Honker Hill Winery
Honker Hill Winery is a family-owned estate winery in Carbondale, Illinois, serving regional visitors with estate-grown wine, on-site lodge accommodations, private events, and live music at the tasting room and event venue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCarbondale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Honker Hill Winery does
Honker Hill Winery is a family-owned estate winery located in Carbondale, Illinois, situated on a 90-acre property at the highest point in Williamson County. The Lucas Brothers family purchased the land in 1980, planted the on-site vineyard in 2004, built the production winery in 2008, and opened the estate to the public in November 2009. The business operates as a member of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail and is led by winemaker Scott Albert. The company serves direct-to-consumer visitors in Southern Illinois and broader regional tourism markets, with no disclosed wholesale or institutional distribution.
The core product is estate-grown wine, sold on-site at the tasting room at price points ranging from $5 to $25 per bottle, with ancillary offerings including wine slushies ($7-$9) and sangrias ($6-$44). Beyond beverages, the winery operates an on-site lodge offering cabin-style accommodations at $225-$300 per night, and hosts private events such as weddings, corporate gatherings, and private parties. The property also runs recurring live music programming as a destination-experience layer, and offers a 360° virtual tour as a digital add-on product. Revenue mechanics are entirely physical, place-based, and consumer-facing, with no disclosed e-commerce, wholesale, or third-party distribution channels. The company is privately held with 11-50 employees and no institutional funding, M&A activity, or publicly disclosed financial metrics.
Honker Hill Winery firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Honker Hill Winery
- Legal name
- Honker Hill Winery
- Website
- https://honkerhillwinery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Honker Hill Winery is a family-owned estate winery in Carbondale, Illinois, serving regional visitors with estate-grown wine, on-site lodge accommodations, private events, and live music at the tasting room and event venue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Honker Hill Winery industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Winery / Wine Production
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD), Luxury Farmhouses, Country Houses & Vineyard Estates (THAMAEAG), Vineyard Establishment & Development (Site Prep, Trellising, Planting) (AFAGAJAA)
Keywords
Where Honker Hill Winery is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carbondale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Honker Hill Winery business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer wine sales at the tasting room, including glasses, bottles, slushies, and sangrias. Prices range from $5-$25 per glass/bottle for still wines, with specialty drinks like slushies ($7-$9) and sangrias ($6-$44).
- Private Event Venue Rental: Revenue from hosting private events including weddings, engagement parties, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, and corporate events. The venue accommodates groups with flexible spaces and vendor options.
- Lodge Accommodations: On-site cabin rental offering vineyard views with accommodations for up to 10 guests. Weeknight rates starting at $225/night for 2 guests; weekend rates starting at $300/night for 2 guests with a 2-night minimum preferred.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | White wines: $5-$7 per glass, $16-$25 per bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Red wines: $5-$6 per glass, $17-$22 per bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Specialty wines and slushies: $5-$9 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Sangrias: $6-$44 |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Lodge accommodations: $225-$300/night |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Honker Hill Winery product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Honker Hill Winery produces and sells estate-grown wines from its on-site vineyard in Southern Illinois, including white, red, rosé, fruit, and blended varieties, plus frozen slushies and sangrias. The winery also operates as a hospitality destination, hosting private events such as weddings and celebrations, offering on-site lodge/cabin accommodations, and providing weekend live music entertainment.
Product overview
Honker Hill Winery is a family-owned winery and vineyard offering a portfolio of estate-grown wines, frozen slushies, and sangrias alongside hospitality services. The core product portfolio includes: (1) Wine products spanning white wines (Don's Estate, Eclipse, Golden Eye Traminette, Villard Blanc), red wines (Wally's Red, Woody Red, Crambourcin, Honker Hill Red), rosé (Sunset Rosé), fruit wines (Appelicious, Blue Winged Teal), and blended wines (Banded Goose); (2) Frozen specialty drinks including Slushies and Sangrias in multiple sizes; (3) Honker Hill Lodge, an on-site vacation rental cabin accommodating up to 10 guests; (4) Private event venue rental for weddings and celebrations; and (5) Live music entertainment every weekend. The winery operates a 360° virtual tour feature for remote venue exploration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Honker Hill Estate and Sourced White Wines
- Honker Hill Estate and Sourced Red Wines
- Honker Hill Rosé Wines
- Honker Hill Fruit Wines
- Honker Hill Blended Wines
- Honker Hill Slushies and Sangrias
- Private Events Venue
- Honker Hill Lodge
- Weekend Live Music Events
Companies that use Honker Hill Winery
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Honker Hill Winery technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Honker Hill Winery partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Local CaterersminorHonker Hill partners with trusted local caterers for private events, allowing customers flexibility in food service while supporting local vendors. Customers may also bring their own vendors.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Honker Hill Winery competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery: Illinois estate winery with multiple tasting locations and event hosting. Comparable Midwest regional destination-winery model outside the Shawnee Hills geography.
Direct peers
- Pomona Winery: Shawnee Hills Wine Trail estate winery with tasting room and event hosting. Comparable destination-winery format serving the same regional tourist base.
- Owl Creek Vineyard: Southern Illinois estate winery on the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail with tasting room and live music programming. Direct comparable on hospitality-led wine tourism model.
- August Hill Winery: Illinois estate winery producing small-batch wines with a tasting room and event space. Comparable boutique Illinois winery with similar hospitality-driven revenue mix.
- Blue Sky Vineyards: Shawnee Hills Wine Trail destination winery in Southern Illinois offering estate-grown wines, a tasting room, and scenic views. Direct comparable on geography, business model, and customer base.
- Von Jakob Vineyard: Southern Illinois estate winery offering tastings, food, and events. Comparable small-scale destination winery on the same wine trail.
- StarView Vineyards: Shawnee Hills Wine Trail winery with tasting room and live music events. Comparable estate winery with weekend entertainment programming.
- Hedman Vineyards: Shawnee Hills Wine Trail estate winery with tasting room. Direct regional peer in estate-grown Illinois wine production.
- Alto Vineyards: Family-owned Shawnee Hills winery producing estate wines with a tasting room. Closest geographic and business-model peer on the same wine trail.
Broad incumbents
- Stone Hill Winery: Large heritage Midwest estate winery in Hermann, Missouri with tasting room, tours, restaurant, and event hosting. Comparable estate-wine + hospitality destination model at a much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Honker Hill Winery social profiles
Digital presenceHonker Hill Winery financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Honker Hill Winery leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Honker Hill Winery subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Honker Hill Winery funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Honker Hill Winery 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 Honker Hill Winery
What does Honker Hill Winery do?
Honker Hill Winery produces and sells estate-grown wines from its on-site vineyard in Southern Illinois, including white, red, rosé, fruit, and blended varieties, plus frozen slushies and sangrias. The winery also operates as a hospitality destination, hosting private events such as weddings and celebrations, offering on-site lodge/cabin accommodations, and providing weekend live music entertainment.
Is Honker Hill Winery a public or private company?
Honker Hill Winery is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Honker Hill Winery founded?
Honker Hill Winery was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Honker Hill Winery based?
Honker Hill Winery is headquartered in Carbondale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Honker Hill Winery make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are private Event Venue Rental and lodge Accommodations.
Who are Honker Hill Winery's main competitors?
Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Pomona Winery, Owl Creek Vineyard, August Hill Winery, Blue Sky Vineyards, Von Jakob Vineyard, StarView Vineyards, Hedman Vineyards and Alto Vineyards. Stone Hill Winery is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Honker Hill Winery have an API?
No public API is recorded for Honker Hill Winery.
What industry is Honker Hill Winery in?
Honker Hill Winery's product category is Winery / Wine Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms), with a secondary code of THAJAGAD, Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours. Its NAICS code is 312130.