The Storm Cellar
The Storm Cellar is a husband-and-wife-owned boutique winery in Colorado's West Elks AVA producing high-elevation white and rosé wines sold direct-to-consumer through a seasonal outdoor tasting room, a 38-state wine club, an online shop, and ticketed culinary events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersHotchkiss, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Storm Cellar does
The Storm Cellar is a privately held boutique winery founded in 2017 by former Denver sommeliers Jayme Henderson and Steve Steese, operating from an estate vineyard and outdoor tasting room at 14139 Runzel Gulch Road in Hotchkiss, Colorado, within the West Elks AVA — one of the highest-elevation viticultural areas in the world. The winery specializes in crisp, food-friendly white and rosé wines (Riesling across dry, off-dry, sparkling, and dessert styles, plus Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Chambourcin, and recently planted Albariño and Itasca) produced in small batches using temperature-controlled stainless steel fermentation, extended cold soaks for aromatic extraction, hand-sorting, minimal oak, and careful oxygen management to limit sulfur additions. Production capacity is approximately 2,000 cases annually across 22 farmed acres.
The business operates an owner-operated direct-to-consumer model with four interlocking revenue streams: a tasting room offering guided five-pour tastings for $10 (Thursday–Sunday, seasonal), an online wine shop and two-tier wine club (6-bottle at 15% discount and 12-bottle at 20% discount, shipping twice yearly in April and October to 38 states), a calendar of ticketed culinary events including Mangia! Fridays with Chefs Dan and Ana Geltz, Best Slope Pizza Saturdays, the Cycle of the Vine dinner series at $145 per person, and cocktail workshops at $80 per person led by co-founder Jayme Henderson, plus a small fine-dining wholesale account base highlighted by placement at Element 47 in The Little Nell (Aspen). The company has earned 75+ gold medals including five double-golds at the 2025 Colorado Governor's Cup and a 95-point score on its 2020 Estate Dry Riesling at the American Fine Wine Invitational, and was named Colorado Winery of the Year in 2023 by CAVE.
The Storm Cellar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Storm Cellar
- Legal name
- The Storm Cellar
- Website
- https://stormcellarwine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Storm Cellar is a husband-and-wife-owned boutique winery in Colorado's West Elks AVA producing high-elevation white and rosé wines sold direct-to-consumer through a seasonal outdoor tasting room, a 38-state wine club, an online shop, and ticketed culinary events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Storm Cellar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boutique Winery
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where The Storm Cellar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hotchkiss
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Storm Cellar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct Wine Sales: Wines sold directly to consumers through the outdoor tasting room, online shop (orderport.net), and wine club shipments. Tastings offered for $10 (5 one-ounce pours). Wine club ships twice yearly to 38 states.
- Wine Club Memberships: Two-tier wine club (6-bottle at 15% discount, 12-bottle at 20% discount) with twice-yearly shipments in April and October. Includes complimentary tastings, first access to events, shipping discounts, and access to back-vintage wines.
- Ticketed Events and Workshops: Revenue from culinary events including Friday Mangia! dinners, Saturday pizza pop-ups, multi-course wine dinners ($145/person), and cocktail workshops ($80/person). Seasonal events include West Elks Wine Trail and North Fork Uncorked.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Guided Wine Tasting |
| Subscription | Annual | 6-Bottle Wine Club |
| Subscription | Annual | 12-Bottle Wine Club |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktail Workshop |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cycle of the Vine Dinner |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mangia! Friday Small Plates |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Best Slope Pizza Saturdays |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | West Elks Wine Trail Ticket |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Storm Cellar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Storm Cellar is a boutique winery that produces and sells small-batch white and rosé wines from estate-grown and Colorado-sourced grapes in the high-elevation West Elks AVA. The winery sells directly to consumers through an outdoor tasting room, an online wine shop, two-tier wine club subscriptions, and a calendar of ticketed culinary events and cocktail workshops.
Product overview
The Storm Cellar is a boutique winery specializing in crisp, aromatic white and rosé wines from Colorado's high-elevation West Elks AVA. The product portfolio centers on estate-grown and sourced wines including Riesling (dry, off-dry, and sparkling styles), Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Chambourcin, Albariño, and Itasca varieties, with 10-15 different wines produced annually totaling over 2,000 cases. The business operates two wine club tiers—the 6-Bottle Club (15% discount) and 12-Bottle Club (20% discount)—offering twice-yearly shipments of curated selections. Hospitality offerings include an outdoor tasting room experience ($10 guided tasting), culinary events (Mangia! Fridays with Chefs Dan and Ana, Best Slope Pizza Saturdays, Cycle of the Vine dinners by the Forage Sisters), and educational cocktail workshops led by winemaker Jayme Henderson. Content extensions include the Jayme Grows Drinks blog and The Storm Cellar blog covering wine education and food pairings. The winery achieved recognition as Colorado Winery of the Year in 2023 and was featured on the Wall Street Journal cover in 2019.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Estate Riesling Estate-grown Riesling portfolio produced in dry, off-dry, sparkling (Cloudburst traditional method), and fortified dessert styles, showcasing the versatility of the grape across food-pairing contexts.
- Gewürztraminer Aromatic white wine made from Gewürztraminer grapes, reflecting the high-elevation terroir of the West Elks AVA.
- Sauvignon Blanc Crisp, aromatic white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes, vinified with attention to preserving delicate aromatics.
- Rosé of Chambourcin A rosé wine crafted from Chambourcin grapes, offering food-friendly freshness and vibrant acidity characteristic of the winery's style.
- Double Switchback Rosé A rosé wine offering from the winery's collection of crisp, aromatic wines.
- Albariño White wine variety planted in 2024, adding to the winery's portfolio of grafted vines.
- Itasca Cold-hardy hybrid white wine variety planted in 2024, expanding the winery's high-desert adapted grape varieties.
- All The Flowers A white wine offering, part of the winery's portfolio of refreshing, expressive wines.
- 6-Bottle Wine Club Wine club membership delivering six specially chosen bottles twice yearly in April and October, offering a 15% discount on shipments and additional wine purchases. Includes complimentary tastings, first access to events, shipping discounts, and back-vintage access.
- 12-Bottle Wine Club Wine club membership delivering twelve specially chosen bottles twice yearly, offering a 20% discount on shipments and additional wine purchases; designed for dedicated supporters, cellar stockers, and party hosts.
- Guided Wine Tasting Experience Outdoor tasting room experience featuring guided tastings of five one-ounce pours for a $10 set fee, overlooking the vineyard with views of the West Elk wilderness; open Thursday-Sunday, noon-7:00 p.m. through November 1.
- Mangia! Fridays Weekly Mediterranean small-plates dining experience hosted by Chefs Dan and Ana Geltz, featuring coastal Italian-inspired cuisine including bruschetta, crudos, salads, and cutlets; small plates range $8-$17.
- Best Slope Saturdays Saturday Neapolitan-style pizza pop-up featuring hand-stretched, naturally leavened pies from a Gozney oven by Chef Brandt Bishop, with locally sourced produce; launched in collaboration in 2023.
- Cycle of the Vine Dinner Series Multi-course wine-paired dinner series hosted by Chefs Mirasol Gomez and Nicole Sacchitella (Forage Sisters) featuring regionally inspired, locally sourced asado-style cuisine moving through regions of Europe with dishes interpreted through Colorado ingredients; $145 per person excluding tax and gratuity.
- West Elks Wine Trail Weekend Culinary weekend event held July 31-August 2 featuring tastings across 14 wineries and cideries in the West Elks AVA, plus chef pop-ups and wine experiences; $45 ticket covers tastings at 14 wineries/cideries, commemorative swag, and a West Elks AVA reusable tote.
- North Fork Uncorked Spring wine release weekend event June 5-7 celebrating the start of the season with new wine releases and culinary events across the 14 West Elks AVA wineries, including a sparkling wine release party.
- Cocktail Workshops Educational cocktail workshop series ("From the Cocktail Shelf") led by winemaker Jayme Henderson, including two cocktails, a snack board, and a take-home cocktail book; limited to 16 guests per session at $80 per person.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95 points and Double Gold on 2020 Estate Dry Riesling at American Fine Wine Invitational
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Storm Cellar
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Storm Cellar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Storm Cellar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and secondary.
- Atlasta Solar CentercoreSolar project collaboration in 2026 with Atlasta Solar Center that will 'revolutionize our farming abilities.' This sustainability initiative supports regenerative farming practices and reduced environmental impact.
- West Elks AVAcoreWinery is part of the West Elks American Viticultural Area, a member-based non-profit that supports enology and viticulture in Colorado. The association organizes events like the West Elks Wine Trail and North Fork Uncorked.
- John DeerenotableFeatured in 2019 national ad campaign 'Their Land, Their Words' with over 4 million views on social channels. Eight-person film crew documented their farming and winemaking story.
- Chefs Dan and Ana GeltzcoreRegular Friday evening culinary partners serving Mediterranean-inspired small plates at the tasting room. Features coastal Italian cuisine including fresh crudo, bruschetta, seasonal salads, and cutlets.
- Best Slope Pizza / Chef Brandt BishopcoreSaturday pop-up partner serving Neapolitan-style pizzas from a Gozney oven. Brandt Bishop launched Best Slope Pizza in 2023 and has worked with The Storm Cellar since their first wine dinner in 2019.
- Forage Sisters (Mirasol Gomez and Nicole Sacchitella)coreHosts multi-course asado-style dinner series featuring regionally inspired, locally sourced cuisine. Each dinner moves through regions of Europe with dishes inspired by different countries interpreted through Colorado ingredients.
- Bonfire Oyster Co.secondarySeafood pop-up partner at tasting room events serving freshly shucked oysters, lobster rolls, and poke bowls to pair with wines.
- Jayme Grows DrinkssecondaryJayme's garden-to-glass cocktail blog that has run for over a decade, sharing seasonal drink recipes. The blog and her cocktail expertise support marketing and education efforts.
- The Little Nell (Aspen)notableTheir 2022 Box Bar Dry Riesling is the first and only Colorado by-the-glass wine at Element 47 restaurant, which won 'Grand Award' by Wine Spectator and 'Best Hotel Restaurant in the World' by The World of Fine Wine.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Storm Cellar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Winc: Subscription-based wine club with nationwide DTC shipping. Comparable subscription-recurring revenue model and DTC wine shipping to multiple states, though focuses on curated multi-region selections rather than single-estate production.
Direct peers
- Sutcliffe Vineyards: Colorado high-elevation estate winery with tasting room and event-driven hospitality. Compares on elevation-driven terroir positioning, DTC tasting experience, and event programming.
- Two Rivers Winery: Colorado winery in Grand Junction with tasting room, wine club, and event programming. Comparable DTC structure with culinary-event hospitality and subscription model.
- Bookcliff Vineyards: Boulder, Colorado winery with tasting room and wine club model. Comparable DTC structure, small-batch Colorado production, and wine-club recurring revenue.
- Restoration Vineyards: Colorado small-batch winery with tasting room in the Western Slope. Comparable boutique estate winery model with DTC focus and limited production.
- Carlson Vineyards: Palisade, Colorado winery with tasting room and estate-grown wines. Comparable Colorado high-elevation DTC winery with on-site hospitality and small-batch production.
- Mesa Park Vineyards: Palisade, Colorado winery offering estate wines and tasting room hospitality. Comparable boutique DTC winery with subscription and tasting room revenue mix.
- Jack Rabbit Hill: Biodynamic Colorado winery on the Western Slope producing estate wines with tasting room hospitality. Comparable regenerative-farming positioning, estate vineyard focus, and DTC sales.
- Plum Creek Cellars: Colorado winery in Palisade producing estate-grown wines with a tasting room and wine club. Compares directly as a Colorado DTC-focused winery with subscription revenue and on-site hospitality.
Broad incumbents
- St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery: Larger Napa Valley producer specializing in estate-grown Sauvignon Blanc and white wines. Compares on white-wine specialization, estate terroir focus, and DTC hospitality model, though at significantly larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Storm Cellar social profiles
Digital presenceThe Storm Cellar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Storm Cellar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Storm Cellar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Storm Cellar 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 The Storm Cellar
What does The Storm Cellar do?
The Storm Cellar is a boutique winery that produces and sells small-batch white and rosé wines from estate-grown and Colorado-sourced grapes in the high-elevation West Elks AVA. The winery sells directly to consumers through an outdoor tasting room, an online wine shop, two-tier wine club subscriptions, and a calendar of ticketed culinary events and cocktail workshops.
Is The Storm Cellar a public or private company?
The Storm Cellar is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Storm Cellar founded?
The Storm Cellar was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Storm Cellar based?
The Storm Cellar is headquartered in Hotchkiss, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Storm Cellar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Memberships and ticketed Events and Workshops.
Who are The Storm Cellar's main competitors?
Winc is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Sutcliffe Vineyards, Two Rivers Winery, Bookcliff Vineyards, Restoration Vineyards, Carlson Vineyards, Mesa Park Vineyards, Jack Rabbit Hill and Plum Creek Cellars. St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does The Storm Cellar have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Storm Cellar.
What industry is The Storm Cellar in?
The Storm Cellar's product category is Boutique Winery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms), with a secondary code of CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands. Its NAICS code is 312130.