Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant

Name

Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant

Legal name

Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ) Limited

Website

https://witherhills.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Winery & Premium Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

Keywords

• Marlborough winery
• Wine tastings
• Vineyard weddings
• Cellar door hospitality
• Organic viticulture

Headquarters

HQ city

Blenheim

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer wine sales through e-commerce website and cellar door. Products sold in single bottles or cases (6 bottles) with minimum order of 6 bottles for online orders. Includes Core Range, Single Vineyard, Early Light, and Cellar Collection tiers.
2. Restaurant & Dining: On-site restaurant serving lunch (11:30am-3pm) seven days a week and dinner (from 5pm) on Fridays and Saturdays. Offers sharing menu, seasonal a la carte, kids menu, and dessert menu.
3. Events & Functions: Venue hire for weddings, private functions, corporate events, meetings, conferences, and cocktail parties. Multiple venue spaces available including Barrel Hall, Tasting Room, Pavilion, Courtyard, and Lounge.
4. Wine Tasting Experiences: Paid tasting experiences including standard tastings ($16/person), Wine Flight ($16/person), private group tastings ($35pp + room hire), wine blending experiences ($75pp), and exclusive barrel hall tastings with winemaker ($189pp).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wither Hills produces and sells Marlborough wines across four tiers (Core Range, Single Vineyard, Early Light, Cellar Collection) from estate vineyards in Marlborough and Hawke's Bay. The business operates a physical cellar door and restaurant in Blenheim offering lunch service, hosted and private wine tastings, and venue hire for weddings, corporate functions, and private events. Wine is sold direct-to-consumer via a Shopify-powered online store and on-site cellar door.

Product overview

Wither Hills is a Marlborough, New Zealand winery founded in 1994, operated as a division of Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ) Limited. The product portfolio consists of four distinct wine ranges (Core Range, Single Vineyard, Early Light, and Cellar Collection) sold through an e-commerce platform, complemented by an on-site Restaurant & Cellar Door offering lunch service, wine tastings, and hospitality experiences including functions, weddings, and corporate events. The wine ranges progress from accessible everyday wines to premium single-vineyard selections and experimental boutique offerings, while the hospitality services provide direct consumer engagement through tastings, dining, and venue hire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Core Range: The Wairau Valley core range wines that capture the beauty of New Zealand, fruit forward with great balance and length.
• Single Vineyard
• Early Light
• Cellar Collection

Products and services

• Core Range (Wairau Valley) Entry-level Marlborough wine collection (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Pinot Noir Rosé, Riesling, Merlot, Syrah) available as single bottles or mixed cases; sold direct-to-consumer via cellar door and the Wither Hills online store.
• Single Vineyard Collection Premium wines (Taylor River Pinot Noir, Rarangi Sauvignon Blanc, Benmorven Organic Chardonnay, The Honourable Pinot Noir) showcasing terroir-specific vineyard character from the winery's coastal, riverside and hillside sites.
• Early Light Lower-alcohol Marlborough wine range (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir Rosé) at 9.5% alc/vol, designed for consumers seeking lighter but flavorful wines.
• Cellar Collection Boutique experimental wine range including Amphora Chardonnay, Block 13 Pinot Noir, Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, Frivoli Gewürztraminer, Gruner Veltliner, Stone Creek Pinot Gris, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Noble Riesling, Caudalie Rosé, Legado Port and 30th Anniversary bottlings.
• Restaurant & Cellar Door On-site Marlborough hospitality venue offering lunch service (sharing menu, seasonal à la carte, kids menu, dessert menu), wine tastings, and cellar door purchases overlooking the Wairau Valley.
• Wine Tasting Experiences Paid tasting experiences including hosted tastings ($16/person), Wine Flight tastings ($16/person), private group tastings in the Lounge or Barrel Hall ($35pp + hire fee), Wine Blending Experience ($75pp), and exclusive Barrel Hall Library Wines with the Winemaker ($189pp).
• Functions & Events Venue hire for corporate functions, meetings, conferences, cocktail parties and private dinners across multiple on-site spaces, with professional event management and optional group tastings.
• Weddings Wedding venue with sweeping views of the Richmond Ranges, Wither Hills and vineyards, offering barrel hall and outdoor terrace ceremonies, tasting room receptions, and professional event management.
• 30th Anniversary Legado Tawny Port Limited-release 30th anniversary fortified wine from the Cellar Collection, produced via traditional Port winemaking methods including foot stomping.
• 30th Anniversary Methode Traditionnelle Vintage 2018 Limited-release 30th anniversary sparkling wine from the Cellar Collection, made via Methode Traditionnelle.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rated 88 points by Cameron Douglas MS (Hawke's Bay Syrah), 89 points (Hawke's Bay Merlot)
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Brand HomeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2023Partner providing the Wine Blending Experience at Wither Hills winery. Guests participate in understanding winemaking and viticulture, then blend their own Pinot Noir under guidance.
• Lochmara LodgeminorOthers · 27 February 2023Marlborough Sounds accommodation partner featured in promotional prize packages. Winner receives 2 nights accommodation plus activities including water taxis, paddleboards, kayaks.
• Free-2-Travel Holidays Pty LtdminorOthers · 27 February 2023Travel agency partner responsible for booking travel arrangements including flights, accommodation, and transfers for promotional prize winners.
• Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ) LimitedcoreOthersWither Hills is a trading division of Lion – Beer, Spirits & Wine (NZ) Limited. Lion is the parent company providing corporate structure, resources, and B Corp certification framework for Wither Hills operations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allan Scott Family Winemakers: Marlborough winery with on-site restaurant and cellar door experience. Closely comparable business model combining winery, hospitality, and events in Marlborough, similar in scale to Wither Hills.
• Hunter's Wines (Jane Hunter): Established Marlborough winery producing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Comparable in heritage (founded 1982), DTC focus, and export presence, with strong cellar door tourism operations in Marlborough.
• Villa Maria Estate: One of New Zealand's most awarded wineries with strong Marlborough presence and on-site cellar door and restaurant operations. Directly comparable in premium NZ wine positioning, DTC cellar door + restaurant model, and breadth of varietals.
• Cloudy Bay Vineyards: Iconic Marlborough, NZ winery founded in 1985, owned by LVMH. Directly comparable to Wither Hills in geographic location (Marlborough), product category (premium Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay), DTC approach, and cellar door tourism positioning, but with significantly larger global distribution and parent backing.
• Brancott Estate: Major Marlborough-based wine brand owned by Accolade Wines. Produces Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay from Marlborough grapes, with global distribution. Direct competitor in the same region with similar tier structure and DTC focus.
• Saint Clair Family Estate: Family-owned Marlborough winery producing Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay. Directly comparable in scale, region, and DTC cellar door model, with similar focus on single-vineyard expressions and premium positioning.
• Dog Point Vineyard: Boutique Marlborough winery focused on biodynamic and organic viticulture. Comparable to Wither Hills on single-vineyard expressions, organic credentials, and cellar door experience, though smaller and more premium-positioned.
• Yealands Family Wines: Marlborough winery with strong sustainability credentials (carbon zero certified). Direct competitor in Marlborough DTC space with overlapping sustainability positioning similar to Wither Hills' B Corp and Carbon Zero credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Treasury Wine Estates: Global wine major (Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Beringer). Broader incumbent with NZ wine interests and far larger distribution. Relevant because Treasury's portfolio strategy and NZ market positioning directly affects competitive dynamics for Marlborough DTC brands like Wither Hills.
• Pernod Ricard Winemakers: Global beverage giant with NZ wine portfolio including Montana (now Brancott) and others. Comparable as a large parent-company wine owner operating NZ wine brands, similar to Lion's ownership of Wither Hills.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WitherHills
• Instagraminstagram.com/witherhills
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wither-hills-cellar-door-&-restaurant

Compliance4 records

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 Wither Hills Cellar Door & Restaurant