Eric Ross Winery

What Eric Ross Winery does

Eric Ross Winery is a privately held, founder-owned boutique winery founded in 1994 by Eric Luse in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, California. The winery produces small-lot, terroir-driven wines from a portfolio of varietals including Albarino, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Old Vine Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Port, with grapes sourced from multiple California regions including Russian River, Dry Creek, Lodi, Carneros, and the Mayacamas Mountains. The company is distinguished by Luse's dual role as winemaker and professional photographer, which feeds a Photostories content library and a secondary photography sales revenue line.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model with three primary monetization streams: (1) in-person tasting room sales at the Glen Ellen location (Friday-Sunday, $30 per person, fee refunded with a 3-bottle purchase) plus a secondary tasting presence at LOCALS Tasting Room in Geyserville, (2) the Rooster Club recurring wine club with quarterly 3, 6, or 12 bottle shipments at a 20% discount and a $100 deposit credited after one year, and (3) e-commerce through ericross.com with shipping to roughly 36 US states. Marketing is concentrated on the website (including Photostories), email newsletter, Yelp review integration, and earned social sharing. The company is privately funded, has no external institutional investors, and operates with 11-50 employees.

Name

Eric Ross Winery

Legal name

Eric Ross Winery

Website

https://ericross.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Eric Ross Winery is a privately held, founder-owned boutique winery in Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, producing small-lot terroir-driven wines sold direct-to-consumer through a tasting room, Rooster Club wine club, and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Winery

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Boutique winery production
• Sonoma county wines
• Wine club membership
• Wine tasting experiences
• Direct-to-consumer wine

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Ellen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: Wines sold directly to consumers through the tasting room, wine club shipments, and e-commerce. Wine varieties include Albarino, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Old Vine Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Port.
2. Wine Club Membership: Recurring quarterly shipments of 3, 6, or 12 bottles at 20% discount. $100 deposit required upon joining, credited after one year.
3. Photography Sales: Sale of vineyard and winemaking photographs by Eric Luse, printed and shipped to customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Eric Ross Winery is a boutique Sonoma County winery that produces and sells handcrafted, terroir-driven wines sourced from multiple California AVAs including Russian River, Dry Creek, Lodi, Carneros, and the Mayacamas Mountains. Its portfolio includes Albarino, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Old Vine Zinfandel, Cabernet, and Port, sold directly to consumers through a Glen Ellen tasting room, a wine club subscription (Rooster Club), and an e-commerce storefront. The winery also offers in-person tasting experiences and photography-based content (Photostories) created by winemaker Eric Luse.

Product overview

Eric Ross Winery is a direct-to-consumer wine producer specializing in handcrafted wines from unique Sonoma County vineyards. The winery operates as a single unified offering centered on wine production and sales, featuring a portfolio of varietals including Albarino, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Old Vine Zinfandel, and Cabernet from the Mayacamas Mountains, plus PORT fortified wine. The product portfolio is complemented by the Rooster Wine Club subscription service offering quarterly deliveries at a 20% discount, and an in-person tasting room experience in Glen Ellen, California.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rooster Club: The winery's wine club program offering 3, 6, or 12 bottles quarterly at 20% discount with complimentary tastings and member events.

Products and services

• 2023 Rose Grenache Rose wine made from Grenache grapes, released as part of the new release lineup and available for direct order.
• 2019 Gout de la Vigne, Silver Image (Grenache) Premium red wine expression of Silver Image Grenache sourced from Napa Valley.
• 2018 Albarino, Bokisch Vineyards White wine produced from Albarino grapes sourced from Bokisch Vineyards, characterized as clean and bright.
• Eric Ross Wine Portfolio (Albarino, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Grenache, Tempranillo, Old Vine Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port) Handcrafted, terroir-driven wines sourced from California vineyards across Russian River, Dry Creek, Lodi, Carneros, and the Mayacamas Mountains, including Spanish and Portuguese varietals not commonly found at other Sonoma wineries.
• Rooster Club Wine Club Membership Subscription-based wine club delivering 3, 6, or 12 bottles quarterly at a 20% discount, with a $100 deposit credited after one year. Benefits include complimentary tastings, wine club events, and pickup parties.
• Wine Tastings at Glen Ellen Tasting Room In-person tasting experience at the Glen Ellen tasting room priced at $30 per person (refunded with a 3-bottle purchase); complimentary for wine club members. Available Friday through Sunday, 11am-5pm.
• Vineyard & Winemaking Photography Prints Printed and shipped photographs by winemaker Eric Luse covering vineyard, winemaking, and terroir subjects, sold as a secondary product line through the website.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Active Club SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider hosting the online store. Manages customer transactions, wine club membership subscriptions, and order fulfillment integration. Data stored securely with PCI-DSS compliance.
• FedExcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary shipping carrier for wine shipments to customers. Certified partner providing seamless integration for label creation, tracking, and shipment management.
• UPScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping carrier partner for wine shipments. Certified provider with integration for label creation and tracking.
• USPSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShipping carrier used for wine delivery services.
• GLS Wine DeliverycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized wine delivery service. Contact: Troy Ruffing. Provides wine-specific delivery logistics.
• Alexander Valley CellarsminorOthersFulfillment warehouse partner for wine storage and distribution.
• Wine Country ShippingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWine-specific shipping provider for delivery to customers.
• Wine DirectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWine fulfillment and direct-to-consumer shipping partner.
• LOCALS Tasting RoomminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party tasting room in Geyserville where Eric Ross wines are available for tasting and purchase. Located at 21060 Geyserville Ave, Geyserville, CA 95441.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Cline Cellars: Sonoma winery known for Old Vine Zinfandel and Rhone varietals (including Grenache), with tasting room and wine club offerings. Direct competitor in varietal portfolio and DTC approach.
• Kenwood Vineyards: Sonoma Valley winery specializing in wines from multiple Sonoma sub-AVAs with a tasting room and wine club. Comparable multi-region sourcing model and DTC distribution.
• Benziger Family Winery: Boutique Sonoma Mountain winery focused on estate-grown, terroir-expressive wines with biodynamic farming. Comparable emphasis on vineyard-specific storytelling and direct-to-consumer sales.
• B.R. Cohn Winery: Boutique Sonoma Valley winery with tasting room, wine club, and small-lot production from estate vineyards. Similar founder-led narrative and DTC model.
• St. Francis Winery & Vineyards: Sonoma County estate winery offering terroir-driven wines and a robust wine club with tasting room experiences. Highly comparable DTC model, varietal diversity, and tasting-room-led acquisition strategy.
• Kunde Family Winery: Multi-generation Sonoma Valley winery offering tasting experiences, wine club membership, and varietals from estate vineyards in the Mayacamas range. Strong overlap in geography, DTC channels, and family-run heritage.
• Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards: Carneros winery specializing in sparkling and still wines with tasting room experiences and wine club. Comparable Carneros-sourced production and DTC tasting-room model.
• Schug Carneros Estate Winery: Carneros/Sonoma boutique winery specializing in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with tasting room and wine club. Comparable small-lot, terroir-focused production model.

Broad incumbents

• Chateau St. Jean: Established Sonoma winery with broader distribution, multiple varietals, and tasting room experiences. Larger scale and broader distribution, but overlapping DTC and varietal strategy.

Others

• Vinesse Wine Club: Multi-winery subscription service that competes for wine club members through broad portfolio and discovery. Not a direct producer peer but a competitor for the same DTC subscription consumer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eric-ross-winery-llc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Eric Ross Winery