Meininger Verlag
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).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1903
- HeadquartersNeustadt An Der Weinstraße, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
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.
Meininger Verlag firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Meininger Verlag industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Meininger Verlag is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Neustadt An Der Weinstraße
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Meininger Verlag business model
Business model- 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
- 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
- Advertising: Advertising space sales across all publications targeting trade audiences in wine, beer, spirits, and gastronomy sectors
- Event Management: Organizing and hosting wine competitions (Mundus Vini, Best of Riesling, etc.), conferences (Sommelier Summit, Meininger's Wine Conference), and trade events
- Tasting/Competition Fees: Entry fees for wine, beer, and spirits competitions and tasting evaluations
- Single Issue Sales: Individual magazine and special publication sales through the online shop
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Digital Abo - Online access to all digital issues and archive |
| Subscription | Annual | Print + Digital Abo - Complete package with print delivery and digital access |
| Subscription | Annual | Print Abo - Print-only subscription delivered bi-weekly |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Probe-Abo Digital - Trial digital subscription for testing |
| Subscription | Annual | Student Subscription |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Competition Entry Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Meininger Verlag product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Meininger Verlag
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Meininger Verlag technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Meininger Verlag partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V.coreMeiningers Sommelier serves as the official publication organ of the Sommelier-Union Deutschland e.V., connecting union members, gastronomy professionals, and quality wine producers
- Deutscher WeinbauverbandcoreDer Deutsche Weinbau serves as the official organ of the Deutscher Weinbauverband (German Winegrowers Association), providing official communications and industry news
- Various Wine Regions and AssociationsminorPartnerships 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
Meininger Verlag competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Meininger Verlag social profiles
Digital presenceMeininger Verlag financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Meininger Verlag leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Meininger Verlag funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Meininger Verlag 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 Meininger Verlag
What does Meininger Verlag do?
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.
Is Meininger Verlag a public or private company?
Meininger Verlag is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Meininger Verlag founded?
Meininger Verlag was founded in 1903. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Meininger Verlag based?
Meininger Verlag is headquartered in Neustadt An Der Weinstraße, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Meininger Verlag make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising, event Management, tasting/Competition Fees and single Issue Sales.
Who are Meininger Verlag's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Informa Markets, Haymarket Media Group and Messe Düsseldorf (ProWein). Direct peers are Wine Enthusiast Companies, The Drinks Business (Union Press), Decanter (Time Inc. UK / Future plc), Vinum (Intervinum AG), Wine Spectator / Wine Spectator School and Falstaff Verlag. wein.plus (Bauer Media Group) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Meininger Verlag have an API?
No public API is recorded for Meininger Verlag.
What industry is Meininger Verlag in?
Meininger Verlag's product category is Trade Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines, with a secondary code of EDAAAGAH, Beverage & Mixology (Coffee, Tea, Wine, Cocktails). Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.