Vin

What Vin does

Vin is a privately held, founder-owned boutique creative agency founded in 2009 in Portland, Oregon, by Creative Director Jon Krauss after a graphic-design engagement for Dragonette Cellars revealed the winery client's unmet need for premium digital design. The firm specializes in website design, brand communication, and e-commerce integration for the wine industry, supplemented by support to craft beverage producers (cideries, breweries, distilleries). Its core technology stack is custom-coded WordPress with proprietary plugins that integrate the two leading winery e-commerce platforms, Commerce7 and eCELLAR, plus an SEO/GEO plugin launched in beta in 2024.

The company's offering is delivered in three tiers: Vin Website Builder ($5,000 flat-rate, targeted at SMB wineries and craft beverage producers), Vin Website Tailored (mid-tier streamlined custom), and Vin Website Premier (bespoke engagements from $20,000 to $100,000+). Complementary services include brand strategy, storytelling and content creation, visual identity and packaging design, communication consulting, and an optional recurring Support & Maintenance subscription. Proprietary WordPress plugins (Commerce7, SEO for Commerce7, eCELLAR) are licensed separately at $1,000-$1,500 per license with optional hourly setup, and integrate with the four major WordPress SEO plugins.

Vin's go-to-market is sales-led through a structured online RFP process, supplemented by event-driven demand generation (webinars co-hosted with industry partners such as LIVE Certified). The firm reports having served more than 125 winery and wine-related brands in the US and internationally. Leadership comprises Jon Krauss (Founder and Creative Director) and Katherine Cole (Communications Director, a Harvard-educated wine journalist and author). The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding, operates with a 1-10 employee headcount, and serves its customers remotely from a single Portland headquarters.

Name

Vin

Legal name

Vin

Website

https://vinagency.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Website Design & Development: Full-service custom website design and development for wineries and wine brands. Includes strategy, brand consultation, bespoke design, custom coding, and deployment. Priced based on scope with tiers from $10,000 to $100,000+.
2. Vin Website Builder: Affordable pre-priced website platform for small wineries and craft beverage producers. Includes design, setup, and launch at $5,000 flat rate. Uses WordPress with custom styling.
3. Commerce7 via WordPress Plugin License: Proprietary plugin license at $1,500 per license, plus optional setup at $250/hour. Enables WordPress websites to integrate with Commerce7 e-commerce platform.
4. SEO for Commerce7 via WordPress Plugin: SEO enhancement plugin at $1,000 per license plus $250/hour setup. Enhances search discoverability for Commerce7-powered wine e-commerce sites.
5. eCELLAR via WordPress Plugin: Proprietary plugin license for eCELLAR integration, with setup at $250/hour. Enables WordPress websites to integrate with eCELLAR e-commerce platform.
6. Brand Communication Services: Services including brand strategy, storytelling, content creation, visual identity, packaging design, and communication consulting. Pricing tiers from $1,000 to $20,000+.
7. Support & Maintenance Program: Optional ongoing support including monthly backups, content updates, and on-demand assistance for website maintenance and evolution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Vin is a boutique creative agency that designs and develops custom WordPress-based websites for wineries and craft beverage producers, including e-commerce integration with Commerce7 and eCELLAR platforms via proprietary plugins. The agency also provides brand communication services including brand strategy, storytelling, visual identity, packaging design, and communication consulting tailored to the fine wine industry.

Product overview

Vin is a boutique creative agency specializing in website design and brand communication for the wine industry. The company offers three tiers of website products: Vin Website Premier (comprehensive custom design and development), Vin Website Tailored (streamlined custom design with faster timeline), and Vin Website Builder (cost-effective solution at $5,000). All websites are built on WordPress with optional e-commerce integration via Commerce7 or eCELLAR platforms through proprietary WordPress plugins. Vin provides supporting services including brand communication, creative direction, and ongoing support and maintenance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vin Website Premier Comprehensive custom-designed and developed winery websites with bespoke design, in-depth strategy, and custom development for premium wine brands. Includes multiple design milestones, consensus-based approach, and customized e-commerce integration.
• Vin Website Tailored Streamlined custom website design and development offering with strategy, site architecture, and select custom coding on a fast-tracked timeline. Built on WordPress with Gutenberg block editor integration.
• Vin Website Builder Cost-effective custom website platform for small wineries and craft beverage producers at a $5,000 flat rate. Includes WordPress-based design using client's fonts, colors, logo, and content with seamless e-commerce integration and no hidden recurring fees.
• Brand Communication Services Brand strategy, storytelling and content creation, visual identity and packaging design, and communication consulting services for wine brands and craft beverage producers.
• Commerce7 Integration Service E-commerce integration service for WordPress websites using the Commerce7 platform. Vin is an authorized Commerce7 Design Partner providing high-level integration with custom styling, supporting Collections, Products, Clubs, Account Profile, Reservation, Cart, and Checkout pages.
• eCELLAR Integration Service E-commerce integration service for WordPress websites using the eCELLAR platform. Vin is an authorized eCELLAR partner providing integration with custom styling, supporting POS, inventory, reporting, storefront, allocations, wine club, reservations, and marketing management.
• Support and Maintenance Program Recurring subscription service offering ongoing website support including monthly backups, content updates, and on-demand assistance for website maintenance and evolution.
• Commerce7 via WordPress Plugin Proprietary WordPress plugin enabling seamless integration of Commerce7's e-commerce functionality into WordPress websites. Enables custom styling, multiple layout options, utility menu control, and WordPress block editor support. Sold as a $1,500 per-license product with optional $250/hour setup.
• eCELLAR via WordPress Plugin Proprietary WordPress plugin for customizing the eCELLAR e-commerce platform within WordPress. Includes visual styling customization, utility menu control, flexible storefront layouts, and custom message/template support.
• SEO for Commerce7 via WordPress Plugin WordPress plugin enhancing search engine optimization for Commerce7 products, collections, and reservations within WordPress. Integrates with popular SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, The SEO Framework, All in One SEO), curates sitemaps, and adds Open Graph tags and Schema.org metadata. Priced at $1,000 per license plus $250/hour setup.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hibou saw page views increase 400% and new visitors increase 200% after website launch
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Commerce7coreTechnology or IntegrationVin is an authorized Commerce7 Design Partner. They have developed proprietary plugins (Commerce7 via WordPress, SEO for Commerce7 via WordPress) that enable seamless integration of Commerce7's e-commerce functionality into WordPress websites. Vin offers high-level integration services for wineries using Commerce7.
• eCELLARcoreTechnology or IntegrationVin is an authorized eCELLAR Design Partner. They developed the proprietary eCELLAR via WordPress plugin for customizing eCELLAR e-commerce platform within WordPress. Vin offers integration services for wineries using eCELLAR.
• LIVE CertifiedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) Certified is a sustainable winegrowing certification organization. Vin co-hosted a free webinar on WineDirect to Commerce7 migration for LIVE Certified members and the broader wine community.
• CR Winery ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCarisen Randing of CR Winery Services participated as industry expert in Vin's webinar on WineDirect to Commerce7 migration, providing consulting perspective on e-commerce platform transitions.
• Feast ConsultingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaren Fass of Feast Consulting collaborated with Vin on the Hibou winery website project, providing brand consulting services.
• Cru CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristine Komons of Cru Creative partnered with Vin on the Hibou winery website project, providing creative services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mekanism: Independent full-service creative agency serving premium consumer brands. Comparable boutique-independent model and emphasis on storytelling-led brand work, but operating at significantly larger scale across many verticals.
• Doe-Anderson: Long-established full-service creative agency with similar brand-strategy-plus-execution proposition for premium brands. Comparable service breadth (strategy, design, content), though much broader in scale and vertical mix.

Regional players

• Anvil Media: Portland-based boutique marketing agency with a brand-and-digital mix for consumer and B2B clients. Useful geographic and operating-model benchmark given same Portland home market as Vin, though without Vin's wine vertical specialization.

Direct peers

• Colangelo & Partners: Boutique PR and marketing agency specializing in wine, food, and beverage brands. Closest direct peer — same vertical, same white-glove boutique model, overlapping premium winery client base.
• Bottle Rocket Studios: Digital design and development agency with strong CMS/e-commerce integration practice. Comparable in custom-coded CMS build model and proprietary-integration mindset that Vin applies inside wine.

Others

• THINK PR: Mid-sized integrated communications and marketing agency with strong consumer-brand and tech practices. Adjacent comparator on the brand-communication and content side of Vin's service stack, though PR-led rather than design-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vinagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/vinagency
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Vin