Meininger Verlag

What Meininger Verlag does

Meininger Verlag GmbH is a privately held, fourth-generation family-owned German trade publishing house founded in 1903 by Daniel Meininger and headquartered in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The company operates a vertically integrated B2B and B2C platform serving the wine, beer, spirits, and gastronomy industries across German-speaking Europe and select international markets. Its product portfolio spans eight recurring trade and consumer magazines (Der Deutsche Weinbau, Weinwirtschaft, Getränke Zeitung, Meiningers Sommelier, Meiningers Weinwelt, fizzz, Mixology, and Meininger's International), a set of special publications (Brannt, Champagne Magazin, Families of Wine, Barista, Meiningers Weinreisen), and a digital distribution layer comprising the Meininger App for iOS/Android, the Webkiosk browser reader, an online shop, and topic-specific newsletters.

Revenue is generated through five primary streams: print and digital subscriptions (Digital Abo at 126 EUR/year, Print+Digital at 146 EUR/year, trial Probe-Abo at 9.80 EUR for 3 months, and discounted student tiers), advertising sales across all titles, single-issue and special-publication sales via the e-commerce shop, event management and ticketing (Sommelier Summit, Meininger's Wine Conference, Fokus Fachhandel, Forum Vini), and competition entry fees (e.g., MUNDUS VINI at 185 EUR per sample, Meiningers Deutscher Pinot-Preis at 85 EUR per sample). Distribution combines self-serve digital, direct e-commerce with international shipping, retail newsstands in German-speaking regions, and a B2B direct sales team for advertising.

Go-to-market is event-driven and community-anchored: Meininger holds official publication-organ status for the Deutscher Weinbauverband and the Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V., runs more than ten recurring tastings and competitions (Mundus Vini, Best of Riesling, Rotweinpreis, Deutscher Pinot-Preis, Deutscher Sektpreis, Internationaler Rosé Preis, International Spirits Award, Finest Beer Selection), and maintains a multi-channel presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and major trade events including ProWein. Customer segments are organized vertically by industry rather than by company size, targeting wine producers and traders, beverage trade professionals, gastronomy and hospitality operators, and a secondary consumer wine enthusiast base.

Name

Meininger Verlag

Legal name

Meininger Verlag GmbH

Website

https://meininger.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Meininger Verlag is a 120-year-old, fourth-generation German trade publisher serving the wine, beer, spirits, and gastronomy industries through magazines, international competitions (Mundus Vini, Best of Riesling), industry events (Sommelier Summit, Wine Conference), and a digital platform (Meininger App and Webkiosk).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beverage & Mixology (Coffee, Tea, Wine, Cocktails) (EDAAAGAH), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Trade magazine publishing
• Wine industry media
• Beverage trade publications
• Hospitality industry press
• Wine competition events

Headquarters

HQ city

Neustadt An Der Weinstraße

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital subscriptions for professional wine, beverage, and hospitality publications including Der Deutsche Weinbau, Weinwirtschaft, Getränke Zeitung, Meiningers Sommelier, fizzz, and Mixology
2. Advertising: Advertising space sales across all publications targeting trade audiences in wine, beer, spirits, and gastronomy sectors
3. Event Management: Organizing and hosting wine competitions (Mundus Vini, Best of Riesling, etc.), conferences (Sommelier Summit, Meininger's Wine Conference), and trade events
4. Tasting/Competition Fees: Entry fees for wine, beer, and spirits competitions and tasting evaluations
5. Single Issue Sales: Individual magazine and special publication sales through the online shop

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Meininger Verlag publishes a portfolio of print and digital trade and consumer magazines covering viticulture, beverages, gastronomy, and bar culture, and operates internationally recognized wine, spirits, and beer tasting competitions alongside industry conferences. Its core content products include Der Deutsche Weinbau, Weinwirtschaft, Getränke Zeitung, Meiningers Sommelier, Meiningers Weinwelt, fizzz, and Mixology, delivered via print, the Meininger App, and a Webkiosk digital reading platform.

Product overview

Meininger Verlag is a specialized publishing house operating a platform-plus-portfolio model, offering print and digital magazines for the wine, spirits, and hospitality industries, along with wine/spirits competitions and industry events. The core portfolio includes trade magazines (Der Deutsche Weinbau, Weinwirtschaft, Getränke Zeitung), consumer magazines (Meiningers Weinwelt, fizzz, Mixology), and professional publications (Meiningers Sommelier, Meininger's International). Their digital platform includes the Meininger App for mobile/tablet reading and Webkiosk browser access. The company organizes major wine competitions (Mundus Vini, Best of Riesling, Rotweinpreis, Deutscher Pinot-Preis, Deutscher Sektpreis, Internationaler Rosé Preis, ISW, Finest Beer Selection) and industry events (Sommelier Summit, Wine Conference, Finest 100, Fizzz Awards, Meininger Award, Fokus Fachhandel, GET ON Kongress, Forum Vini).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Der Deutsche Weinbau Leading German trade journal covering viticulture, oenology, and wine marketing; serves as the official organ of the German Winegrowers' Association (Deutscher Weinbauverband) and is delivered 24 times per year via print and digital editions.
• Weinwirtschaft

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeiningers Sommelier serves as the official publication organ of the Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V., connecting union members, gastronomy professionals, and quality wine producers
• Deutscher WeinbauverbandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDer Deutsche Weinbau serves as the official organ of the Deutscher Weinbauverband (German Winegrowers Association), providing official communications and industry news
• Various Wine Regions and AssociationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with regional wine associations for event co-organization, joint tastings, and marketing campaigns including DWI, VDP, and various German wine regions

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Informa Markets: Global B2B events and media group running large trade exhibitions across food, beverage, and hospitality. Comparable as a much larger incumbent that competes for the same advertising and event sponsorship wallet as Meininger.
• Haymarket Media Group: Global B2B media company with food, drink, and hospitality trade publications (e.g., The Caterer). Comparable as an established incumbent with overlapping wine/beverage B2B media assets and event properties.
• Messe Düsseldorf (ProWein): Operator of ProWein, the world's leading wine and spirits trade fair held annually in Düsseldorf. Comparable as a large-scale industry events competitor that overlaps with Meininger's Sommelier Summit and Wine Conference, though with a much broader trade show model.

Direct peers

• Wine Enthusiast Companies: U.S.-based wine media and ratings company publishing Wine Enthusiast Magazine, running wine competitions, and operating a retail/e-commerce business. Directly comparable to Meininger in its combination of trade/consumer wine publishing, tasting competitions, and event activity.
• The Drinks Business (Union Press): UK-based trade magazine and digital platform for the wine, spirits, and beer industries, also running awards competitions (Drinks Business Awards, The Spirits Business). Closely mirrors Meininger's B2B trade publishing plus competitions model.
• Decanter (Time Inc. UK / Future plc): Long-established UK-based wine media brand publishing a consumer/trade magazine, running the Decanter World Wine Awards, and operating digital content. Comparable as a premium wine publisher with international competitions.
• Vinum (Intervinum AG): Swiss-based European wine magazine with German, French, and Italian editions, covering trade wine audiences and organizing tasting events. Comparable DACH/European wine B2B publisher.
• Wine Spectator / Wine Spectator School: Leading U.S. wine publication covering the wine trade and consumers, with restaurant awards, wine ratings, and a wine education business. Highly comparable as a multi-revenue wine media and events platform.
• Falstaff Verlag: Austrian/German-language wine and gastronomy publisher with Falstaff magazine, wine ratings, and tasting events. Directly comparable as a DACH-region wine/beverage media brand covering trade and consumers.

Emerging players

• wein.plus (Bauer Media Group): Digital wine search and rating platform targeting German-speaking consumers and trade with a tasting database, news, and e-commerce integrations. Comparable to Meininger in audience and wine content but as a digital-native disruptor rather than a legacy publisher.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/meininger.online
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/meininger-verlag
• Instagraminstagram.com/meininger_verlag
• Xx.com/meiningeronline

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Meininger Verlag