KALK&KEGEL

What KALK&KEGEL does

KALK&KEGEL is a German-language digital media brand focused on Austrian and DACH-region gastronomy, wine, and sommelier culture. Operated under the legal entity MPP MEDIEN GMBH and founded in 2018 with a team of 1–10 employees based in Graz, Austria, the company publishes a flagship online magazine covering winemakers, restaurants, sommeliers, and industry news; produces an annual SOMM.BOOK publication; runs a podcast; and operates a portfolio of live events including regional Bootcamps (Kamptal, Kremstal, Leithaberg), Boost Workshops (capped at 16 participants per session), the Klassentreffen reunion, the Sunday Afternoon Wine Club, and co-hosted festivals such as Unchain my Wine Festival.

The company's product surface spans editorial content, events, awards (VINEUS WINE AWARD, KALK&KEGEL Innovations Award), and a branded e-commerce shop selling magazines, collector's issues, books, apparel, and curated wine packages. The underlying technology is a conventional digital media stack — content management, e-commerce storefront, podcast distribution, and event management — with no disclosed AI/ML components or proprietary platform architecture.

KALK&KEGEL monetizes through a diversified mix of revenue streams: per-issue magazine sales (€27–35), annual subscriptions at €50/year, e-commerce merchandise and wine packages (€39–€197.50), event ticket sales and sponsorships, and advertising from a long tail of SMB partners spanning wine retail (Wein & Co, Trinkwerk, Schaumweinkontor), food service distribution (Transgourmet), and hospitality equipment (Gabriel Glas, Meiko, Naber). Its customer base is fragmented across consumer wine/food enthusiasts and SMB hospitality businesses, with core institutional partnerships anchored by Österreich Wein (Austrian Wine marketing body) and the Gaumen Hoch sustainability initiative.

Name

KALK&KEGEL

Legal name

MPP MEDIEN GMBH

Website

https://kalkundkegel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KALK&KEGEL is an Austrian digital media brand covering wine, gastronomy, and sommelier culture in the DACH region, monetizing through a magazine, podcast, events, awards, and a branded e-commerce shop serving wine enthusiasts, hospitality businesses, and wineries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine and Gastronomy Media

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF)

Keywords

• Wine and gastronomy media
• Hospitality industry media
• Sommelier industry publishing
• Food and wine events
• Wine education content

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Sales: Sale of printed KALK&KEGEL magazines including current issues and collector's editions (Rarität issues). Magazines sold individually with prices ranging from €27-35 per copy, with bulk purchasing options available.
2. Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions (K&K Jahres-Abos) for €50/year offering discounted access to magazine content and benefits.
3. E-commerce Store: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing (T-shirts, caps), limited edition items, and wine packages. SOMM.BOOK sold at €39.50-197.50. Wine packages like TundA at €99.
4. Events: Revenue from event tickets and attendance at K&K organized events including Bootcamps, Workshops, Klassentreffen, and wine festivals.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KALK&KEGEL publishes German-language editorial content and print publications covering gastronomy, wine, sommellerie, restaurants, and culinary culture, primarily for the Austrian and DACH markets. Its commercial offering includes individual and subscription magazine sales, the annual SOMM.BOOK publication, paid bootcamps, workshops, tastings, and events, plus branded merchandise and wine packages through its online shop.

Product overview

KALK&KEGEL is a German-language online magazine focused on gastronomy, wine, and sommellerie culture. The publication features a main digital magazine, an annual SOMM.BOOK publication, a podcast series, and hosts wine-related events (Bootcamps, Klassentreffen, Wine Club tastings). The company also operates an e-commerce shop selling magazines, merchandise, and wine packages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• K&K events: Event series organized by KALK&KEGEL including Bootcamps, Boost Workshops, Klassentreffen, and Sunday Afternoon Wine Club events.
• KALK&KEGEL Podcast
• KALK&KEGEL Shop
• VINEUS WINE AWARD
• KALK&KEGEL Innovations Award

Products and services

• KALK&KEGEL Magazin German-language magazine and editorial publication covering gastronomy, wine, sommellerie, restaurants, winemakers, and culinary culture for Austrian and German industry professionals and enthusiasts; current and collector issues are sold individually.
• SOMM.BOOK 2026 Annual sommelier publication featuring wine recommendations, sommelier insights, culinary content, and industry material for wine professionals and enthusiasts.
• K&K Events Ticketed wine and gastronomy event series that includes bootcamps, Boost Workshops, Klassentreffen, Sunday Afternoon Wine Club gatherings, portfolio tastings, and wine festivals for professionals and enthusiasts.
• RAUSCH Fashion Branded KALK&KEGEL clothing line offered to magazine readers and brand followers, including the RAUSCH T-shirt at €48.50 and the RAUSCH cap at €39.
• TundA Wine Package Curated wine package sold to wine consumers through the KALK&KEGEL shop at €99, shown reduced from €150.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wein & CominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWine retailer partner featuring KALK&KEGEL winemaker profiles and products; listed as advertising partner on the website
• TrinkwerkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeverage retailer partner; listed as advertising/sponsorship partner
• SchaumweinkontorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSparkling wine specialist partner; listed as advertising partner
• TransgourmetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood service distributor partner; listed as advertising partner
• Österreich WeincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Austrian Wine marketing body partner; co-promotes Austrian wine regions and winemakers through KALK&KEGEL platform
• MeikominorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional kitchen equipment manufacturer; advertising partner
• Gabriel GlasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine glass brand; advertising partner
• NaberminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCoffee equipment brand; advertising partner
• Gaumen Hoch InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability certification initiative for gastronomy. KALK&KEGEL is a founding media partner covering the initiative launched during COVID pandemic. Approximately 70 establishments on board at launch.
• Steirereck Wien & Steirereck am PoguschminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMichelin-starred restaurant group; founding supporters of Gaumen Hoch initiative featured in KALK&KEGEL coverage
• Tian RestaurantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVegetarian fine dining restaurant; supporter of Gaumen Hoch initiative
• Unchain my Wine FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual wine festival partnership; KALK&KEGEL co-hosts innovative wine festival in St. Pölten showing contemporary wine diversity

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Wein.plus: Digital wine platform focused on German-speaking wine markets. Comparable in addressing Austrian/DACH wine professionals with editorial content, community, and reviews, though more digitally native than KALK&KEGEL's print-led model.
• VinePair: Digital-first wine, food, and beverage media brand. Comparable as a digitally native wine media outlet with editorial content, events, and consumer engagement, though focused on U.S. market.

Direct peers

• Gault&Millau: Restaurant and wine guide active in Austria and DACH. Overlapping editorial coverage of Austrian restaurants, sommeliers, and winemakers, plus awards and events similar to K&K's VINEUS/Innovations Awards.
• Falstaff: Austria's leading wine, gastronomy and lifestyle magazine with digital platform, events, and awards. Directly comparable to KALK&KEGEL in editorial focus on Austrian/DACH wine culture, magazine + events model, and sommelier/wine awards.
• Weinwelt: German wine magazine and community platform. Directly comparable as a German-language wine publication serving enthusiasts and professionals, with magazine, digital content, and tasting events.
• Der Feinschmecker: German gourmet magazine covering fine dining, wine, and gastronomy. Closely comparable German-language editorial focus, magazine + digital + events model, and target audience of hospitality professionals and food enthusiasts.

Others

• Wein & Co: Austrian wine retailer and event organizer. Comparable as an Austrian DACH-focused wine commercial platform with retail, events, and editorial-style content, and a current KALK&KEGEL distribution partner.

Broad incumbents

• Decanter: Global wine media brand covering tastings, reviews, and industry news. Comparable as an editorial authority in wine culture and sommelier topics, though operating at a much broader international scale than KALK&KEGEL.
• Vinous Media: Wine review and media platform covering global wine regions including Austria. Comparable in editorial depth on Austrian and European wines and audience of wine professionals and enthusiasts.
• Wine Spectator: Established U.S. wine media brand with print magazine, digital content, and events. Comparable as a multi-format wine media platform serving enthusiasts and professionals, though at significantly larger scale and different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kalkundkegel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kalk-kegel
• Instagraminstagram.com/kalkundkegel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 KALK&KEGEL