Metro Wines
Metro Wines is an independent wine retailer in Asheville, NC operating a single storefront, e-commerce platform, and "Wine, Please!" text-based curated case delivery service, serving individual wine enthusiasts, wedding clients, and F&B professionals through retail sales, WSET wine education, and event programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersAsheville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Metro Wines does
Metro Wines is an independent wine retail shop founded on April 27, 2013, by Gina Trippi and John Kerr in Asheville, North Carolina. The company operates a single brick-and-mortar storefront at 169 Charlotte Street, complemented by a ShopLightspeed-powered e-commerce site and a proprietary "Wine, Please!" text-based curated case ordering service that delivers locally within 15 miles. Beyond retail, the firm runs the Asheville School of Wine (founded 2014), an education arm offering WSET Levels 1-3 certification in partnership with MWWine School, specialty classes, blind tasting leagues, and the co-located "Blind Tasting League" program taught by Director of Sales & Education Andy Hale.
The business is privately held with no disclosed external investment, no parent company, and a headcount in the 11-50 range. Technical infrastructure is intentionally lean: third-party ShopLightspeed handles e-commerce, a phone number (828-575-9525) anchors the text-order front end, and a Ram Promaster 2500 supports local delivery. There is no proprietary technology, no proprietary AI/ML, and no mobile app. Distribution is hyperlocal — one retail storefront, regional delivery, education delivered at the sister business Quench! Wine Bistro in Woodfin, and community events featuring winemakers and local purveyors.
Revenue is generated across four streams: transactional retail wine sales (bottles from $11.04, 15% case discount on 12-bottle minimums), a one-time $10 "Wine, Please!" membership unlocking curated case orders, tiered professional wine education ($350-$1,499 per WSET course plus $25-$35 specialty classes), and ancillary services including wedding wine coordination led by General Manager Kristen Calloway and unit-priced local delivery. Customer segments span individual wine enthusiasts, wedding couples, wine collectors, and food and beverage professionals pursuing credentials. The company has been voted the #1 wine shop in Asheville for 11 consecutive years and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal five times and in Wine Enthusiast.
Metro Wines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metro Wines
- Legal name
- Metro Wines
- Website
- https://metrowinesasheville.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metro Wines is an independent wine retailer in Asheville, NC operating a single storefront, e-commerce platform, and "Wine, Please!" text-based curated case delivery service, serving individual wine enthusiasts, wedding clients, and F&B professionals through retail sales, WSET wine education, and event programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metro Wines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Wine Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Bars (THAFAEAF), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)
Keywords
Where Metro Wines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Asheville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Metro Wines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Retail Wine Sales: Sale of individual bottles and cases of wine through the physical store and online ShopLightspeed platform. Offers internet-competitive pricing and 15% case discounts. Minimum 12-bottle case purchase for delivery orders.
- Wine, Please! Membership: One-time $10 membership fee that stores payment card on file and provides $10 credit toward first order. Customers then order curated cases via text message with delivery service.
- Wine Education Classes: WSET Level 1 ($350), Level 2 ($850), and Level 3 ($1,499) certification courses offered in partnership with MWWine School. Additional specialty classes such as Italian Wine Class ($35) and beginner tastings ($25).
- Delivery Services: Local wine delivery within Asheville area. Delivery fees: Free up to 3 miles, $7.99 for 3-10 miles, $16.99 for 10-15 miles, custom pricing beyond 15 miles. Delivery days Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm.
- Wedding Wine Coordination: Kristen Calloway works with couples to pair wines for weddings, selecting wines for menus and providing sparkling wines for toasts. Part of event planning services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Wine, Please! Membership - One-time fee for curated case ordering service |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Local Delivery Fees |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | WSET Level 1 Award in Wines |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | WSET Level 2 Award in Wines |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | WSET Level 3 Award in Wines |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Specialty Wine Classes and Tastings |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Metro Wines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metro Wines operates a brick-and-mortar wine retail shop in Asheville, NC, selling individual bottles and cases (12-bottle minimum) of curated wine through its storefront and ShopLightspeed online store. The shop pairs every purchase with on-duty sommelier guidance and offers internet-competitive pricing, local delivery, and supplementary paid services including the "Wine, Please!" text-based case subscription, WSET certification and specialty wine classes through the Asheville School of Wine, in-store and partner-venue tastings and events, and wedding wine coordination.
Product overview
Metro Wines is a wine retail shop offering a unified in-store and online wine purchasing experience. The core offering is wine retail with sommelier services, complemented by the Wine, Please! text-based delivery subscription, the Asheville School of Wine education program (including WSET certification), Blind Tasting League, wine blog content, wedding services, and regular tasting events. The products work together to provide a comprehensive wine retail, education, and community experience centered on personalized service and wine expertise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Asheville School of Wine: Wine education institution founded in 2014 by Gina Trippi, John Kerr, Kendal Klein, and Andy Hale at Metro Wines, offering WSET certifications and wine tasting classes.
- The Public Palate
- Blind Tasting League
Products and services
- Wine, Please! A subscription-style text-message wine ordering service for Asheville customers. After a one-time $10 membership, members text 828-575-9525 to receive a curated 12-bottle case based on their stated preferences and price point; cases are delivered locally within 1-24 hours via Metro Wines' Ram Promaster 2500 van.
- Asheville School of Wine Wine education program offering classes from beginner to advanced levels for consumers and food and beverage professionals. Includes WSET Level 1 ($350), Level 2 ($850), and Level 3 ($1,499) Award in Wines certification courses delivered in partnership with MWWine School (Melanie Webber), plus specialty classes such as the Italian Wine Class ($35) and beginner tastings ($25). Courses are held at Quench! Wine Bistro in Reynolds Village, Woodfin.
- Wine Tastings & Events Recurring paid wine tasting events including The Great Rosé Tasting, wine pairing dinners at partner restaurants such as The Blackbird (5-course pairing with local Appalachian farmers/producers and visiting winemakers), Asheville Wine Focus Groups hosted by suppliers (e.g., Tom Leiner of ORSINI), and other in-store and partner-venue tasting experiences.
- Wedding Wine Services Specialty service for couples and event planners that pairs wines with wedding and event menus and sources sparkling wines for toasts. Led by General Manager Kristen Calloway as part of Metro Wines' event planning offerings.
- Blind Tasting League Educational blind-tasting competition and training program co-founded by Andy Hale that teaches participants to identify wines through deductive tasting, leveraging his Certified Specialist of Wine and Sommelier credentials.
Companies that use Metro Wines
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Metro Wines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Metro Wines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- The Blackbird RestaurantminorPartnership for wine pairing dinner events. Metro Wines supplies wines for 5-course pairing dinners featuring local Appalachian farmers and producers. Event includes conversations with winemakers and local purveyors.
- Johnson Brothers-Mutual Distributing of North CarolinaminorPartner for wine dinner events. Juniper Cooper of Johnson Brothers represents Metro Wines in presenting wine pairing dinners at partner restaurants.
- MWWine School / Melanie WebbercorePartnership with MWWine School to offer WSET Level 1, 2, and 3 Award in Wines certification courses in Asheville. Classes held at Quench! Wine Bistro. Melanie Webber is a certified WSET educator and holds the Diploma in Wine & Spirits.
- Quench! Wine BistrocoreSister restaurant/wine bistro operated by the same ownership group. Located at 60 North Merrimon Ave, Suite 105, Reynolds Village in Woodfin. Hosts WSET certification classes and serves as venue for wine education programs. Shares commitment to mindful wine sourcing.
- Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC AshevilleminorEducational partnership for wine education programs. Metro Wines team members teach wine classes through the Osher institute's programming for lifelong learners.
- ABTech (Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College)minorAndy Hale teaches wine classes at AB Technical College as part of continuing education and professional development programming.
- Woodfin Business AssociationminorMetro Wines is a member of the Woodfin Business Association, a local business organization serving the Woodfin area of Asheville.
- TakeoutCentralminorThird-party delivery platform integration for local food and wine delivery services in Asheville.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Metro Wines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- K&L Wine Merchants: Independent specialty wine retailer with strong physical store + online e-commerce model, known for deep catalog and curated selection. Closely comparable to Metro Wines in its focus on expertise, selection curation, and omnichannel retail (storefront + delivery).
- Wine Library: Independent specialty wine retailer (NJ) with strong online presence, known for deep selection and expert curation. Similar customer profile (serious enthusiasts and collectors) and omnichannel model to Metro Wines.
- Astor Wines & Spirits: Independent NYC wine shop combining deep physical storefront selection with robust online sales and NYC delivery. Closely comparable to Metro Wines on small-shop expertise + e-commerce + local delivery combination.
- Sherry-Lehmann: Iconic independent wine retailer in NYC with curated selection and strong sommelier service model. Closely comparable to Metro Wines as a specialty independent wine shop, though at much larger scale and located in a major metro.
- Bottle Barn:
Broad incumbents
- BevMo!: Multi-state specialty beverage chain (CA, AZ, NV, OR, WA) with retail stores and online ordering. Comparable category footprint (beer/wine/spirits) and pricing-oriented positioning, but operates at much larger scale and without the same depth of sommelier expertise.
- Total Wine & More: National big-box beverage retailer with hundreds of locations and the largest wine selection in the US. Directly competes with Metro Wines on selection breadth and price, but lacks the curated, sommelier-led small-shop service model that anchors Metro's value proposition.
- Wine.com: Largest US online wine retailer with deep catalog, broad selection, and national shipping. Competes with Metro Wines' online and delivery channels but lacks the brick-and-mortar sommelier experience.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Metro Wines social profiles
Digital presenceMetro Wines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metro Wines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Metro Wines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metro Wines 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 Metro Wines
What does Metro Wines do?
Metro Wines operates a brick-and-mortar wine retail shop in Asheville, NC, selling individual bottles and cases (12-bottle minimum) of curated wine through its storefront and ShopLightspeed online store. The shop pairs every purchase with on-duty sommelier guidance and offers internet-competitive pricing, local delivery, and supplementary paid services including the "Wine, Please!" text-based case subscription, WSET certification and specialty wine classes through the Asheville School of Wine, in-store and partner-venue tastings and events, and wedding wine coordination.
Is Metro Wines a public or private company?
Metro Wines is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Metro Wines founded?
Metro Wines was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metro Wines based?
Metro Wines is headquartered in Asheville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Metro Wines make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Retail Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine, Please! Membership, wine Education Classes, delivery Services and wedding Wine Coordination.
Who are Metro Wines's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are K&L Wine Merchants, Wine Library, Astor Wines & Spirits, Sherry-Lehmann and Bottle Barn. Broad incumbents are BevMo!, Total Wine & More and Wine.com.
Does Metro Wines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metro Wines.
What industry is Metro Wines in?
Metro Wines's product category is Specialty Wine Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAB, Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants), with a secondary code of THAFAEAF, Wine Bars. Its NAICS code is 44532 and its SIC code is 5810.