Butler Winery

What Butler Winery does

Butler Winery is a family-owned and operated winery founded in 1983 by Jim and Susan Butler in Bloomington, Indiana. The winery produces over 12,000 gallons of wine annually from grapes grown on 7+ acres of estate vineyard located within the Indiana Uplands American Viticultural Area (AVA), utilizing French-American hybrid varieties — Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, Vidal Blanc, and Norton — chosen for Midwest climate resilience, with additional supply from partner Foggy Ridge Vineyard. Production employs traditional techniques including aging in French Oak barrels, yielding an estate-bottled portfolio of dry to sweet wines plus seasonal offerings such as wine slushies.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model with three primary revenue streams: (1) on-premise tasting room and bottle sales at the 6200 E. Robinson Rd. vineyard location ($12 flights of 5 wines, private Barrel Room tastings at $30/person for groups up to 8); (2) a four-tier Wine Club subscription delivering three annual shipments of four bottles each at $44–$91 per shipment with a three-allocation minimum; and (3) direct-to-consumer shipping via the Vinoshipper platform to 37 states. Ancillary revenue includes private events in the wine cellar (up to 50 guests) and outdoor pavilion, plus a la carte charcuterie.

A dense events calendar — Sunday live music (May–October), Wild Moon Yoga, Monday trivia, paint parties, and partnership events with WildCare and Artist Within — drives foot traffic and community engagement. The company is founder-controlled with no external funding rounds, no parent company, and headcount reported at 1–10 employees. Distribution is intentionally limited to DTC channels; no traditional wholesale, distributor, or retail accounts are disclosed.

Name

Butler Winery

Legal name

Butler Winery

Website

https://butlerwinery.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Butler Winery is a family-owned Indiana winery producing estate-bottled wines from French-American hybrid grapes grown in the Indiana Uplands AVA, serving consumers through a tasting room, four-tier wine club, and direct shipping to 37 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (31213), Wineries (312130), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wine Bars (CRANACAE)

Keywords

• Estate wine production
• Wine club subscription
• Winery tasting room
• Viticulture winemaking
• Direct-to-consumer wine

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

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 Tasting Room Sales: On-site wine sales through wine flights ($12 for 5 wines) and bottle purchases. Table service provided in tasting room, wine cellar, outdoor deck, and pavilion.
2. Wine Club Membership: Subscription model with three annual shipments (March, June, September) of 4 bottles each. Members receive 15% discount on shipments plus additional in-store and online discounts (10-20% based on quantity). Requires minimum 3 allocations before cancellation or $50 early cancellation fee.
3. Direct Shipping: Wine shipped directly to consumers through Vinoshipper platform. Available in 37 states. Orders ship on next business day after purchase.
4. Private Events: Private guided wine tastings in Barrel Room ($30 per person, groups up to 8), festival-style tastings in wine cellar for large groups, and outdoor pavilion events. Reservations required 48 hours in advance.
5. Charcuterie and Food Items: A la carte sales of charcuterie items including meats, crackers, olives, sweets, and cheeses. Guests may also bring their own food.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Butler Winery produces and sells estate-bottled wines from French-American hybrid grapes grown on its 7-acre vineyard within the Indiana Uplands AVA, yielding over 12,000 gallons annually. Its core offerings include a portfolio of estate wines, a four-tier Wine Club membership delivering three shipments of four bottles per year, on-site guided wine tastings, and private event hosting in the barrel room and pavilion. Wine is also shipped direct-to-consumer in 37 states through the Vinoshipper platform.

Product overview

Butler Winery is a single-location Indiana winery producing over 12,000 gallons of wine annually from grapes grown in the Indiana Uplands AVA. The core offering consists of estate wines made from French-American hybrid grapes (Chambourcin, Chardonel, Seyval Blanc, Vignoles, Vidal Blanc, Norton) grown on 7 acres of vineyard, supplemented by a Wine Club membership with four tiered clubs delivering three annual shipments. Ancillary offerings include wine tastings, private event hosting in the barrel room and pavilion, and direct shipping to 37 states. Butler Winery does not operate a software product or platform — it is a physical winery and tasting room.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Butler Winery Estate Wines Estate wines produced from grapes grown exclusively at Butler Vineyards in Bloomington, Indiana, including Chambourcin, Chardonel, Traminette, Vignoles, Norton, Variant, Vidal Blanc, Chambourcin Rosé, Late Harvest Vignoles, and Terra Rossa. Available for tasting room and direct shipping purchase.
• Butler Wine Club Membership Subscription membership offering three annual shipments (March, June, September) of four bottles each, with 15% discount on shipments and tiered in-store/online discounts. Four tiers available: Estate Wine Club, Dry Wine Club, Semi-Sweet Wine Club, and Sweet Wine Club.
• Wine Tastings Guided wine tasting experiences including standard flights of five wines for $12 and private barrel room tastings for groups up to eight featuring up to seven estate bottled wines, with topics covering Indiana wine history, geography, soil types, and grape varieties.
• Private Event Hosting Private event hosting including Barrel Room tastings ($30 per person, groups up to 8), wine cellar standing receptions for larger groups, and outdoor pavilion tastings surrounded by grapevines (up to 50 people). Reservations required 48 hours in advance.
• Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Direct shipping of Butler Winery wines to consumers in 37 states through the Vinoshipper platform, with orders processed and shipped on the next business day after purchase.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of Indiana's oldest wineries operating successfully for over 42 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WildCareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 June 2026WildCare hosted 'Wine & Wildlife' event at Butler Winery on June 27, 2026. Event tickets available through givebutter.com platform.
• Artist WithinminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 May 2026Artist Within hosted paint party events at Butler Winery's vineyard location. Events invited participants to paint at the vineyard setting.
• Foggy Ridge VineyardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoggy Ridge (Rodney and Nancy Anderson) grows an additional 2 acres of grapes for Butler Winery. They grow 1 acre of Marquette grapes and 1 acre of Traminette grapes. Named 'Foggy Ridge' for the morning fog that blankets the grapes. Marquette is an early ripening variety developed in Minnesota to withstand sub-zero winter temperatures. Traminette is Indiana's signature wine grape.
• VinoshippercoreTechnology or IntegrationVinoshipper is the direct shipping platform enabling Butler Winery to ship wine to consumers in 37 states. Orders are processed and shipped on the next business day after purchase.
• Wild Moon YogaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWild Moon Yoga hosts monthly vinyasa yoga sessions at Butler Winery's vineyard. Contact: Angie Kleptz at [email protected]. Sessions are 60 minutes followed by wine and social time. All fitness levels welcome.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Huber's Orchard & Winery: Family-owned Indiana winery and orchard with tasting room, events, and wine club. Closely comparable Midwest family winery with estate-grown fruit and on-site hospitality.
• Oliver Winery: Indiana's largest winery, also located in Bloomington, IN. Directly comparable as a fellow Indiana wine producer with a tasting room, wine club, and DTC distribution; founder Jim Butler was Oliver's winemaker before founding Butler Winery.
• French Lick Winery: Indiana-based winery with tasting room, wine club, and DTC events. Directly comparable Midwestern small winery with a similar experiential DTC business model.
• St. James Winery: Missouri-based family winery with a broad wine club, tasting room, and DTC distribution. Comparable mid-tier American regional winery with French-American hybrid varietals and a multi-channel DTC model.
• Stone Hill Winery: Historic Missouri family winery with tasting room, tours, and wine club. Comparable heritage Midwest winery with estate-grown grapes and a strong events/experiential offering.
• Wollersheim Winery: Wisconsin family winery with estate vineyard, tasting room, and DTC experience. Comparable Midwest small winery with similar climate-adapted varietals and a tourism-driven DTC model.

Broad incumbents

• Biltmore Winery: Estate winery at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, with tasting room, wine club, and DTC. Comparable experiential winery combining tourism, estate production, and wine club, but operates within a much larger hospitality brand.
• Chateau Ste. Michelle: Washington State's largest winery with national distribution, broad wine club, and tasting room. Comparable as a winery with wine club and DTC channels, but operates at far greater scale and a premium-positioned national brand.

Others

• Indiana Uplands Wine Trail: Cooperative wine tourism organization representing Indiana Uplands AVA wineries. Adjacent ecosystem player that channels consumer traffic to member wineries including Butler, providing co-marketing and trail-driven visitation lift.

Regional players

• Prairie Berry Winery: South Dakota winery specializing in regionally adapted varietals and fruit wines with tasting room and wine club. Comparable as a small Midwest winery with a hospitality-focused DTC model, though operating in a different state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ButlerWinery
• Facebookfacebook.com/ButlerWineryandVineyards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/butler-winery

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 Butler Winery