Old World Wines
Old World Winery is a family-owned natural winery in Fulton, California, producing organic, biodynamic, native-yeast wines from 1890-planted estate vineyards. It sells exclusively direct-to-consumer via an appointment-based tasting room, the Backyard Friends wine club, and an Adopt-A-Vine program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersFulton, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Old World Wines does
Old World Winery is a small, family-owned natural winery located in Fulton, California, in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. Founded and operated by pastoral winemaker and proprietor Darek Trowbridge, the winery produces wines from organic, biodynamic, dry-farmed vineyards that include field blends dating to 1890, when Trowbridge's great-grandfather Giuseppe Martinelli planted the original vines on the estate. The property incorporates reclaimed redwood buildings and a 100-year-old brick working-farm site, and the operation runs on a minimal-intervention philosophy using native-yeast fermentation, hand harvesting, and low sulfur additions.
The winery's product portfolio centers on natural wines priced at $25-$40 per bottle, including rare offerings such as 100% Abouriou from the only 4 acres of this Basque varietal in the New World, plus field blends from 120-year-old vineyard blocks. Revenue is generated through three direct-to-consumer channels: an appointment-based estate tasting room open Thursday through Saturday, the Backyard Friends wine club (a bi-annual subscription with tiers at $275, $525, and $790), and direct website or phone orders. The Adopt-A-Vine program offers symbolic vine adoptions at $125-$175, adding a community-supported-agriculture revenue layer.
The business is privately held with approximately 5 employees, no institutional investors, and no third-party retail distribution. The go-to-market is community-led, leveraging wine-club subscriptions, documentary appearances (Living Wine), and social-media channels to reach natural-wine consumers. Revenue mechanics are a mix of one-time bottle sales and recurring subscription and adoption fees, with all margin captured through the DTC estate channel.
Old World Wines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Old World Wines
- Legal name
- Old World Winery
- Website
- https://oldworldwinery.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Old World Winery is a family-owned natural winery in Fulton, California, producing organic, biodynamic, native-yeast wines from 1890-planted estate vineyards. It sells exclusively direct-to-consumer via an appointment-based tasting room, the Backyard Friends wine club, and an Adopt-A-Vine program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Old World Wines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural Winery
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Organic Vineyard & Wine Grape Farming (AFAGAKAI), Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Old World Wines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fulton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Old World Wines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of natural wines through the website, tasting room, and wine club. Wines range from $25-$40 per bottle. Orders placed via phone or email.
- Wine Club Subscriptions (Backyard Friends): BiAnnual Community Supported Natural Wine subscription program with three tiers: 6 bottles/year ($275), 12 bottles/year ($540), 24 bottles/year ($790). Includes discounts ranging from 10-20% on wine purchases and complimentary tastings.
- Adopt-A-Vine Program: One-time $125-$175 contribution for vine adoption with personalized custom plant tags, supporting regenerative agriculture and offering symbolic vineyard participation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Level 1: 24 bottles/year with 20% discount |
| Subscription | Annual | Level 2: 12 bottles/year with 15% discount |
| Subscription | Annual | Level 3: 6 bottles/year with 10% discount |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Wine Bottles |
| Subscription | Annual | Adopt-A-Vine Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Old World Wines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Old World Winery is a small, family-owned natural winery in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, producing chemical-free wines from organic, biodynamic, dry-farmed vineyards. The portfolio includes varietal wines and field blends from 120-year-old head-trained bush vines, with bottles priced $25-$40 sold direct-to-consumer via the estate tasting room, website/phone orders, and a biannual Wine Club subscription.
Product overview
Old World Winery is a small, family-owned natural winery in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, producing wines from organic, biodynamic, dry-farmed vineyards. The core product portfolio includes diverse wine offerings (wines ranging from $25-$40) including varietal wines (Syrah, Abouriou-based wines) and field blends from 120-year-old vines. The winery operates a wine subscription service called Backyard Friends (BiAnnual Community Supported Natural Wine Subscription) offering tiered memberships from 6 to 24 bottles annually. Supporting products include the Adopt-A-Vine Program for regenerative agriculture support, the Living Wine documentary film, and winery visit/tasting experiences. The winery emphasizes natural winemaking using native yeast, minimal sulfur additions, and century-old techniques without chemical additives.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Estate Wine Portfolio A collection of natural wines produced at the Fulton, California estate from organic, biodynamic, dry-farmed vineyards. Includes varietal wines (Syrah, Abouriou-based wines, Merlot blends) and historic field blends from 120-year-old vines, hand-harvested and made with native yeast fermentation and minimal sulfur. Sold direct-to-consumer via phone (707-490-6696), email ([email protected]), or in the estate tasting room.
- Backyard Friends Wine Club
Companies that use Old World Wines
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Old World Wines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Old World Wines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Old World Wines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Folk Machine: Small California natural-wine label with a comparable low-intervention ethos, varied varietal portfolio, and DTC/wine-club focused go-to-market serving a natural-wine enthusiast segment.
- Stirm Wine Company: Santa Cruz Mountains-based small natural winery focused on minimal-intervention wines from cool-climate sites, with a similar DTC-driven business model and limited-production craft approach.
- Arnot-Roberts: Small Healdsburg producer of site-driven, low-intervention wines from Northern California vineyards with a parallel focus on transparency, minimal additives, and direct customer relationships.
- Birichino: Small Santa Cruz-based producer of classically inspired, low-intervention wines with comparable emphasis on heritage vineyards, restrained winemaking, and direct-to-consumer allocation.
- Ruth Lewandowski Wines: Small low-intervention winery producing natural wines from organically farmed vineyards in California and Utah with a parallel minimalist, terroir-focused philosophy and DTC distribution.
- Donkey & Goat Winery: Berkeley natural winery focused on low-intervention wines from organically farmed Northern California vineyards, with a similar direct-to-consumer ethos, Rhône-influenced varietals, and small-production ethos.
- Matthiasson Wines: Napa-based small family winery known for balanced, low-intervention wines from organically and sustainably farmed vineyards, sharing a similar craft-scale DTC philosophy and natural-farming commitment.
- Broc Cellars: Berkeley-based small natural winery producing minimal-intervention wines from organic and biodynamic vineyards in California, with comparable DTC and wine club model and similar grape varietal experimentation.
- Jolie-Laide Wines: Sonoma-based small producer of natural, minimal-intervention wines with a comparable focus on unique varietals, low-SO2 winemaking, and a DTC-led sales model serving a natural-wine enthusiast audience.
Broad incumbents
- Martinelli Winery: Established Sonoma County producer (with roots tied to the same Martinelli family) operating at a much larger scale; relevant given overlapping Russian River Valley heritage and family lineage referenced in Old World's history.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Old World Wines social profiles
Digital presenceOld World Wines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Old World Wines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Old World Wines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Old World Wines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Old World Wines
What does Old World Wines do?
Old World Winery is a small, family-owned natural winery in the Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, producing chemical-free wines from organic, biodynamic, dry-farmed vineyards. The portfolio includes varietal wines and field blends from 120-year-old head-trained bush vines, with bottles priced $25-$40 sold direct-to-consumer via the estate tasting room, website/phone orders, and a biannual Wine Club subscription.
Is Old World Wines a public or private company?
Old World Wines is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Old World Wines founded?
Old World Wines was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Old World Wines based?
Old World Wines is headquartered in Fulton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Old World Wines make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Subscriptions (Backyard Friends) and adopt-A-Vine Program.
Who are Old World Wines's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Folk Machine, Stirm Wine Company, Arnot-Roberts, Birichino, Ruth Lewandowski Wines, Donkey & Goat Winery, Matthiasson Wines, Broc Cellars and Jolie-Laide Wines. Martinelli Winery is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Old World Wines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Old World Wines.
What industry is Old World Wines in?
Old World Wines's product category is Natural Winery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAFAAAB, Wine Production & Winemaking, with a secondary code of AFAGAKAI, Organic Vineyard & Wine Grape Farming. Its NAICS code is 312130.