Racines Company
Racines Company is a Tokyo-based natural wine importer founded circa 2004, curating and distributing artisanal wines from Europe to Japanese restaurants, wine shops, and direct consumers through wholesale, DTC e-commerce, events, and content publishing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Racines Company does
Racines Company (株式会社ラシーヌ / RACINES CO., LTD.) is a privately held Japanese wine import company founded circa 2004 and headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. The company specializes in curating and importing natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from small-production producers across France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, and distributing them to restaurants, wine bars, wine shops, and direct-to-consumer customers throughout Japan. Its curated portfolio includes iconic natural-wine producers such as Claude Courtois, Christian Tschida, Domaine de la Côte, Rivella Serafino, and Ridge, selected under the direction of founder and President Goda Taiko (合田泰子). The company operates with approximately 11 staff, including an Italy-based overseas liaison and a regionally specialized sales force.
Racines generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) wholesale import and distribution of wines to restaurants and wine shops across Japan, (2) direct-to-consumer sales via the "Racines Wines Land" online shop launched in May 2022, and (3) branded merchandise including limited-edition Michel Tolmer calendars and postcard sets sold through its online store. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, anchored by tasting seminars, vertical tastings, and producer visits held in seven or more major Japanese cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Sapporo, Matsuyama), supplemented by partnerships with TATSUMI Co., Ltd. and Shop FESTIVIN. The company supplements commercial activity with an extensive editorial platform — including the founder's newsletter, multiple columnists' series, and producer profiles — that reinforces its positioning as the leading natural-wine importer in Japan.
Technology infrastructure is limited to standard e-commerce and web publishing; the company has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no proprietary software product, and no API integrations. There are no funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no institutional investors; the company is founder-controlled with no disclosed external shareholders. Expansion has been organic and incremental, marked by the 2017 office relocation (which added a tasting room), the 2022 DTC channel launch, ongoing content publishing through 2025, and active recruitment for sales and operations roles to support continued business expansion.
Racines Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Racines Company
- Legal name
- （株）ラシーヌ RACINES CO., LTD.
- Website
- https://racines.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Racines Company is a Tokyo-based natural wine importer founded circa 2004, curating and distributing artisanal wines from Europe to Japanese restaurants, wine shops, and direct consumers through wholesale, DTC e-commerce, events, and content publishing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Racines Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Import and Distribution
- NAICS
- Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
Keywords
Where Racines Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Racines Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Wine Import and Distribution: Core business of importing and distributing natural wines from carefully selected producers across France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, Spain and other regions. Sells to restaurants, wine shops, and directly to consumers through their online store.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including original calendars featuring artist Michel Tolmer, postcard sets, and other wine-related goods.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | Original Calendars |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Postcard Sets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Racines Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Racines Company is a Japanese wine importer and distributor that curates and sells natural, biodynamic, and fine wines from small artisanal producers across France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. The company distributes wines to restaurants, wine bars, and wine shops throughout Japan, sells directly to consumers via its online shop (Racines Wines Land), and complements this with branded merchandise (calendars, postcards featuring Michel Tolmer artwork) and educational content.
Product overview
Racines Company is a Japanese wine import company specializing in fine and natural wines from France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, and other countries. The company operates as a unified portfolio of wine import services complemented by consumer-facing products: an online shop (Racines Wines Land) for direct wine sales, annual merchandise items including Michel Tolmer artwork calendars and postcard sets sold through their online store, and an extensive library of educational essays and columns. The company connects wine producers with Japanese consumers through curated selections and educational content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Natural and Fine Wine Import and Distribution Core service of importing natural, biodynamic, and fine wines from artisanal producers across France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, and distributing them to restaurants, wine bars, wine shops, and consumers in Japan.
- Racines Wines Land Online Shop (ラシーヌ ワイン ランド) Online shopping platform that enables direct-to-consumer sales of the natural and fine wines imported by Racines Company to wine enthusiasts across Japan.
- Racines Original Calendar 2026 Annual wall calendar featuring Michel Tolmer artwork with jazz and wine themes, sold as a limited-edition item to wine enthusiasts and collectors.
- Racines Original Calendar 2025 Annual wall calendar featuring Michel Tolmer artwork depicting the harmony between the universe and wine, sold as a limited-edition item.
- Racines Original Calendar 2024 Annual wall calendar featuring Michel Tolmer's artwork depicting jazz musicians enjoying wine-related items.
- Le Jazz et le Jaja Postcard Set Set of 6 postcards featuring Michel Tolmer artwork depicting jazz musicians with wine-related items, based on Claude Nougaro's song.
- Cartes des Vins Postcard Set Set of 10 postcards featuring Michel Tolmer's wine-themed artwork; the first postcard collection created by the artist.
- l'é. Paulée Nantaise Charity Poster Charity poster by Michel Tolmer supporting Nantes area winemakers and restaurants affected by frost damage, with proceeds donated to the partner organization.
- Vendanges Solidaires Charity Calendar Charity calendar supporting winemakers affected by frost damage in France, created in collaboration with the Vendanges Solidaires movement.
Companies that use Racines Company
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Racines Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Racines Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- TATSUMI Co., Ltd.coreRegular co-hosting of tasting events and fairs, including Food & Wine Fair and joint tasting events. TATSUMI is a wine import company that collaborates with Racines on consumer-facing events.
- Vendanges Solidaires MovementminorRacines served as Japanese secretariat for this French solidarity movement supporting wine producers affected by crop disasters. Collected donations from Japanese supporters and forwarded to French organization (491,580 yen in 2016, 855,978 yen in 2017).
- Shop FESTIVINcoreOngoing partnership for hosting tasting and sales events. FESTIVIN organizes natural wine events where Racines products are featured and sold.
- l'é. Paulée NantaiseminorCharitable partnership to support Nantes area wine producers affected by frost damage. Sold charity posters (4,000 yen) with proceeds donated to the organization.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Racines Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vine Connections: US importer of artisanal South American and European wines. Comparable portfolio of small-production estates and similar B2B/restaurant focus.
- Polaner Selections: US wine importer with a curated portfolio of European family estates. Comparable importer-distributor model focused on small-production, high-quality producers.
- Louis/Dressner Selections: US-based importer of natural, biodynamic wines from France and Europe. Highly comparable focus on natural wine producers and education-led customer engagement.
- Skurnik Wines: US importer specializing in family-owned European wineries producing natural, low-intervention wines. Comparable producer-relationship and premium B2B focus.
- TATSUMI Co., Ltd. Japanese wine import company specializing in natural wines that co-hosts tasting events and fairs with Racines, with a similar B2B focus on restaurants and wine shops across Japan.
- Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant: Iconic US-based importer specializing in artisanal French and European natural wines. Closely comparable curation-led model, B2B/D2C distribution, and producer-relationship-driven approach.
- Les Caves de Pyrène: UK/France-based importer of natural, organic and biodynamic wines. Comparable curation of small-production European estates and strong natural-wine identity in their market.
- Rosenthal Wine Merchant: US importer of fine European wines with emphasis on estate-grown, traditionally made producers. Directly comparable curation and import-distribution model.
Broad incumbents
- Mercian Corporation (Kirin Holdings): Major Japanese wine producer and importer under Kirin Holdings. Operates broadly in Japanese wine distribution, far larger scale than Racines, with overlapping wholesale reach to restaurants and retailers.
- Suntory Wines: Suntory's wine division, one of Japan's largest wine companies with broad portfolio spanning production and import. Overlaps with Racines in Japanese wine distribution but at vastly larger scale and with mainstream positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Racines Company social profiles
Digital presenceRacines Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Racines Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Racines Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Racines Company 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 Racines Company
What does Racines Company do?
Racines Company is a Japanese wine importer and distributor that curates and sells natural, biodynamic, and fine wines from small artisanal producers across France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Portugal, and Spain. The company distributes wines to restaurants, wine bars, and wine shops throughout Japan, sells directly to consumers via its online shop (Racines Wines Land), and complements this with branded merchandise (calendars, postcards featuring Michel Tolmer artwork) and educational content.
Is Racines Company a public or private company?
Racines Company is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Racines Company founded?
Racines Company was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Racines Company based?
Racines Company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Racines Company make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Wine Import and Distribution is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales.
Who are Racines Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vine Connections, Polaner Selections, Louis/Dressner Selections, Skurnik Wines, TATSUMI Co., Ltd., Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Les Caves de Pyrène and Rosenthal Wine Merchant. Broad incumbents are Mercian Corporation (Kirin Holdings) and Suntory Wines.
Does Racines Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for Racines Company.
What industry is Racines Company in?
Racines Company's product category is Wine Import and Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAIAA, Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution, with a secondary code of CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants). Its NAICS code is 424820 and its SIC code is 5180.