Baur au Lac Vins

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.

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

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

• Wine retail
• Spirits and delicacies
• Wine subscriptions
• Fine rare wines
• Wine e-commerce

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Wine Sales: Online sales of wines, spirits, and delicacies through the company's website with home delivery options
2. Retail Store Sales: Physical store sales across multiple locations in Switzerland including Zürich, Männedorf, and Regensdorf
3. Wine Subscriptions: Subscription services including Bordeaux 2025 subscriptions, offering recurring wine deliveries
4. Fine & Rare Wines: Investment-grade wine buying and selling service for collectors, separate from regular consumption wines

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Allgeier (Schweiz) AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical 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.
• SAPcoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM and data management system used for central storage and linking of customer data, booking management, and contract fulfillment.
• Datatrans AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing provider for credit card transactions on the website, ensuring secure payment handling.
• Eventfrog AGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEvent ticketing platform partner for purchasing event tickets and vouchers for Baur au Lac Vins events.
• aspectra AGcoreTechnology or IntegrationWeb hosting provider for the company's websites, ensuring website availability and functionality.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct 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

• Xx.com/bauraulacvins
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjFPlGI0AZCi-jIn9J-VfEw?sub_confirmation=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/bauraulacvins
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baur-au-lac-vins
• Instagraminstagram.com/bauraulacvins

Compliance5 records

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 Baur au Lac Vins