Old Cellar Vineyard

What Old Cellar Vineyard does

Old Cellar Vineyard, LLC is a privately held Nebraska grape grower and tasting room operator founded in 2010 and headquartered in Arapahoe. The company cultivates eight cold-hardy wine grape varieties — Verona, Brianna, Marquette, La Crescent, Petite Pearl, Itasca, Crimson Pearl, and Frontenac — across 19 acres containing approximately 15,000 plants. Its primary B2B revenue stream is supplying these grapes to six partner Nebraska wineries (Capital View, Cellar 426, Deere Springs, Glacial Till, Niobrara Valley, and Old Depot), which produce wines featuring Old Cellar's fruit.

The vineyard operates a tasting room at its Arapahoe location offering wine flights ($10), tastings ($8), glasses ($6–$8), and a light food menu, with private events available by appointment. Hours are limited to Friday and Saturday evenings (3pm–10pm) plus by-appointment weekday visits. Field operations rely on mechanized harvesting via an SB64 BRAUD Harvester (approximately 1.5 acres/hour), ozone spray disease management, foliar feeding, and water-saving irrigation, all marketed as sustainable practices supporting the company's cold-climate varietal specialization.

The business is family-owned by Gary and Judith Thompson, who added Melinda Gardner as a business partner in 2016 after she joined as a summer worker in 2010. The company is a member of the Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association, partners with the Arapahoe FFA Chapter for seasonal labor, and hosted the UNL Mechanization and More Viticulture Field Day in July 2016. Total headcount is 6+ personnel (3 owners/partners plus 2–4 seasonal high school/college students each summer).

Name

Old Cellar Vineyard

Legal name

Old Cellar Vineyard, LLC

Website

https://oldcellarvineyard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Old Cellar Vineyard, a family-owned Nebraska LLC founded in 2010, grows eight cold-hardy wine grape varieties across 19 acres and supplies them to six partner Nebraska wineries. It also operates a tasting room in Arapahoe offering wine flights, glasses, and private events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vineyard / Wine Grape Production

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Irrigation, Fertigation & Water Management (Vineyard-Specific) (AFAGAJAC), Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Wine grape growing
• Vineyard operations
• Cold-hardy viticulture
• Wine tasting room
• Agritourism events

Headquarters

HQ city

Arapahoe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grape Sales to Wineries: Old Cellar Vineyard grows characteristic wine grapes and provides them to many Nebraska wineries to create quality wine. This is their primary B2B revenue stream.
2. Tasting Room Wine Sales: Operates a tasting room offering wine flights, individual tastings, glasses, and port glasses. Also serves food items including Spinach & Artichoke Dip, Classic Meat & Cheese, and Bread & Dipping Oils.
3. Private Events: Offers private tastings and special events for private parties and celebrations, available by appointment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Old Cellar Vineyard grows and sells eight cold-hardy wine grape varieties to Nebraska wineries for the production of quality regional wines. The vineyard also operates an on-site tasting room that serves wines made from its grapes by partner wineries, offers private tastings and event hosting, and serves a light food menu. Operations span 19 acres with approximately 15,000 plants and utilize mechanized harvesting, ozone sprays, and tailored nutrient programs.

Product overview

Old Cellar Vineyard operates as a grape growing and wine-producing operation. The company grows eight varieties of wine grapes (Verona, Brianna, Marquette, La Crescent, Petite Pearl, Itasca, Crimson Pearl, and Frontenac) across 19 acres with approximately 15,000 plants, supplying grapes to multiple Nebraska wineries. The company also operates a tasting room offering wines from partner wineries (Capital View, Cellar 426, Deere Springs, Glacial Till, Niobrara Valley, Old Depot) along with light food service, private tastings, and special event hosting. The operation utilizes mechanized harvesting equipment for efficiency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Grapes Cold-hardy wine grapes grown across 19 acres and supplied to Nebraska wineries for production of quality regional wines. Includes eight varieties — Verona (red), Brianna (white), Marquette (red), La Crescent (white), Petite Pearl (red), Itasca (white), Crimson Pearl (red), and Frontenac (red) — each with distinct flavor profiles, cold tolerance, and wine characteristics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Harvest crew can harvest about 1.5 acres in an hour using mechanized equipment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of Nebraska Viticulture ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2016Hosted the UNL Mechanization and More Viticulture Field Day on July 16, 2016. Owner Gary Thompson discussed mechanization practices and history. UNL Viticulture Program Director Paul Read coordinated the event which was attended by 40+ people from Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota.
• Capital ViewcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Cellar 426coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Deere SpringscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Glacial TillcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Niobrara ValleycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Old DepotcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner winery that features wines made from Old Cellar Vineyard grapes. Listed as one of six wineries featured at the Old Cellar tasting room.
• Arapahoe FFA ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arapahoe FFA Chapter helps plant grapes in the spring for The Old Cellar Vineyard, providing youth engagement and agricultural education support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cellar 426 Winery: Nebraska winery partner of Old Cellar that also operates its own vineyard and tasting room; directly comparable as both a customer and a regional peer competing for tasting-room visitors.
• Mac's Creek Vineyards & Winery: Nebraska vineyard and winery with on-site tasting room and events; comparable in scale, climate adaptation, and dual grape-grower/wine-experience business model.
• James Arthur Vineyards: Long-standing Nebraska vineyard/winery with tasting room and event hosting; comparable as a regional cold-climate grape grower offering direct-to-consumer wine experiences.
• Deer Springs Winery: Nebraska winery partner sourcing grapes from Old Cellar; operates its own vineyard and tasting room, making it both a customer and a directly comparable regional peer.
• Cuthills Vineyards: Nebraska vineyard and winery operating a tasting room and event venue; a direct regional peer competing for the same local grape supply and visitor demographic.
• Whiskey Run Creek Winery & Vineyards: Nebraska-based winery that also operates its own vineyards and a tasting room, making it a directly comparable small-scale Midwest vineyard/winery operation serving the same regional customer base.
• Miletta Vista Winery: Nebraska winery with vineyard and tasting room operations; directly comparable as a small Midwest cold-climate wine operation serving local and regional visitors.
• Glacial Till Vineyard & Winery: Nebraska vineyard and winery featured at Old Cellar's tasting room; directly comparable as a small Midwest grower-producer operating a tasting room in the same geographic market.

Broad incumbents

• Stone Hill Winery: Large Missouri winery with significant vineyard acreage; comparable as a Midwest cold-climate wine producer with on-site tasting and events, representing a scaled-up version of Old Cellar's model.
• Wollersheim Winery: Established Wisconsin winery with vineyard operations; comparable as a larger cold-climate Midwest wine operation that demonstrates the broader regional category Old Cellar operates within.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Old Cellar Vineyard