What Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard does

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard is a boutique estate winery and tasting-room destination in Keswick, Virginia, operating on a 413-acre historic farm in the Monticello American Viticultural Area. The estate maintains 12 acres under vine and produces a handcrafted portfolio of estate-grown red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon including the Calaboose block, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Red Blend), white wines (Viognier, Chardonnay Reserve, Petit Manseng, White Blend), and rosé produced via the French 'Sanguine' bleeding method, with French oak aging across the range. The Tasting Room at Merrie Mill, a 5,000-square-foot maximalist space designed by Kemble Interiors with copper bars and panoramic terraces overlooking the Southwest Mountains, opened in May 2021 and serves as the company's primary commercial and brand expression.

The business operates a fully direct-to-consumer model with five revenue streams: (i) bottled wine sales at the tasting room and via a Shopify-style e-commerce shop shipping to Virginia and DC only ($30–$58 per bottle); (ii) a three-tier Wine Club subscription (3, 6, or 12 bottles quarterly) at 15–20% member discounts with complimentary tasting benefits; (iii) paid tasting room experiences including standard flights, $60/person guided tastings, $1,250/group vineyard safaris, and $185/person horse-riding adventures via partner Indian Summer Guide Service; (iv) full wedding, corporate, and special-occasion venue rental anchored by the 12-foot Vine Terrace and indoor/outdoor spaces up to 50+ guests; and (v) food and accommodation revenue via the on-site Feast food program, artisan dessert partners, and The Clementine Cottage two-bedroom guesthouse. Pricing is publicly disclosed across all SKUs and experiences.

The company is privately held as Merrie Mill Farm LLC, owned and operated by the Pelly family (founders Guy and Elizabeth Pelly, with family members Willow, Clementine, and Maple). It is supported by a small leadership team including General Manager Christopher Gleed and Event & Wedding Manager Katie Faz. Distribution is concentrated in Virginia and DC, and there is no external venture capital or parent-company ownership identified. Operating geography is intentionally narrow — wine shipping is limited to Virginia and DC — which both concentrates the brand in its home market and caps the addressable consumer base relative to national DTC wine competitors.

Name

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard

Legal name

Merrie Mill Farm LLC

Website

https://merriemillfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard is a boutique estate winery and tasting-room destination in Keswick, Virginia, producing handcrafted Monticello AVA wines from 12 acres of estate vines and selling direct-to-consumer via a tasting room, three-tier Wine Club, e-commerce shop (Virginia/DC only), weddings and private events, and on-site guesthouse accommodations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Winery & Tasting Room

NAICS

Wineries (31213), Grape Vineyards (111332)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Estate wine production
• Wine tasting experiences
• Wedding venue hosting
• Wine club subscription
• Boutique winery hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Keswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales (Direct-to-Consumer): Estate wines sold by the bottle or glass at tasting room and online. Red wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Red Blend. White wines include Viognier, Chardonnay Reserve, Petit Manseng, White Blend. Rose wines. Price range $30-$58 per bottle.
2. Wine Club Subscription: Quarterly customizable wine bundles (3, 6, or 12 bottles) delivered or picked up. Members receive discounts (15-20% off), complimentary tastings, early event access, and venue benefits.
3. Tasting Room Experiences: Paid experiences including standard tastings, Guided Tastings ($60/person with cheese/charcuterie), Vineyard Safaris ($1,250 group), and Horse Riding experiences ($185/person + wine tasting).
4. Food Service: Charcuterie, cheese boards, pizzas, salads, soups, paninis, and desserts from sister brand Feast, plus artisan cakes from Cake Bloom and Nightingale.
5. Wedding & Event Venue Rental: Private events, weddings, corporate events, and special occasions. Full venue hire available. Vine Terrace and various indoor/outdoor spaces for groups up to 50+.
6. Accommodations: The Clementine Cottage guesthouse rental on property. 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, kitchen, private garden and terrace with vineyard views. Available on Airbnb.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard is a boutique estate winery in Keswick, Virginia that grows wine grapes on a 12-acre vineyard within the Monticello AVA and produces handcrafted wines aged in French oak. The company operates an on-site tasting room, an online store, a quarterly Wine Club with three membership tiers, a wedding and private-event venue, and on-site accommodation at the Clementine Cottage.

Product overview

Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard is a boutique winery and tasting room destination in Keswick, Virginia, offering estate-grown wines and hospitality experiences. The core product portfolio includes red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Red Blends), white wines (Viognier, Chardonnay Reserve, Petit Manseng, White Blend), and rosé wines. The winery operates a Wine Club with three membership tiers (3, 6, and 12 bottles) offering quarterly customizable bundles with increasing discount levels. Hospitality offerings include the main tasting room experience, guided tastings, vineyard safari experiences, horse riding adventures, and event venues for weddings and special occasions. Accommodation is available at The Clementine Cottage, a 2-bedroom vacation rental on the property. The company also offers gift cards and seasonal workshop events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (Calaboose) Estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon from the Calaboose vineyard block, barrel-aged 16 months in French oak, sold by the bottle or glass to individual consumers at the tasting room and online.
• Estate Cabernet Franc Estate-grown Cabernet Franc sold by the bottle or glass to consumers, with delicate aromatics and fresh clean fruit built to age.
• Estate Merlot Estate Merlot aged 9 months in French oak, featuring black cherry, blackberry, plum, and cocoa notes, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Estate Red Blend Estate red blend expressing fresh red cherry and soft rich tannin aromatics with leather notes, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Estate Rosé Estate rosé made through the Sanguine method from Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with bright fruit aromas, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Estate Viognier 100% estate Viognier with peaches, honeysuckle, and ginger aromatics and stone-fruit palate, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Estate Rock Tree Chardonnay Reserve Reserve Chardonnay from the Rock Tree vineyard block, sold by the bottle or glass at the tasting room and online.
• Estate Petit Manseng Estate Petit Manseng (80%) blended with Viognier (20%) featuring tropical fruits, white flowers, fresh almond, and honeysuckle, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Estate White Blend Estate white blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Petit Manseng with candied lime, pear drop, hibiscus flower, and apricot aromas, sold by the bottle or glass.
• Wine Club – 3 Bottle Membership Quarterly customizable 3-bottle wine bundle with 15% discount on wine purchases, complimentary wine for member and guest at tastings, and early access to events; delivered or picked up at the tasting room.
• Wine Club – 6 Bottle Membership Quarterly customizable 6-bottle wine bundle with 18% discount on wine purchases, additional 5% case discount, and enhanced member benefits at the tasting room.
• Wine Club – 12 Bottle Membership Quarterly customizable 12-bottle wine bundle with 20% discount on wine purchases, additional 5% case discount, complimentary tastings for member and guest, and priority access to events and venue spaces.
• The Tasting Room Experience A 5,000-square-foot tasting room offering sommelier-curated wine flights and food pairings in a maximalist, design-forward setting overlooking the vineyard.
• Guided Tasting Experience Intimate guided tasting of the complete wine catalog, including reserves and previous vintages, paired with a cheese and charcuterie board at $60 per person, offered Friday through Sunday.
• Wine Tasting & Vineyard Safari Guided vineyard tour in a vintage Land Rover followed by a guided tasting of 8 wines and a picnic with charcuterie boards at $1,250 for up to 10 guests.
• Horse Riding & Lunch in the Vines 1.5-hour guided trail ride through the vineyard and historic farm followed by wine tasting and picnic, in partnership with Indian Summer Guide Service, at $185 per person for riding plus group tasting/lunch fees.
• The Clementine Cottage A 2-bedroom, 1.5-bathroom vacation cottage with kitchen, sitting room, laundry, and private garden terrace overlooking the vineyard, available for overnight stays including room service from the tasting room.
• Wedding Venue Services Full-service wedding hosting at the vineyard including the indoor tasting room, outdoor terraces, and lawn spaces with panoramic vineyard and Southwest Mountain views.
• Special Occasion Event Hosting Private event hosting for birthdays, bachelorette parties, baby showers and similar celebrations using the Vine Terrace, lawn cabanas, and full venue hire options for groups up to 50+ guests.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards issued in denominations from $20 to $500, emailed to recipients and redeemable in the tasting room and online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Discounts of 15-20% off all wine purchases for Wine Club members
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indian Summer Guide ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorse riding experiences through the 413-acre farm and 12-acre vineyard. Guests saddle up at the tasting room and enjoy 1.5-hour guided rides through streams, woods, and hills before arriving at safari-style tent for wine tasting and picnic. Seasonal outdoor experience up to 10 guests.
• Blooms4GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFloral bouquet making workshops using Merrie Mill wine bottles as vases and Blooms4Good locally grown flowers. Charity events supporting SARA (Sexual Assault Resource Agency) and International Neighbors in Charlottesville. Mother's Day Bouquet Workshop, Summer Bouquet Making Workshop.
• Hand the LightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCandle making and goat's milk soap making workshops hosted at Merrie Mill Farm. Seasonal workshops with botanical and holiday-inspired themes. Brings artisan crafts to the vineyard setting.
• FeastcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister brand providing food offerings at the tasting room. Offers locally-made soups, spreads, paninis, and other tasty products that pair with Merrie Mill wines.
• Cake Bloom of Charlottesville & Nightingale of RichmondminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArtisan cake and ice cream sandwich providers for dessert offerings at the tasting room, complementing the wine and food experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Barboursville Vineyards: One of Virginia's most established wineries (Orange County, near Monticello AVA) with estate wines, on-site tasting room, restaurant, and event hosting — a larger but directly comparable regional peer.
• Early Mountain Vineyards: Madison County, VA winery in the Monticello AVA focused on estate wines and a hospitality-driven tasting room, with strong local brand recognition — directly comparable as a Virginia boutique estate winery.
• Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards: Monticello AVA boutique winery and event venue in North Garden, VA, with a comparable model combining estate wines, a design-forward tasting room, and a major weddings/private-events business — Merrie Mill's closest comparable in scale, style, and go-to-market.
• Veritas Vineyard & Winery: Virginia estate winery producing estate-grown wines and operating a tasting room with weddings and events in the Monticello AVA area — comparable boutique estate-winery business model.
• Jefferson Vineyards: Charlottesville-area Monticello AVA winery producing estate wines with a tasting room and small events program — closely overlaps Merrie Mill's terroir, varietal mix, and DTC focus.
• Honah Lee Vineyards: Small Virginia boutique winery where Merrie Mill's Event Manager Katie Faz previously worked — comparable in scale, DTC focus, and Virginia event-driven tasting room model.
• Stinson Vineyards: White Hall, VA boutique estate winery in the Monticello AVA with a tasting room and limited event programming — comparable in scale and DTC orientation.
• King Family Vineyards: Crozet, VA estate winery in the Monticello AVA with on-site tasting experiences, event hosting, and wine club — a near-direct regional peer to Merrie Mill in geography, customer base, and DTC model.
• Blenheim Vineyards: Charlottesville-based Monticello AVA winery owned by a notable founder, focused on estate-grown wines and visitor hospitality — comparable in DTC emphasis and brand-led positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Trump Winery: Largest winery in Virginia, located in the Monticello AVA near Charlottesville, with estate wines, broad distribution, and significant tasting-room/event capacity — a larger established player in the same terroir competing for similar DTC and event customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/merriemillfarmandvineyard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/merrie-mill-farm-vineyard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard