WineLab
WineLab Limited is an Ireland-based wholesale beverage distributor, founded 2013 and headquartered in Naas, supplying kegged wine, cocktails, bottled wine, filtered water, alcohol-free drinks, and craft beer to 500+ hospitality venues across Ireland and Northern Ireland via a closed-loop keg system with no upfront equipment cost.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersClane, Ireland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WineLab does
WineLab Limited is an Ireland-based wholesale beverage solutions company headquartered in Naas, Co. Kildare, founded in 2013 by Ronan Farrell and Richie Byrne. The company operates as Ireland's first wine-on-tap specialist, supplying a six-category drinks portfolio — kegged wine, draught and bottled cocktails (under the WEEKEND brand and cocktails-on-tap programme), 230+ bottled wines via The Bottle Project, filtered water systems (PuRefill), alcohol-free beverages (Hollow Leg dealcoholized wines, kegged mocktails, alcohol-free craft beer), and craft beer (Whiplash partnership) — to 500+ licensed hospitality venues across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Customers span bars, gastropubs, restaurants, hotels, and event venues, with named accounts including Adare Manor, Dean Hotel Group, Beannchor Group, Shelbourne Hotel, and McCafferty Group.
The core technology is a closed-loop pressurised keg system that prevents oxygen exposure and maintains wine freshness for 60+ days after tapping, versus a 24-48 hour window for opened bottled wine. Each 26-bottle-equivalent keg reduces packaging waste by approximately 90%. Supporting technologies include multi-stage water filtration (activated carbon, sediment, UV) for PuRefill systems and partner-supplied low-temperature evaporation dealcoholization for Hollow Leg. Distribution is executed from a Naas warehouse and a Belfast regional office, with professional installation, staff training, and dedicated account management delivered in-house.
WineLab's business model is consultative B2B field sales combined with recurring and transactional revenue streams. Equipment (tap systems, coolers, water dispensers) is provided at no upfront cost in exchange for volume commitments, with monthly billing on wine/cocktail kegs and PuRefill subscriptions, and pay-as-you-go ordering on bottled wine, craft beer, and alcohol-free SKUs. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is account-based and high-touch: dedicated account managers, direct field sales, on-site demonstrations, venue referrals, and industry event presence — with no self-serve or product-led acquisition channels. The company is privately held, appears bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, and operates exclusively within Ireland and Northern Ireland.
WineLab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WineLab
- Legal name
- WineLab Limited
- Website
- https://winelab.ie
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WineLab Limited is an Ireland-based wholesale beverage distributor, founded 2013 and headquartered in Naas, supplying kegged wine, cocktails, bottled wine, filtered water, alcohol-free drinks, and craft beer to 500+ hospitality venues across Ireland and Northern Ireland via a closed-loop keg system with no upfront equipment cost.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WineLab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beverage Wholesale Distribution
- NAICS
- Beverage Manufacturing (3121)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
Keywords
Where WineLab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Clane
- HQ country
- Ireland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
WineLab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Wine on Tap (Kegged Wine): WineLab supplies premium wines in sealed kegs to hospitality venues. The company handles installation, maintenance, and keg recycling. Venues pay for wine by the keg on an ongoing basis. No upfront equipment cost — WineLab provides tap systems in exchange for volume commitments.
- Cocktails on Tap: Pre-batched cocktails supplied in kegs or bottles. Includes both alcoholic cocktails (WEEKEND brand) requiring spirits license and alcohol-free options. Revenue from keg/bottle sales plus ongoing service and maintenance.
- Bottle Wine (The Bottle Project): Curated portfolio of 230+ bottled wines from 10+ countries. Minimum order of 36 mixed bottles. Direct account manager-assisted ordering and regular delivery.
- Craft Beer Distribution: WineLab distributes Whiplash Beer products — 30L kegs and 330ml cans — to hospitality venues. Includes pilsner, session IPA, pale ale, plus gluten-free and alcohol-free options.
- PuRefill Water Systems: Filtered water systems with monthly service charges. WineLab handles installation, filter replacement, and maintenance. Venues pay a set monthly charge plus provide their own gas for carbonation.
- Alcohol-Free Beverages: Supply of Hollow Leg alcohol-free wines, kegged mocktails (Mojito, Elderflower Fizz), and Whiplash alcohol-free beer. Products under 0.5% ABV do not require liquor license.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Alcohol-free products typically deliver 70%+ gross profit for venues |
| Subscription | Monthly | Wine on Tap - no upfront equipment cost with volume commitment |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Bottle wine minimum order 36 mixed bottles per order |
| Subscription | Monthly | PuRefill water systems - set monthly charge plus venue-provided gas |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
WineLab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WineLab is Ireland's first wine-on-tap specialist, supplying premium wines, cocktails, craft beer, filtered water, and alcohol-free beverages in kegs and bottles to licensed hospitality venues. The company delivers turnkey programs that combine closed-loop keg dispensing equipment, professional installation, staff training, and ongoing account management under recurring volume commitments, replacing traditional bottle-and-cork service with draught dispense.
Product overview
WineLab is a wholesale beverage solutions company offering six distinct product categories as a unified platform for Irish hospitality venues: Wine on Tap (kegged premium wine systems keeping wine fresh 60+ days), Cocktails on Tap (20+ mixologist-crafted draught cocktails), Bottle Wine (230+ curated bottles across 10+ countries via The Bottle Project), PuRefill Filtered Water (still and sparkling tap systems), Alcohol-Free beverages (Hollow Leg wines, kegged mocktails, NA beer), and Craft Beer (Whiplash partnership). The company operates on a turnkey model providing equipment, installation, staff training, and ongoing support as a single wholesale account partner.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Bottle Project: Curated quality bottled wines portfolio for Irish hospitality venues. Features over 230 wines from 10+ countries, including accessible classics and vital selections for restaurants.
Products and services
- Wine on Tap Premium kegged wines served on tap through a closed-loop pressurized keg system that keeps wine fresh for 60+ days after tapping, supplied to licensed hospitality venues with installation, staff training, and ongoing keg replenishment included.
- Cocktails on Tap
Quantifiable outcome
- Wine stays fresh for 60+ days after tapping, vs 24-48 hours for opened bottles
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use WineLab
Customer profileNamed customers33 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
WineLab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
WineLab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Whiplash BeercoreWineLab is the exclusive wholesale distributor of Whiplash Beer products across Irish hospitality venues. Whiplash is one of Ireland's most acclaimed independent craft breweries, known for award-winning pilsner, session IPA, and pale ale. WineLab distributes 30L kegs and 330ml cans including gluten-free and alcohol-free options.
- PuRefill (Water System Provider)coreWineLab partners with industry-leading water system providers for PuRefill filtered water solutions. These professional-grade filtration systems are installed at hospitality venues to provide still and sparkling filtered water on tap, eliminating single-use plastic bottles.
- Hollow LegcoreWineLab supplies Hollow Leg alcohol-free wines to Irish hospitality venues. Hollow Leg uses a unique world-first low-temperature evaporation process that removes alcohol while preserving complex flavours, aromas, and mouthfeel. Products include Albariño, Atlantic Cabernet, Sparkling White Cuvée, and Sparkling Rosé — all under 0.5% ABV.
- WEEKEND (Ready Made Bottled Cocktails)coreWineLab supplies WEEKEND ready-made bottled cocktails including Espresso Martini, Pornstar Martini, Whiskey Sour, Classic Margarita, Mezcal Margarita, Strawberry Daiquiri, Amaretto Sour, Piña Colada, and Basil Smash. These require spirits license for service.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
WineLab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PourMyBeer: US provider of self-pour draft beverage wall systems used in bars, restaurants, and hotels. Comparable to WineLab on the on-premise draft dispense mechanism, though PourMyBeer is more self-serve focused whereas WineLab is account-managed.
- Bottlerocket Beverages: US specialty beverage retailer focused on craft and curated wine, beer, and cocktails. Comparable in spirit (curated multi-category portfolio for discerning on-premise and off-premise customers) though Bottlerocket is retail-led versus WineLab's wholesale model.
- Free Flow Wines: US-based pioneer of wine-on-tap keg systems for restaurants and hospitality venues. Most directly comparable to WineLab — both specialise in kegged premium wine distribution to on-premise accounts with proprietary dispense technology.
- Enomatic: Italian-founded global supplier of professional wine-by-the-glass dispensing systems. Comparable to WineLab in addressing on-premise wine preservation, freshness, and self-serve/on-demand dispense for hospitality venues.
Broad incumbents
- BrewDog: Global craft brewery and on-premise bar/hotel operator. Comparable via its craft-beer, draught-dispense, and bar expertise — overlapping with WineLab's craft beer distribution and on-tap service ethos — though BrewDog is a producer/operator, not a distributor.
- Molson Coors Beverage Company: Major global brewer with extensive on-premise distribution and beverage portfolio diversification. Comparable as a broad incumbent in alcoholic beverage manufacturing and hospitality distribution, though at vastly greater scale than WineLab.
- Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: Largest wine and spirits distributor in North America. Comparable as a B2B alcoholic-beverage wholesaler serving hospitality accounts, though vastly larger, multi-category, and operating on a different scale than WineLab's specialist keg-led model.
Others
- Whiplash Beer: Dublin-based award-winning Irish craft brewery and WineLab's exclusive wholesale distribution partner. Listed as an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a competitor — they produce, WineLab distributes into Irish hospitality.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WineLab social profiles
Digital presenceWineLab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WineLab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
WineLab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WineLab 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 WineLab
What does WineLab do?
WineLab is Ireland's first wine-on-tap specialist, supplying premium wines, cocktails, craft beer, filtered water, and alcohol-free beverages in kegs and bottles to licensed hospitality venues. The company delivers turnkey programs that combine closed-loop keg dispensing equipment, professional installation, staff training, and ongoing account management under recurring volume commitments, replacing traditional bottle-and-cork service with draught dispense.
Is WineLab a public or private company?
WineLab is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WineLab founded?
WineLab was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WineLab based?
WineLab is headquartered in Clane, Ireland, in the Europe region.
How does WineLab make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Wine on Tap (Kegged Wine) is the primary driver. The others are cocktails on Tap, bottle Wine (The Bottle Project), craft Beer Distribution, puRefill Water Systems and alcohol-Free Beverages.
Who are WineLab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PourMyBeer, Bottlerocket Beverages, Free Flow Wines and Enomatic. Broad incumbents are BrewDog, Molson Coors Beverage Company and Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits. Whiplash Beer is listed as an others.
Does WineLab have an API?
No public API is recorded for WineLab.
What industry is WineLab in?
WineLab's product category is Beverage Wholesale Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAB, Wine Production & Winemaking, with a secondary code of CRANABAF, Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail). Its NAICS code is 3121 and its SIC code is 5180.