Hunter Wine Marketing

What Hunter Wine Marketing does

Hunter Wine Marketing is a privately held, regionally focused wine brokerage firm headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Founded in 1977 (originally as Alexia Moore Wine Marketing) and rebranded to its current name around 2017-2018, the company operates as an intermediary between wineries and B2B buyers — primarily restaurants, wine shops, and retailers — across the western area of Northern California. The company is independently owned, with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or public listing.

The company's core offering is curated wine sales representation backed by a seven-person field sales team organized by territory (East Bay, Marin/SF, Sonoma/SF, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Mateo/Santa Clara, and Santa Clara County). Its portfolio comprises approximately 40+ wineries spanning a California portfolio (Birichino, Bliss Family, Boeger, Brutocao, Cinnabar, Clif Family, Dehlinger, Husch, Testarossa, Storrs, and others), an Oregon portfolio (including Colene Clemens Vineyards), and an international portfolio sourced through specialized importer partners covering Argentina, Chile, France, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay. Distribution is fulfilled through multiple regional delivery carriers (VinVision, Express Wine, Sidekick, Vinlux, Groskopf).

Hunter Wine Marketing monetizes through transaction-based commissions on wine sales, with quantity-based assortment discounts (typically 2-3 case assortments) and pricing administered through a password-protected price book. Operational infrastructure is minimal: a WordPress website, basic social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, and a Melio Payments-powered billing portal. There is no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed app or API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no funded growth initiatives — the business operates as a traditional sales-led brokerage rather than a technology-enabled commerce platform.

Name

Hunter Wine Marketing

Legal name

Hunter Wine Marketing

Website

https://hunterwinemarketing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hunter Wine Marketing is a privately held regional wine brokerage founded in 1977, based in Santa Clara, California. It represents 40+ California, Oregon, and international wineries, selling to restaurants and retailers across Western Northern California through a seven-rep field sales team and regional delivery carriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Brokerage and Distribution Services

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Wine brokerage services
• Wine distribution
• Restaurant wine sales
• Winery representation
• Northern California wine

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Clara

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Brokerage Services: Hunter Wine Marketing operates as a regional wine broker representing wineries and earning commissions on sales. They serve as an intermediary between wineries and buyers (restaurants, retailers) in the Western area of Northern California.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Hunter Wine Marketing is a regional wine brokerage that represents a portfolio of more than 40 wineries from California, Oregon, Argentina, Chile, France and other regions, selling their wines to licensed on-premise and off-premise accounts across Northern California. The firm employs 7 territory sales representatives and coordinates fulfillment through third-party delivery providers, with billing handled via a Melio Payments-powered portal.

Product overview

Hunter Wine Marketing is a regional wine brokerage firm established in 1977 (formerly Alexia Moore Wine Marketing) that operates as a sales and logistics intermediary between wineries and buyers. The company offers a unified brokerage service combining wine sales representation with regional delivery logistics. Their product portfolio is organized into regional segments: a California Wineries Portfolio featuring over 30 estate and family-owned producers (Birichino, Bliss Family, Boeger, Brutocao, Cinnabar, Clif Family, Dehlinger, Foxglove, Husch, Storrs, Testarossa, and others), an Oregon Portfolio (Colene Clemens), and an Imported Wines Portfolio spanning Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Italy, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, and Uruguay through sub-portfolios like Global Vineyard Imports, Cannon Wines Limited, Maverick Selections, Epicurean Wines, and C&P Wines. The company supports these sales operations with Delivery & Logistics Services using regional carriers and a Payment Portal for transaction processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Brokerage and Sales Representation Sales representation and brokerage services for a curated portfolio of 40+ wineries across California, Oregon, Argentina, Chile, and France, sold to on-premise and off-premise accounts in Northern California through 7 territory sales representatives.
• Delivery Logistics Coordination Coordination of wine order fulfillment and delivery to licensed accounts using a network of third-party providers including VinVision, Express Wine, Sidekick, Vinlux, and Groskopf.
• Accounts Receivable / Payment Portal (Melio Payments) Online payment portal powered by Melio Payments that enables licensed buyer accounts to view invoices and remit payment for wine purchases.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Birichino WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSanta Cruz-based winery co-founded by Alex Krause and John Locke, sourcing from organically and sustainably farmed vineyards. Birichino wines are part of Hunter's portfolio of quality artisan wines.
• Bliss Family VineyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEstate grown, value oriented wines from Mendocino County. Produced by the Brutocao Family, carrying on the legacy of grandfather Irv Bliss.
• Boeger WinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily owned and operated winery in Sierra Nevada Foothills since 1972, producing over 90% of wines from estate grown grapes.
• Brutocao Family VineyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily farming land in southern Mendocino County since 1943, blending northern Italian heritage with California roots, growing varietals like Dolcetto and Sangiovese.
• Cinnabar WinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWinery established in 1983 in Santa Cruz Mountains, owned by Ron Mosley with winemaker George Troquato.
• Clif Family WinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSmall-production wines from organically farmed estate vineyards in Napa Valley, along with small-batch specialty foods.
• Testarossa WinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1993 by Rob and Diana Jensen, producing 15,000 cases annually. Consistently garners top scores for Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from Santa Lucia Highlands.
• Dehlinger WinerycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndependent, family-owned winery recognized for consistency and quality, focusing on estate grown grapes from dry farmed vineyard in Russian River Valley.
• Husch VineyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnderson Valley's first winery celebrating 50 years. Family owned for three generations, practicing sustainable no-till farming.
• Global Vineyard ImportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImporter of appellation-based, family-owned, artisan wines from South America (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay).
• Maverick SelectionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorImporter of small, family-owned, boutique wineries including French wines from Rhône Valley, Burgundy, Loire, Alsace, Provence, and Languedoc.
• Colene Clemens VineyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily owned vineyard and winery in Oregon dedicated to estate grown Pinot Noir, with winemaker Stephen Goff recruited from Beaux Frères.
• Apaltagua (Chile)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChilean winery from Colchagua Valley producing Chardonnay, Carménère, Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Marichal (Uruguay)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWinery from Canelones, Uruguay producing Tannat wines including Premium Varietal, Reserve, and Grand Reserve.
• Epicurean WinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 2000 by Benjamin Hammerschlag, specializing in Australian wines including Shiraz, Grenache, Mencia, Fiano, and Nero D'Avola.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Polaner Selections: Independent fine wine importer and regional broker with a curated portfolio of family-owned and domaine estates, selling to restaurants and retailers via territory reps. Mirrors Hunter's artisanal, producer-focused approach and B2B brokerage structure.
• European Wine Group: Importer and broker of family-owned European estates serving the U.S. on-premise trade. Comparable in focus on boutique, terroir-driven producers and regional sales-rep model, though centered more narrowly on European imports versus Hunter's broader California portfolio.
• Skurnik Wines & Spirits: Family-owned fine wine importer and broker representing family-owned, estate-grown wineries to restaurants and independent retailers in select U.S. regions. Highly comparable to Hunter in model (commission-based sales representation), customer base (on-premise and indie retail), and emphasis on artisanal, terroir-driven producers.
• Martine Saunier Wine & Spirits Imports: Small California-based importer and broker specializing in French artisan wines for the U.S. on-premise and independent retail trade. Closely comparable to Hunter's Maverick Selections sub-portfolio and overall boutique-broker model.
• Vias Imports: Independent importer and broker of Italian family-owned wines serving U.S. restaurants and independent retailers. Directly analogous in structure to one of Hunter's import sub-portfolios (e.g., Global Vineyard Imports or Maverick Selections), with similar customer and producer profile.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: Largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor with nationwide coverage, broad portfolio, and significant technology and logistics infrastructure. Competes with Hunter for large on-premise and multi-unit retail accounts and represents the dominant incumbent against which small regional brokers differentiate.
• Republic National Distributing Company: Major national distributor of wine and spirits across multiple U.S. regions with broad supplier and customer portfolios. Represents a competitive threat to Hunter at the larger-account end of the Northern California market.
• Young's Market Company (now part of RNDC/SAW): Long-established wine and spirits distributor serving Western U.S. markets, including California. Historically a primary competitor to independent Northern California brokers, now consolidated under larger incumbents but still operates as a recognizable competitive set.

Regional players

• Wine Warehouse: California-based wine distributor serving restaurants and retailers across the state with a broad portfolio of domestic and imported producers. A relevant regional competitor operating at slightly larger scale than Hunter.
• Kermode Lynch Wine Merchants: Boutique Northern California wine merchant and importer focused on fine, grower-producer wines for restaurants and collectors. Comparable curation philosophy and regional Northern California footprint, with additional retail/collectible-bottle side.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hunterwinemarketing
• Instagraminstagram.com/hunterwinemarketing/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hunterwinemarketing

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 Hunter Wine Marketing