lac Vins based?
Baur au Lac Vins is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Baur au Lac Vins make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. E-commerce Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are retail Store Sales, wine Subscriptions and fine & Rare Wines.
Who are Baur au Lac Vins's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wine.com, Corney & Barrow, Naked Wines, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Majestic Wine, Divino Wein, Mövenpick Wein and Latour Vins Fins. Vivino is listed as an emerging player. Bodeboca is listed as a regional player.
Does Baur au Lac Vins have an API?
No public API is recorded for Baur au Lac Vins.
What industry is Baur au Lac Vins in?
Baur au Lac Vins's product category is Wine and Spirits Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants), with a secondary code of CRANABAE, Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail. Its NAICS code is 445320 and its SIC code is 5180.