Living Roots Wine & Co.

What Living Roots Wine & Co. does

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a privately-held, founder-owned intercontinental winery founded in 2016 by Sebastian and Colleen Hardy, operating under Living Roots, LLC in New York. The company produces wine in two hemispheres — Finger Lakes, New York (focus on Riesling, traditional method sparkling, Pinot Gris, and emerging French-American hybrids) and Adelaide Hills, South Australia (focus on Shiraz, Grenache, and Mediterranean varieties) — by splitting vintages between the two regions to conduct two harvests per year. Production stands at approximately 5,000 cases per country annually, up from ~1,500 cases each in 2016, with grapes primarily sourced from family-owned Shale Creek Vineyard (Finger Lakes) and K1 Vineyard (Adelaide Hills). The portfolio is organized into three sub-brands: Established (classic Australian varietals), Underground (experimental hybrids, Mediterranean varieties, and Pét-Nats), and Session (lower-alcohol 7–10% ABV wines).

The business is overwhelmingly direct-to-consumer, with no disclosed wholesale or institutional revenue. Distribution runs through three tasting room/cellar door locations (Rochester urban winery opened 2017, Adelaide Hills cellar door opened 2021, Finger Lakes winery opened 2023), e-commerce shipping to 43 US states and across Australia, and a two-tier wine club (Curated 4 at 15% discount, Custom 12 at 20% discount) with 12-month minimum commitments and tri-annual releases. Bottle pricing spans roughly $26 to $50+, with Australian labels priced at $40–$50 USD post-import. Pricing strategy reflects premium positioning anchored on minimal-input, wild-ferment winemaking and a six-generation Hardy winemaking heritage (Thomas Hardy, 1850s South Australia).

The company has received media recognition in Wine Enthusiast (94-point Editors' Choice for 2019 Bone-Dry Riesling), Wine Spectator, Forbes, Decanter, Wine & Spirits, and Gourmet Traveller Wine, and was named Best New Winery by Halliday Wine Companion and Glam Adelaide in 2022. Operations remain lean at approximately 11 employees, with each regional site effectively run by one winemaker. There are no external funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors disclosed; ownership and control remain entirely with the founders.

Name

Living Roots Wine & Co.

Legal name

Living Roots, LLC

Website

https://livingrootswine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a founder-owned intercontinental winery founded in 2016, producing approximately 10,000 cases annually across Finger Lakes, NY and Adelaide Hills, Australia, and selling direct-to-consumer through three tasting rooms, US/Australia e-commerce, and a two-tier wine club.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery / Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban Wineries (No/Minimal Vineyard) (THAFALAF), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Artisanal wine production
• Intercontinental winery
• Wine club subscriptions
• Tasting room experiences
• Natural wine making

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer wine sales through e-commerce, tasting rooms, and distribution to US states and Australia. Includes wines from both Finger Lakes and Adelaide Hills production.
2. Wine Club Subscriptions: Two membership models: Curated 4 (3x yearly releases, 15% discount, 4-packs with tasting vouchers) and Custom 12 (3x yearly releases, 20% discount, 12-packs customizable). Minimum one-year commitment required.
3. Tasting Room Experiences: On-site wine tastings, flights, and food service at three locations with reservation systems. Rochester offers food, Finger Lakes has food pop-ups, Adelaide Hills offers curated tastings by appointment.
4. Events: Wine dinners, classes, pop-ups, and special events at various venues including Rochester, Finger Lakes, and off-site locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a transcontinental boutique winery that produces, sells, and serves its own wines across two hemispheres — the Finger Lakes of New York (cool-climate sparklings, Riesling, Pinot Gris, hybrid reds) and the Adelaide Hills of South Australia (Shiraz, Grenache, Mediterranean reds). The company sells bottles through its own e-commerce stores, three tasting room venues, and recurring Curated 4 and Custom 12 wine club memberships.

Product overview

Living Roots Wine & Co. is a transcontinental winery producing wines in both the Finger Lakes region of New York and the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. Founded in 2016 by husband-and-wife team Sebastian Hardy (sixth-generation winemaker) and Colleen Hardy, the company operates an urban winery in Rochester, NY and sources grapes from family vineyards including Shale Creek Vineyard in the Finger Lakes and K1 Vineyard in Adelaide Hills. The portfolio includes three wine sub-brands: Established (classic Australian varietals), Underground (experimental/emerging varieties), and Session (lower-alcohol wines). The company offers two wine club membership tiers (Curated 4 and Custom 12), operates three tasting room locations, and produces approximately 5,000 cases per country annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Underground: Alternative and emerging varieties label featuring French-American hybrids in Finger Lakes and Mediterranean varieties in South Australia, and Pét-Nats across both regions.
• Session

Products and services

• Finger Lakes Wine Range Portfolio of wines made from cool-climate Finger Lakes grapes sourced primarily from the family's Shale Creek Vineyard overlooking Keuka Lake, sold direct-to-consumer through the US e-commerce store, tasting rooms, and wine clubs. The range targets wine enthusiasts seeking aromatic whites, traditional method sparklings, hybrid reds, and rosés with regional character.
• South Australia Wine Range Portfolio of wines made in McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills, sold direct-to-consumer through the Australian e-commerce store, Adelaide Hills cellar door, and Australian east coast distribution partners. Features vibrant reds, Mediterranean varietals, and white wines with minimal-input winemaking.
• Established Range Sub-brand of classic Australian varietal wines from South Australia, featuring established varieties like Shiraz and Chardonnay produced with regional expression and minimal inputs as an homage to the Hardy family legacy.
• Underground Range Experimental sub-brand featuring emerging and re-emerging varieties, including French-American hybrids in the Finger Lakes, heat-loving Mediterranean varieties in South Australia, and Pét-Nats (pétillant naturel) across both regions. Aimed at adventurous wine drinkers seeking alternative and orange-style wines.
• Session Range Lower-alcohol wines (7–10% ABV) made with natural techniques such as early picking and piquette production, positioned for warm-weather drinking and pairing with spicy foods. Includes session red, white session spritz, and easy-drinking styles.
• Curated 4 Wine Club Subscription wine club for consumers who want founders-curated seasonal selections of four wines per release at a 15% discount, with tasting vouchers and minimum 12-bottle annual commitment. Releases occur three times per year.
• Custom 12 Wine Club Subscription wine club for consumers who want to customize their 12-bottle selections from suggested wines including limited runs and pre-releases, at a 20% discount, with tasting vouchers and minimum 36-bottle annual commitment. Releases occur three times per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94 points Wine Enthusiast for 2019 Shale Creek Bone-Dry Riesling
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• LIDO / Chef Cullen (Work In Progress)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChef Cullen of Work In Progress takes over the Living Roots Finger Lakes kitchen during summer months, serving seafood dishes including oysters, crudo, tartare, and carpaccio. Partnership provides curated food offerings to complement wine tastings.
• Finger Lakes Boating MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint vintage cruise events aboard the Pat II boat at Depot Park in Hammondsport, combining wine tastings with Finger Lakes boating experiences.
• Rochester BraineryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for educational classes at the Rochester tasting room, including wine and painting events, bringing wine education to community learning programs.
• Various Adelaide Hills WineriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAussie wines are bottled at a commercial bottling hall used by many wineries in the Adelaide Hills area, suggesting cooperative production facilities sharing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Treasury Wine Estates: Global wine major owning Penfolds, 19 Crimes, and other labels. Represents the wholesale-distribution incumbent against which Living Roots' DTC-first, small-batch positioning competes.
• Penfolds: Treasure Wine Estates-owned Australian icon with broad Shiraz portfolio. Relevant as a benchmark for Australian red style and global distribution scale, but vastly larger and broader.

Direct peers

• City Winery: Urban winery chain operating restaurant-tasting room hybrids in multiple US cities. Closely mirrors Living Roots' Rochester urban winery model of bringing winemaking to the city consumer.
• Yangarra Estate Vineyard: McLaren Vale producer focused on Mediterranean and Rhone varieties with single-vineyard bottlings and organic viticulture. Parallels Living Roots' South Australian red portfolio and minimal-input philosophy.
• Henschke: Multi-generational Adelaide Hills/Eden Valley winery with premium positioning and a small-lot, single-vineyard approach. Comparable to Living Roots' family heritage and quality-driven portfolio.
• Forge Cellars: Dry Riesling-focused Finger Lakes producer with a minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy. Comparable in grape sourcing, single-vineyard approach, and DTC posture.
• Shaw + Smith: Adelaide Hills premium producer with a strong DTC and cellar door presence. Closely parallels Living Roots' Australian production model, regional focus, and family-winery scale.
• Wölffer Estate: East Coast US estate winery with a strong tasting room, wine club, and DTC e-commerce presence. Comparable as a small-to-mid premium winery with experiential hospitality.
• Dr. Konstantin Frank Winery: Historic Finger Lakes winery specializing in Riesling and traditional method sparklings. Direct match to Living Roots' cool-climate Finger Lakes portfolio and tasting room experience model.

Emerging players

• Goldschmidt Vineyards: Boutique producer with both New Zealand and California operations, reflecting a similar multi-region winemaking approach. Comparable in scale and dual-hemisphere ambition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/livingrootswine
• Instagraminstagram.com/livingrootswine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/living-roots-wine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Living Roots Wine & Co.