What Novavine does

Novavine, Inc. is a family-owned grapevine and olive tree nursery headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, founded in 1996 by Ellen and Milton Heath. The company produces grafted grapevines and olive trees using sustainable nursery practices — including biological inputs, probiotics, compost teas, mycorrhizae, and proprietary propagation techniques developed since 2004 — on a footprint of 27 acres at its Sonoma Valley headquarters and 325 acres of Sacramento Valley field nursery and increase blocks. Core grapevine products include Green Potted Bench Grafts, Dormant Field Finished Bench Grafts, Dormant Field Finished Rooting, and the Super Nova large-vine format, supported by the proprietary Priority Testing Protocol (PTP) for Red Blotch associated Virus (RBaV) assurance.

The catalog is differentiated by exclusive North American propagation rights to VCR (Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo) super-premium French and Italian grapevine clones and mildew-resistant cultivars, and to Tablas Creek Vineyard Selections (TCVS) of Rhône varieties. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time sales of grafted grapevines and olive trees (Tubettes, 2-gallon, 15-gallon, and 24-inch box formats), with custom propagation services available on a quote basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is volume- and spec-dependent.

Go-to-market is sales-led: a direct sales team (Sam Caselli, Tucker Kobylka, Michael Monette) handles commercial-volume orders from premium California winemakers and vineyard owners, while a separate Nova Backyard e-commerce storefront addresses sub-1,000-vine orders and residential olive tree buyers. Channels include content marketing, an email newsletter, organic social, and the proprietary Vine Availability listing. Operations remain under founding-family control, with Jay Jensen — son of the founders — serving as CEO since 2004.

Name

Novavine

Legal name

Novavine, Inc.

Website

https://novavine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novavine is a family-owned California grapevine and olive tree nursery that produces 6 million+ vines annually using sustainable propagation practices and exclusive clone licenses, serving premium winemakers via direct sales and small buyers through its Nova Backyard e-commerce channel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant Nursery (Grapevines and Olive Trees)

NAICS

Nursery and Tree Production (111421)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Fruit & Nut Planting Stock (Rootstocks, Nursery Trees, Vines) (AFABAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vineyard Establishment & Development (Site Prep, Trellising, Planting) (AFAGAJAA), Orchard Establishment & Replanting (New Plantings, Rootstock Selection, Trellising Systems) (AFAGACAK)

Keywords

• Grapevine nursery
• Olive tree propagation
• Bench grafted vines
• Vineyard plant material
• Clonal selection services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Rosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Grapevine Sales: Sales of bench grafted grapevines including dormant bare root, green potted, and Super Nova large vine formats. Majority of vines are grafted to order with diverse clone and rootstock combinations.
2. Olive Tree Sales: Sales of olive trees in multiple formats including 7-inch tubettes, 2-gallon pots, and larger 15 gallon and 24 inch box sizes. Includes over two dozen varieties.
3. Custom Propagation Services: Custom grafting services with clone and rootstock combination of customer's choice.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Novavine is a California grapevine and olive tree nursery that propagates and sells bench-grafted grapevines in dormant bare-root, green-potted, and Super Nova large-vine formats, alongside olive trees in tubette, 2-gallon, and larger formats. The company grafts the majority of vines to order with diverse clone and rootstock combinations and supports customers with a staff viticulturist and knowledgeable sales team. Production has scaled from 30,000 vines in 1998 to more than 6 million grafted vines annually across 325 acres in the Sacramento Valley plus 27 acres at its Sonoma Valley headquarters.

Product overview

Novavine is a grapevine and olive tree nursery offering a diverse portfolio of products centered around grapevines and olive trees for commercial viticulture and olive production. The core product lines include multiple grapevine vine types (Green Potted Bench Grafts, Dormant Field Finished Bench Grafts, Dormant Field Finished Rooting, and the Super Nova large vine), all supported by the Priority Testing Protocol (PTP) for Red Blotch Virus assurance. Novavine distributes exclusive VCR (Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo) selections of French and Italian clones and Tablas Creek Vineyard Rhône variety selections. The olive division offers trees in various formats (Tubettes, 2 Gallon, and Larger Formats) across oil, table, and dual-purpose varieties. Sales are segmented between commercial-scale operations and the Nova Backyard sub-brand for low-volume and residential customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Green Potted Bench Graft A bench-grafted grapevine grafted and grown in the greenhouse for same-spring delivery, produced in a custom soil mix with several strains of mycorrhizae and a premiere probiotic potting system for exceptional roots, balanced growth, and strong tissues. Sold to commercial vineyard establishments.
• Dormant Field Finished Bench Graft A one-year-old bench-grafted grapevine grown in the field nursery during the previous growing season using mechanical planting, drip irrigation, and biological inputs. Sold to commercial vineyards.
• Dormant Field Finished Rooting A one-year-old rooted rootstock cutting for growers who want to graft in the vineyard, planted in the field nursery and nurtured through a balanced growing system. Sold to commercial growers.
• Super Nova Large Vine An extra-tall 36-inch grapevine ideal for replants, designed to reduce labor time in the field using a larger tubette to create an impression root mass with great structure. Sold to commercial vineyards.
• Priority Testing Protocol (PTP) A premium plant-health assurance service developed by Novavine focused on Red Blotch associated Virus (RBaV) testing; each source vine is individually tested, tracked, and handled separately throughout the growing cycle with enhanced technical support. Offered to commercial grape buyers.
• VCR (Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo) Selections Super-premium French and Italian grapevine clones and selections propagated under exclusive North American license from Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo, offered to commercial vineyards.
• Tablas Creek Vineyard Selections (TCVS) Exclusive selections of Rhône varieties from Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles, California, including Courbu Blanc, Grenache Noir, Gros Manseng, Mourvèdre, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Syrah, and Tannat clones. Offered to commercial vineyards.
• VCR Mildew Resistant Cultivars Exclusive North American supplier of VCR mildew-resistant cultivars bred for cold tolerance and mildew resistance, which can significantly reduce vineyard sprays. Offered to commercial vineyards.
• Custom Grafting and Propagation Services Custom grafting services with the clone and rootstock combination of the customer's choice, supporting specialized vineyard establishment requests.
• Olive Tubettes (7-inch) Olive trees in a 2.5-inch x 7-inch pot with root guides on the sides and air-pruning holes at the bottom, minimizing transplant shock and encouraging strong growth. Sold to commercial and residential olive growers.
• 2 Gallon Olive Tree Olive trees in a 2-gallon pot with side root guides, usually 4 to 6 feet tall, performing exceptionally well in the orchard and suitable as replacement trees in super-high-density plantings. Sold to commercial olive growers.
• Larger Format Olive Trees (15 Gallon and 24-inch Box) Olive trees produced in 15-gallon and 24-inch box sizes, representing a limited assortment for commercial and residential plantings.
• Nova Backyard Low-Volume Sales Sub-brand storefront offering low-volume grapevine sales of 1,000 or fewer vines and commercial and residential olive tree sales, providing access to Novavine plant material for smaller buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 6 million grapevines produced annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo (VCR)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1997Partnership began in 1997 with the world's largest grapevine nursery based in Friuli, Italy. Novavine holds exclusive North American propagation rights to VCR's super-premium French and Italian grapevine clones and selections. VCR breeding program has developed mildew-resistant cultivars that Novavine is licensed to propagate in North America. The partnership has brought previously unavailable VCR clones into the United States.
• Tablas Creek VineyardcoreTechnology or IntegrationNovavine holds exclusive rights to propagate and sell Tablas Creek Vineyard Selections (TCVS) of Rhône varieties. Tablas Creek Vineyard was created in Paso Robles, California in the late 1980s through partnership between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and Vineyard Brands founder Robert Haas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Agromillora: Agromillora is a global nursery specializing in olive and grapevine propagation, with operations in Spain, California, and Australia. It directly competes with Novavine in the olive nursery segment and increasingly in high-density, super-premium grapevine propagation.
• Duarte Nursery: Duarte Nursery is one of the largest commercial nurseries in California, producing grapevines, stone fruit, and nut trees at scale. It competes directly with Novavine in the bench-grafted grapevine category and shares the same large-scale California nursery operating model.
• Sunridge Nurseries: Sunridge Nurseries, formerly Vintage Nurseries, is one of the largest grapevine nurseries in California, producing bench-grafted and own-rooted vines for the U.S. wine industry. It directly competes with Novavine in the same product category, serving the same premium winemaker customer base with similar propagation capabilities.
• Sierra Gold Nurseries: Sierra Gold Nurseries is a California-based wholesale nursery producing fruit trees, grapevines, and berry plants for commercial growers. It directly competes with Novavine in the grapevine propagation category and serves a similar agricultural customer base.
• Pacific Ag Plant (formerly Fowler Nurseries): Pacific Ag Plant, the successor to Fowler Nurseries, is a California nursery producing grapevines, stone fruit, and citrus on commercial acreage. It competes directly with Novavine in the bench-grafted grapevine segment for premium California growers.
• L.E. Cooke Co. L.E. Cooke Co. is a California wholesale nursery producing grapevines, fruit trees, and ornamental varieties for commercial growers. It serves the same regional North-Central California customer base and competes in adjacent propagation categories.
• Wonderful Nurseries: Wonderful Nurseries is the in-house propagation arm of The Wonderful Company, producing grapevines, citrus, and pomegranate trees across California. It operates at similar scale to Novavine in vine propagation and competes for both commercial and grower customers in the same regional market.

Others

• Foundation Plant Services (UC Davis FPS): Foundation Plant Services at UC Davis supplies disease-tested, certified grapevine stock to commercial nurseries including Novavine. It is not a commercial competitor but an upstream supplier whose certification standards underpin Novavine's PTP and foundation material.
• Tablas Creek Vineyard: Tablas Creek Vineyard is a Rhône-variety producer in Paso Robles that partners with Novavine to propagate its exclusive selections. It is a customer-collaborator and source of differentiated genetic material rather than a direct nursery competitor.
• Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo (VCR): VCR is the world's largest grapevine nursery and Novavine's exclusive North American partner for super-premium French and Italian clones. It is both a strategic partner and indirect competitor in the global propagation market, as it controls the underlying genetic material Novavine licenses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Novavine1
• Facebookfacebook.com/novavinenursery
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novavine-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Novavine