Windsor Run Cellars

What Windsor Run Cellars does

Windsor Run Cellars is a privately held, family-owned winery, meadery, and distillery headquartered at 6531 Windsor Rd, Hamptonville, North Carolina, on the Swan Creek Wine Trail in the Yadkin Valley AVA. The company operates from a 15,000 square foot facility producing estate-grown wines, fortified wines, mead, and distilled spirits under the affiliated WRC Distillery brand, with leadership including owner Chuck Johnson (a former logistics executive and NC Winegrowers Association board member), winemakers Kevin Elder and Elizabeth Higley, distiller Dana Acker, and tasting room manager Lisa Milstead. The vertically integrated grape-to-glass operation combines estate vineyards, full production capabilities, and on-site distillery infrastructure. Wine club shipments reach 35+ US states, while custom crush and lab testing services remain regionally focused on North Carolina.

The business operates across five distinct revenue streams: direct-to-consumer wine and spirits sales through a physical tasting room and the Vinoshipper e-commerce platform; subscription wine club memberships (Custom Case Club at $99/year and Mixed Case Club at $295/year, with auto-renewal each January); full-service custom crush winemaking for six named NC winery clients including the co-owned Shadow Springs Vineyard; per-sample lab testing using Foss equipment for the NC wine industry; and wholesale plastic wine carry bags. The customer base spans four primary segments: wine tourists and leisure visitors, recurring wine club members, custom crush winery clients, and NC wine industry lab testing customers. The portfolio includes award-winning fortified wines (Midnight Run port-style, First Light white port, Hillbilly Holiday, G&J, Ratafia, Valvin Muscat-based Vermouth), petillant naturel sparkling, mead, and on-site distilled spirits.

Pricing is stable and transparent across channels: tasting flights at $15 per person, the premium Grand Tasting Experience at $95 + tax per person combining three properties (Windsor Run Cellars, WRC Distillery, Shadow Springs Vineyard), wine bottles ranging $20–$55, and wholesale bag cases priced $80–$135 with tiered discounts (5% off orders over $300, 10% off orders over $500). Distribution relies primarily on direct channels (tasting room, Vinoshipper e-commerce, wine club direct delivery, B2B services), supplemented by co-marketing partnerships across the Swan Creek Wine Trail and affiliate properties including the co-owned Shadow Springs Vineyard and WRC Distillery. Marketing mix includes Instagram organic social, email newsletter, YouTube virtual tastings, and event-driven promotions centered on the Swan Creek Herb Festival and Grand Tasting Experience.

Name

Windsor Run Cellars

Website

https://windsorrun.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Windsor Run Cellars is a privately held winery, meadery, and distillery in Hamptonville, NC operating from a 15,000 sq ft facility on the Swan Creek Wine Trail. It sells estate wines, fortified wines, and spirits via a tasting room, wine clubs, e-commerce, custom crush services for NC wineries, and lab testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamptonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine and Spirits Sales: In-person sales through the tasting room and online via Vinoshipper. Includes wine flights ($15), bottle sales, and distillery spirits. No outside alcohol permitted.
2. Wine Club Memberships: Annual membership programs: Custom Case Club ($99 + wine cost, member selects all wines) and Mixed Case Club ($295 + tax, curated selections). Recurring annual billing with auto-renewal in January.
3. Custom Crush Services: Full-service custom crush for emerging and established wineries. Services include grape sourcing, crushing, fermentation, aging, blending, bottling. Clients include Shadow Springs Vineyard, Roaring River Vineyards, Sanders Ridge, Point Lookout Vineyards, Divinella Maria Vineyards, Brandon Hills Vineyard.
4. Wholesale Wine Accessories: Wholesale plastic wine carry bags sold in cases of 250 units. Products include single bag ($80), double bag ($85), and quad bag ($135). Continental US shipping only.
5. Lab Testing Services: By-the-sample lab testing services for NC vineyards and wineries using Foss equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Windsor Run Cellars is a vertically integrated winery and distillery in Hamptonville, NC that produces estate-grown wines (reds, whites, rosés, fortified wines, meads, petillant naturel), distilled spirits, and operates an on-site tasting room. Beyond its own production, it runs a 15,000 sq ft custom crush facility serving other NC wineries, a wine club with annual subscriptions, Foss-based lab testing services for the NC wine industry, and a wholesale wine bag business.

Product overview

Windsor Run Cellars is a fully integrated grap(e to glass operation in Hamptonville, North Carolina, offering estate-grown wines, fortified wines, mead, and distilled spirits. The core product portfolio includes red wines (Ember Malbec, Resolve barrel-aged), white wines (Yadkin Five blend, Fieldstone, Summer Breeze Riesling), rose wines (Ridgetop Rose, Cherry Smash), specialty wines (Sangria, Windsorberry, Island Holiday), fortified wines (Midnight Run Port-style, First Light White Port, Vermouth, G&J, Ratafia, Hillbilly Holiday), mead (Apple Mead), and petillant naturel sparkling wines. The company operates complementary services including a Tasting Room Experience, Wine Club Membership (Custom Case and Mixed Case options), Custom Crush winemaking services for other wineries, Lab Testing Services using Foss equipment, and Great Wine Bags wholesale merchandise. Located in the Yadkin Valley and Swan Creek AVAs, they also own Shadow Springs Vineyard and WRC Distillery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estate Wines (Reds, Whites, Rosés, and Specialty) Estate-grown and custom-crushed wines spanning dry reds and whites, Malbec, Riesling, Albarino, off-dry Traminette, rose, and fruit-forward specialty wines. Sold individually by the bottle ($20-$55) through the tasting room and Vinoshipper.
• Fortified Wines Port-style, white port-style, mead-based, and Vermouth fortified wines, including Midnight Run, First Light, Hillbilly Holiday, G&J, Ratafia, and Vermouth. Sold via tasting room and online.
• Mead Honey-based fermented beverages including Apple Mead (apple cider, honey, cinnamon, cloves). Sold via tasting room and online.
• Petillant Naturel Sparkling Wine Sparkling wine made from Chambourcin co-fermented with no-spray blueberries. Sold via tasting room and online ($31 per bottle).
• Distilled Spirits Premium grape-based spirits distilled at WRC Distillery (brandy and specialty liquors). Available through distillery tours on Saturdays and Sundays, and via WRC Distillery.
• Tasting Room Experience In-person wine and spirit tastings at the Hamptonville, NC tasting room, including wine flights ($15/person), group tastings, and the premium Grand Tasting Experience ($95 + tax/person, 2-2.5 hours, 4-8 people) that visits Windsor Run Cellars, WRC Distillery, and Shadow Springs Vineyard.
• Wine Club Memberships Annual subscription programs: Custom Case Club (12 bottles/year selected by member at February pickup, 20% off bottles/cases year-round, 10% off merchandise, 4 complimentary glasses/year) and Mixed Case Club (12 bottles/year across Feb/Jun/Sep curated by owners and winemakers, 10% off bottles/merchandise, 15% off cases).
• Custom Crush Winemaking Services B2B collaborative winemaking for emerging and established wineries, covering grape sourcing through bottling in the 15,000 sq ft facility. Clients include Shadow Springs Vineyard, Roaring River Vineyards, Sanders Ridge, Point Lookout Vineyards, Divinella Maria Vineyards, and Brandon Hills Vineyard.
• Lab Testing Services By-the-sample lab testing services for North Carolina vineyards and wineries, run using state-of-the-art Foss equipment. Contact: [email protected] / [email protected].
• Great Wine Bags (Wholesale) Wholesale plastic wine carry bags in single, double, and quad compartment configurations, sold by the case of 250 units with bulk discounts for orders over $300 (5% off, code BAGS5) and over $500 (10% off, code BAGS10). Ships across the continental US.

Quantifiable outcome

• Custom Case Club members receive 20% off all bottles and cases year-round
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Shadow Springs VineyardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owned by Chuck and Jamey Johnson (same owners as Windsor Run Cellars). Shadow Springs Vineyard is both a sister estate and a custom crush client. Cross-promotional relationship: 10% off wine purchases at Shadow Springs for Windsor Run Wine Club members. Contact Ben Steinberg serves as Business Manager for both properties.
• Roaring River VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Featured on the custom crush partner page alongside other NC vineyards.
• Sanders RidgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Featured on the custom crush partner page alongside other NC vineyards.
• Point Lookout VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Featured on the custom crush partner page alongside other NC vineyards.
• Divinella Maria VineyardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Featured on the custom crush partner page alongside other NC vineyards.
• Brandon Hills VineyardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Featured on the custom crush partner page alongside other NC vineyards.
• Swan Creek Wine TrailcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWindsor Run Cellars is a member of the Swan Creek Wine Trail, a collective of tasting rooms in the Swan Creek AVA. Herb Festival involves four participating tasting rooms on the trail, driving cross-visitation tourism.
• WRC DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate but related entity operating at the same location, distilling Windsor Run grapes into premium spirits. Tours offered Saturdays. Dana Acker serves as Distiller. The Grand Tasting Experience combines visits to Windsor Run Cellars, WRC Distillery, and Shadow Springs Vineyard.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shelton Vineyards: One of the largest wineries in NC located in the Surry County / Swan Creek region. Competes for the same wine tourist audience from Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and the Triad, with broader hospitality and event programming.
• Childress Vineyards: Large established NC winery in the Yadkin Valley with a tasting room, restaurant, and event venue. Overlaps Windsor Run's customer segment and distribution channels but operates at significantly greater scale and broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Raffaldini Vineyards: Mid-sized NC estate winery with tasting room, wine club, and event-driven GTM. Closely comparable in scale, business model, and consumer engagement mechanics to Windsor Run.
• Shadow Springs Vineyard: Sister estate co-owned by Chuck and Jamey Johnson. Same family, same Swan Creek AVA, and a custom crush client of Windsor Run — effectively a same-owner peer that shares marketing and customer base.
• RayLen Vineyards & Winery: Established Yadkin Valley estate winery with tasting room, wine club, and event venue. Direct competitor for the same wine tourist persona from the Triad and Charlotte markets.
• Sanders Ridge Vineyards: NC vineyard and custom crush client of Windsor Run. Comparable small-batch Yadkin Valley winery with on-site tasting and event programming.
• Roaring River Vineyards: NC vineyard and custom crush client of Windsor Run Cellars. Comparable estate-grown wine producer in the Swan Creek area with tasting room and direct-to-consumer focus.

Emerging players

• Early Mountain Vineyards: Mid-Atlantic (Virginia) estate winery with tasting room, wine club, and event programming. Comparable business model — estate-grown wines, curated tasting experiences, and recurring wine club revenue — but in a different geography.
• Veritas Vineyards: Virginia estate winery with tasting room, wine club, and custom services. Similar vertically integrated model producing estate wines, with comparable recurring revenue mechanics — useful out-of-state analog for the same business model.

Regional players

• Stony Knoll Vineyards: Small NC Surry County estate winery with tasting room and direct-to-consumer focus. Comparable in scale and product mix, drawing from overlapping tourist segments in the Swan Creek/Yadkin Valley region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/windsorruncellars
• Xx.com/windsorruncella
• Facebookfacebook.com/WindsorRunCellars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/windsor-run-cellars

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Windsor Run Cellars