Stillwater Creek

What Stillwater Creek does

Stillwater Creek is a 235-acre family-owned vineyard located on the Royal Slope of the Frenchman Hills within Washington State's Columbia Valley. The vineyard sits at an average elevation of 1,300 feet on steep, south-facing slopes with fractured basalt soils, a mesoclimate formally recognized when the Royal Slope was designated as Washington's 15th AVA in September 2020. Stillwater Creek was first planted by the Alberg family in 2000, after the site was purchased in 1968 and validated through historical weather data collection in the late 1990s.

The vineyard's core product is premium wine grapes, produced across more than a dozen varietals in an 80% red / 20% white mix, with a distinctive clonal portfolio of 17 different clones across four principal varieties — including seven Cabernet Sauvignon clones and four Syrah clones drawn from both Entav and Rauschedo selections. Viticultural practices emphasize precision canopy management: cordon pruning with two-bud spurs, directional shoot positioning for sunlight and sunburn protection, and twice-seasonal cordon suckering and shoot selection. The operation became the first Columbia Valley vineyard certified Salmon Safe by Stewardship Partners in March 2007.

The business model is B2B grape sales to wineries. Approximately one-third of production is offtaken by Novelty Hill, a winery co-founded in 2000 by Tom Alberg and Judi Beck with winemaker Mike Januik, while the remaining two-thirds is sold directly to other top Washington State wineries including Matthews Cellars, L'Ecole 41, and Pondera Winery. Pricing is privately negotiated and undisclosed. The vineyard is operated by a lean team of approximately 8 employees, with leadership transitioning from Tom Alberg to his daughter Katherine Anderson as managing director in 2022.

Name

Stillwater Creek

Legal name

Stillwater Creek Vineyard

Website

https://stillwatercreekvineyard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stillwater Creek is a 235-acre family-owned vineyard on Washington's Royal Slope AVA that produces premium wine grapes from 17 clonal selections, selling roughly one-third to affiliated Novelty Hill winery and two-thirds to top Washington State wineries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Grape Production

NAICS

Grape Vineyards (111332)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Grape Growing & Canopy Management (In-Season Vineyard Operations) (AFAGAJAB), Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

Keywords

• Premium wine grapes
• Columbia Valley vineyard
• Clonal selection
• Viticulture services
• Sustainable farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grape Sales to Wineries: The primary revenue stream is selling premium wine grapes to wineries. Approximately one-third of grapes are used by Novelty Hill (co-founded by the Alberg family), while the remaining two-thirds are sold to other top vintners in Washington State. The vineyard sells to various wineries including Matthews Cellars, L'Ecole 41, and Pondera Winery.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Stillwater Creek Vineyard grows and sells premium vinifera wine grapes to Washington State wineries, offering an 80% red / 20% white portfolio across Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, and other varietals. The vineyard plants 17 different clones across four principal varieties, with approximately one-third of production supplying Novelty Hill winery and two-thirds sold to other top Washington vintners.

Product overview

Stillwater Creek Vineyard operates as a grape-growing operation that sells premium vinifera wine grapes to wineries. The vineyard grows a diverse portfolio of wine grape varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. The vineyard is dedicated to innovative clonal selection with 17 different clones across four principal varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay), representing a mix of 80% red and 20% white grapes. One-third of the vineyard's grapes are used for estate wines at Novelty Hill winery, while the remaining two-thirds are sold to other top vintners in Washington State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Premium Wine Grapes (Vinifera Varietals) Stillwater Creek grows and sells premium vinifera wine grapes including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, Malbec, Sangiovese, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc to Washington State wineries. Approximately one-third of grapes are used by Novelty Hill winery and two-thirds are sold to other top Washington vintners.
• Vineyard Consulting (Mike Januik) Consulting service on plant selection and vineyard design provided by award-winning winemaker Mike Januik, which informed the vineyard's innovative clonal selection of 17 different clones across four principal varieties.

Quantifiable outcome

• Small berry size in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot resulting in great color, flavor and complexity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Novelty HillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000The same year planting commenced at Stillwater Creek (2000), Tom Alberg and Judi Beck founded Novelty Hill winery. Under acclaimed winemaker Mike Januik, Novelty Hill focuses on estate-grown wines using grapes from Stillwater Creek. Approximately one-third of the vineyard's grapes are used by Novelty Hill.
• Matthews CellarsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMatthews Cellars purchases grapes from Stillwater Creek, including Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc for their wines. First grapes of 2013 season were picked for Matthews Cellars on September 11, 2013.
• L'Ecole 41minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorL'Ecole 41 purchased grapes from Stillwater Creek to produce their 2014 Stillwater Creek Semillon (290 cases). Described as a crisp, aromatic gem with Pink Lady apple, lanolin, passion fruit, lemon and tropical fruit notes.
• Pondera WineryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPondera Winery purchased grapes from Stillwater Creek to produce their 2012 Stillwater Creek Reserve Malbec (90 pts. Wine Enthusiast). Shows classic Washington Malbec profile.
• Stewardship PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn March 2007, Stillwater Creek was the first Columbia Valley vineyard certified Salmon Safe by Stewardship Partners for environmental practices that help protect water quality and habitat for fish and wildlife, particularly native Northwest salmon.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stillwater-creek

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Stillwater Creek