The Robins Cellars
The Robins Cellars is a family-owned Virginia wine wholesaler founded in 1990 that distributes over 1,000 SKUs from 150+ brands to on- and off-premise accounts statewide, combining a Richmond-based temperature-controlled warehouse, five-day-a-week delivery, and regional sales specialists with self-imports through parent E.C. Robins International.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersRichmond, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Robins Cellars does
The Robins Cellars is a privately held, Virginia-focused wine wholesaler founded in 1990 by E. Claiborne Robins Jr. The company purchases wine from producers and distributes it to restaurants, wine shops, and retail accounts across the Commonwealth of Virginia, while also importing wine through its parent entity E.C. Robins International, Inc. Operations center on a single temperature-controlled 23,000-square-foot warehouse in Richmond, with a delivery fleet covering the entire state five days a week and a team of regional sales specialists organized by territory (Northern Virginia, Central Virginia, Tidewater, Southwest Virginia).
The portfolio spans more than 1,000 SKUs across 150+ brands, weighted toward premium and luxury categories, and includes direct-import labels from Germany (Weingut Breit), France (A.R. Lenoble Champagne, Les Vins Robin Bordeaux, Seguin-Manuel Burgundy), Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Australia. Account discovery and inventory browsing are enabled through the SevenFifty online platform, which functions as a self-serve search and filter tool layered atop the company's traditional field-sales motion.
The business model is wholesale wine distribution with transaction-fee economics: revenue is generated by purchasing wine from producers (domestic and self-imported) and reselling it to on-premise and off-premise accounts, with pricing handled bilaterally through sales representatives rather than published list prices. The Robins Cellars operates without institutional investment, has no subsidiaries of its own, and is part of the Robins family ecosystem associated with the Richmond-based Robins Foundation.
The Robins Cellars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Robins Cellars
- Legal name
- E. C. Robins International, Inc.
- Website
- https://therobinscellars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Robins Cellars is a family-owned Virginia wine wholesaler founded in 1990 that distributes over 1,000 SKUs from 150+ brands to on- and off-premise accounts statewide, combining a Richmond-based temperature-controlled warehouse, five-day-a-week delivery, and regional sales specialists with self-imports through parent E.C. Robins International.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Robins Cellars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wine Distribution
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bar, Restaurant & On-Premise Beverage Supply Wholesale (AFAIAGAI)
Keywords
Where The Robins Cellars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Richmond
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Robins Cellars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wine Distribution: Wholesale wine distribution to establishments throughout Virginia. They purchase wines from producers and distribute to restaurants, wine shops, and retail accounts. They also import wines through their parent company E.C. Robins International, Inc.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
The Robins Cellars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Robins Cellars is a Virginia-focused wholesale wine distributor that selects, imports, stores, and delivers wines from international and domestic producers to licensed on- and off-premise accounts (restaurants, wine shops, retail accounts, hospitality establishments) throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The company distributes over 1,000 products from 150+ brands through a temperature-controlled 23,000 square foot warehouse in Richmond, with five-day-a-week statewide delivery and dedicated wine specialist account management, supplemented by a proprietary import line via parent entity E. C. Robins International, Inc.
Product overview
The Robins Cellars is a wine distribution company operating as a single unified service offering wine distribution and importing services. The company distributes over 1,000 products from more than 150 different wine brands and producers globally, utilizing its temperature-controlled 23,000 square foot warehouse in Richmond, Virginia. Their core service is wine distribution to establishments throughout Virginia, with a portfolio encompassing imports through E. C. Robins International from major wine regions including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and the United States. The company offers personalized service through dedicated wine specialists and delivers wines five days a week across the entire Commonwealth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- E. C. Robins International, Inc. Import division for wines sourced from prestigious wine growing regions worldwide including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, and other countries.
Products and services
- Wine Distribution Services
Companies that use The Robins Cellars
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Robins Cellars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Robins Cellars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- E. C. Robins International, Inc.coreParent company through which The Robins Cellars imports wines from prestigious wine growing regions around the world. Through this parent company, they represent wines 'Imported by E. C. Robins International, Inc., Richmond, VA.' This relationship enables their wine import operations spanning over 30 years.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Robins Cellars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vias Imports: Independently operated Italian wine importer and U.S. distributor. Comparable to Robins Cellars as a smaller, specialist-driven importer-distributor emphasizing portfolio depth and dedicated regional sales coverage.
- Wilson Daniels: Family-owned importer and marketer of fine wines from iconic regions. Direct peer to Robins Cellars in terms of family ownership, premium/luxury portfolio focus, and specialist-driven U.S. distribution model.
- Kobrand Corporation: Family-owned U.S. importer and marketer of fine wines and spirits. Overlaps with Robins Cellars on the premium wine import and distribution side and shares a similar multi-generation family-owned operating model.
- Winebow: Independently operated fine wine importer and distributor with regional warehouses across the U.S. Highly comparable to Robins Cellars in being a wine-focused specialty distributor emphasizing premium imports, regional sales specialists, and relationship-driven service.
- Skurnik Wines: Independent fine wine importer and distributor focused on family-owned and boutique producers. Mirrors Robins Cellars' small-distributor, specialist-driven model with direct producer relationships and premium portfolio positioning.
- Polaner Selections: Family-owned importer and distributor of fine wines from Europe and the Southern Hemisphere. Closely comparable to Robins Cellars as a multi-generational, family-run wine specialist emphasizing premium imports and education-driven sales.
- Frederick Wildman & Sons: Long-established (since 1930) family-owned importer and distributor of premium European wines. Comparable to Robins Cellars in longevity, family ownership, direct producer relationships, and premium/luxury portfolio focus.
Broad incumbents
- Republic National Distributing Company: Second-largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor, operating across multiple states including Virginia. Overlaps directly with Robins Cellars on wine distribution to restaurants and retailers but at much greater scale and portfolio breadth.
- Breakthru Beverage Group: Multi-state wine, spirits, and beer distributor with Virginia operations. Competes with Robins Cellars for on-premise accounts but offers a far broader beverage portfolio including beer and spirits.
- Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: Largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor operating across all 50 states including Virginia. Comparable in serving on- and off-premise accounts with broad portfolios, but at vastly larger scale with multi-state route density.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Robins Cellars social profiles
Digital presenceThe Robins Cellars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Robins Cellars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
The Robins Cellars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Robins Cellars 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 The Robins Cellars
What does The Robins Cellars do?
The Robins Cellars is a Virginia-focused wholesale wine distributor that selects, imports, stores, and delivers wines from international and domestic producers to licensed on- and off-premise accounts (restaurants, wine shops, retail accounts, hospitality establishments) throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. The company distributes over 1,000 products from 150+ brands through a temperature-controlled 23,000 square foot warehouse in Richmond, with five-day-a-week statewide delivery and dedicated wine specialist account management, supplemented by a proprietary import line via parent entity E. C. Robins International, Inc.
Is The Robins Cellars a public or private company?
The Robins Cellars is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Robins Cellars founded?
The Robins Cellars was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Robins Cellars based?
The Robins Cellars is headquartered in Richmond, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Robins Cellars make money?
One revenue line is on record: wine Distribution.
Who are The Robins Cellars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vias Imports, Wilson Daniels, Kobrand Corporation, Winebow, Skurnik Wines, Polaner Selections and Frederick Wildman & Sons. Broad incumbents are Republic National Distributing Company, Breakthru Beverage Group and Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits.
Does The Robins Cellars have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Robins Cellars.
What industry is The Robins Cellars in?
The Robins Cellars's product category is Wine Distribution. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAIAA, Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution, with a secondary code of AFAIAGAI, Bar, Restaurant & On-Premise Beverage Supply Wholesale. Its NAICS code is 4248 and its SIC code is 5180.