Bottles Nation

What Bottles Nation does

Bottles Nation is a Detroit, Michigan-based tasting experience company that delivers sommelier-, cicerone-, and mixologist-led wine, craft beer, whiskey, cocktail, and mocktail tasting events in both virtual and in-person formats. Founded in 2018 by Michael Bottigliero (President and Lead Sommelier, WSET Advanced certified, 20+ years Chicago hospitality background, formerly Franciacorta Chicago Brand Ambassador) and Blagica Bottigliero (digital-marketing veteran from Leo Burnett, Orbitz, NBC Chicago, Motorola, and Target), the company claims to be the first virtual tasting company to launch in the market and has executed thousands of events ranging from 8-person executive dinners to 500-person corporate conferences since 2020. The firm operates as a privately held Michigan LLC with no disclosed external funding and 1-10 employees.

The product portfolio spans Virtual Wine, Virtual Craft Beer, Virtual Whiskey & Spirits, Virtual Mixology/Cocktail, and Virtual Mocktail tastings, plus in-person experiences in the Detroit and Chicago metro areas. Bottles Nation does not operate proprietary technology; virtual events are delivered through third-party video platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex), payments are processed via Stripe, and tasting kits are fulfilled via third-party shipping under complex state-by-state alcohol-shipping regulations (with restrictions in states such as AL, DE, KY, MS, MT, UT, and others). Pricing is a two-part structure: a flat event fee ($350 virtual, $375+ in-person) for planning, logistics, and the 60-90 minute guided session, plus a per-participant kit fee ranging from $89 (beer/spirits classic) to $165 (mixology) and $105-$200 (wine, with premium tiers at $150 and $200). Premium add-ons include glassware rental, charcuterie boards, dessert pairings, and themed customizations such as blind tasting competitions and trivia.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid GTM: B2B corporate direct sales for Fortune 500 companies, professional services firms, and tech teams (team building, client entertainment, executive dinners, corporate holiday parties), complemented by direct-to-consumer booking for private celebrations (bachelorette parties, birthdays, bridal showers, fundraisers). Distribution is fully direct — website contact forms, email ([email protected]), and phone (313-306-5741) — with no reseller, marketplace, or self-serve e-commerce. The company maintains a strict operational independence stance: no exclusive winery, distributor, or pre-packaged sampler relationships, with all beverages purchasable at local retailers post-event. Recognition includes Trip Savvy (Best Group Virtual Wine Tasting), The Spruce Eats (Most Customizable Virtual Wine Tasting), Business Insider, USA Today, Authority Magazine, and a Steve Harvey Show appearance.

Name

Bottles Nation

Legal name

Bottles Nation, LLC

Website

https://bottlesnation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bottles Nation provides sommelier- and mixologist-led virtual and in-person wine, beer, spirits, cocktail, and mocktail tasting events for corporate team building and private celebrations, headquartered in Detroit with in-person operations in Chicago and nationwide reach via shipped kits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tasting Experience Services

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spirits Distillery Tours & Tastings (Whiskey, Rum, Gin, Vodka) (THAJAGAF)

Keywords

• Virtual wine tastings
• Sommelier-led experiences
• Corporate tasting events
• Private cocktail tastings
• In-home tasting events

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Flat Event Fee: A flat fee covers event planning, coordination, ordering logistics, and the guided 1-hour tasting led by a certified expert. Virtual events: $350 flat fee. In-person events: Starting at $375, pending location and team member availability.
2. Per-Participant Tasting Kits: Separate per-person fees for tasting goods (wine, beer, spirits, cocktails) that are shipped to participants or used at in-person events. Wine at $105, Beer at $89, Spirits at $89+, Mixology at $165, Mocktails at $140 per participant.
3. Premium/Add-on Services: Higher tier wine selections ($150 or $200 for 4-pack), glassware rental, charcuterie boards, and dessert/chocolate add-ons available for additional fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bottles Nation designs and delivers sommelier- and mixologist-led tasting experiences for groups, covering wine, craft beer, cocktails, whiskey/spirits, and mocktails. The company runs virtual tastings nationwide via video conferencing and in-person tastings in the Detroit and Chicago metro areas, sold as both corporate team-building/client-entertainment events and private celebrations (bachelorette parties, birthdays, anniversaries, friend gatherings).

Product overview

Bottles Nation is a tasting experience company offering sommelier-led wine, craft beer, cocktail, whiskey, and mocktail tastings through two delivery formats: Virtual Events (shipped nationwide with video-guided sessions) and In-Person Events (Detroit metro and Chicagoland areas). The core product portfolio includes Virtual Wine Tasting, Virtual Craft Beer Tasting, Virtual Cocktail & Mixology Experience, Virtual Whiskey & Spirits Tasting, Virtual Mocktail Tasting, Corporate Wine Tasting Events, Bachelorette Wine Tasting Parties, and In-Home Wine Tasting experiences in Detroit and Chicago. All tastings are led by certified sommeliers, cicerones, and mixologists, with pricing structured as a flat event fee ($350 virtual, $375+ in-person) plus per-participant tasting kit costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual Wine Tasting

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of events delivered from 8-person intimate gatherings to 200+ person corporate conferences

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• City Winery: City Winery operates wine-themed entertainment venues offering live music, dining, and curated wine tastings in multiple US cities; it competes with Bottles Nation's in-person experience arm in the experiential wine-entertainment category.

Broad incumbents

• Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants: Cooper's Hawk is a large-scale winery-and-restaurant chain offering in-house wine tastings, wine club memberships, and corporate events; it competes with Bottles Nation on the in-person premium tasting experience side while operating at much greater scale.
• Total Wine & More: Total Wine is the largest US specialty retailer of beer, wine, and spirits and offers in-store tasting classes, corporate events, and private tasting sessions; it competes for the same corporate team-building and private celebration dollars at significantly larger scale.
• Wine.com: Wine.com is the largest US online wine retailer and has expanded into virtual tastings and curated event experiences; it competes for the same direct-to-consumer tasting customer with deeper inventory and national shipping infrastructure.
• Winc: Winc is a digitally-native wine club that ships curated bottles and has hosted virtual tasting content; it competes with Bottles Nation for the same DTC wine-drinker segment via subscription rather than event format.

Direct peers

• In Good Taste: In Good Taste is the most direct competitor, offering sommelier-led virtual wine tastings shipped nationwide with curated bottles and live guided sessions; it overlaps with Bottles Nation on virtual format, target audience, and pricing model.

Others

• VinePair: VinePair is a major wine media brand that has run virtual tasting events, newsletters, and educational content; it competes adjacent to Bottles Nation in the wine-experience and education category and has the audience scale to launch its own tasting offerings.

Emerging players

• Bright Cellars: Bright Cellars is a wine subscription service that uses a quiz-driven recommendation engine and has experimented with virtual tastings; it competes for the same millennial/Gen-X wine consumer but with a packaged-product model rather than experience-led delivery.
• Airbnb Online Experiences: Airbnb's Online Experiences hosts thousands of virtual experiences including wine, cocktail, and mixology tastings led by hosts worldwide; it overlaps with Bottles Nation on virtual sommelier-led formats and competes for the same remote-team and celebration use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/bottlesnation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bottles-nation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bottles Nation