Sobelvin

What Sobelvin does

Sobelvin is a family-owned wine, champagne, and spirits merchant (négoce) founded in 1970 in Angleur (Liège), Belgium, and managed by the Kaesmacher family. The company operates a 300m² climate-controlled showroom stocking 500+ wine references plus a spirits and fine food assortment, and runs an e-commerce platform built on FlexoCMS with secure payment processing via Ingenico/Ogone supporting Belgian payment methods (Bancontact, Visa, Mastercard, ING Home Pay, Belfius, KBC). It also operates a dedicated B2B portal ('Espace Pro') for HoReCa professionals with personalized pricing, consultation, tasting, and wine list development services.

The business operates a hybrid distribution model: physical boutique retail, nationwide Belgian delivery with regional routing, and a dedicated HoReCa professional channel. Revenue is generated across six streams: direct-to-consumer wine and spirit sales, B2B/HoReCa professional supply, fine food and gift box sales, ASBL/charitable wine sales, corporate gift solutions, and paid educational workshops (€55/person) led by an in-house oenologist. Marketing combines content (Bordeaux primeur reviews, vintage reports), events, email newsletter, and standard digital advertising (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram remarketing, Hotjar).

Sobelvin serves four primary customer segments: individual wine enthusiasts purchasing via boutique or e-commerce; HoReCa professionals (restaurants, hotels, caterers, cafés, event organizers) supplied through Espace Pro; fine food retailers and corporate gift buyers; and ASBL/non-profit organizations supported via fundraising wine sales. Distribution is single-country domestic across Belgium, with sourcing relationships spanning Bordeaux châteaux (direct primeur purchases), Burgundy estates, Languedoc, Austria, and Spain.

Name

Sobelvin

Legal name

SA SOBELVIN

Website

https://sobelvin.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sobelvin is a family-owned Belgian wine, champagne, and spirits merchant founded in 1970 in Angleur, serving individual consumers, HoReCa professionals, corporate gift buyers, and ASBL organizations across Belgium via showroom retail, e-commerce, and a dedicated professional portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine & Spirits Retail

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (44532)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Retail (Bottle Shops & Wine Merchants) (CRANABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF), Alcohol Gift, Basket & Specialty Packaging Retail (CRANABAG), Spirits Retail & Whiskey Shops (Off-Premise) (CRANAAAD)

Keywords

• Wine merchant
• Spirits distribution
• Fine grocery retail
• HoReCa supply
• Corporate wine gifting

Headquarters

HQ city

Angleur

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Wine & Spirit Sales: Core revenue from direct-to-consumer sales of wines (red, white, rosé), champagnes, sparkling wines, and spirits (gin, whisky, rum, other spirits). Transactional retail model with per-bottle pricing ranging from approximately €8 to €500+ for premium wines. Free delivery within Belgium for orders exceeding €150 HTVA.
2. B2B/HoReCa Professional Supply: Supply to hospitality professionals including restaurants, hotels, caterers, and event organizers. Features dedicated account management, consultation services, wine list development, and tasting sessions. Orders placed through dedicated 'Espace Pro' professional portal.
3. Fine Food & Delicatessen Products: Sale of fine food products (épicerie fine) including specialty foods, juices, beverages, and 'Made in Belgium' regional products. Gift boxes combining wines with gourmet selections also available.
4. ASBL Wine Sales: Charitable wine sales organized in support of non-profit associations (ASBL). Sobelvin facilitates wine purchasing where proceeds benefit registered associations, typically through pre-arranged selection and order forms.
5. Gift Vouchers & Corporate Gifts: Sale of gift vouchers ('chèques cadeaux') and corporate gift solutions. Wide range of gift boxes and gourmet baskets for all occasions and budgets, including B2B corporate gifting.
6. Educational Workshops: Revenue from paid tasting workshops and food-wine pairing events. Sessions priced at €55 per person, typically running 2.5 hours with educational content and guided tastings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sobelvin is a family-owned wine, champagne, and spirits merchant (négoce) that distributes over 500 wine references plus spirits and fine grocery products. The company sells directly to consumers through a 300m² showroom and e-commerce platform, supplies hospitality professionals (restaurants, hotels, caterers) via a dedicated Espace Pro portal, offers corporate gift boxes and gift vouchers, runs paid tasting workshops, and facilitates wine sales for non-profit ASBL organizations across Belgium.

Product overview

Sobelvin is a family-owned wine and spirits merchant operating since 1970 in Wallonia, Belgium. The business offers a comprehensive portfolio centered around four core product categories: Vins & Bulles (wines and sparkling wines including reds, whites, rosés, and Champagne), Spiritueux (spirits including gin, whisky, rum), Épicerie fine (fine grocery with artisan products and Made in Belgium selections), and La Sélection (curated featured wines). Supporting services include Box à vin (wine subscription), gift boxes, HoReCa professional services (Espace Pro), ASBL fundraising sales, and tasting workshops. The company operates a 300m² showroom with over 500 wine references, serving both individual enthusiasts and professional clients (restaurants, hotels, caterers) across Belgium.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vins & Bulles (Wines & Sparkling Wines) Wine and sparkling wine catalog featuring over 500 references including red wines, white wines, rosés, and Champagne/mousseux from French and international producers. Sold to both individual consumers (retail) and HoReCa professionals (wholesale), with bottle prices ranging from approximately €8 to €500+.
• Spiritueux (Spirits) Spirits range covering gin, whisky, rum, and other spirit categories, offered to enthusiasts and collectors through the boutique and e-commerce platform.
• Épicerie fine (Fine Grocery) Fine grocery range including specialty foods, juices, beverages, and Made in Belgium regional products, often combined with wines into gift boxes for personal or corporate gifting.
• La Sélection (Curated Featured Wines) Curated featured wine selection hand-picked by Sobelvin's specialists, showcasing top recommendations across regions and grape varieties on the homepage and dedicated catalog page.
• Box à vin (Wine Subscription Box) Subscription box service delivering curated wines to customers on a recurring basis, allowing discovery of selected wines without individually choosing each bottle.
• Coffrets vins & bulles (Gift Boxes) Curated gift boxes and gourmet baskets combining wines, sparkling wines, and fine food items, available for personal gifting and corporate occasions across a range of budgets.
• Espace Pro (HoReCa Professional Services) Dedicated B2B service portal for hospitality professionals (restaurants, caterers, cafés, hotels, fine food shops, event organizers) providing personalized pricing, product catalogs, order management, consultation, tastings, and wine list development support.
• Ventes au profit d'ASBL (Charity Wine Sales) Wine sales program organized in support of registered non-profit associations (ASBL) in Belgium, allowing supporters to purchase wines where proceeds benefit causes such as Indian Children Rescue (ICR) supporting South Indian children.
• Ateliers de dégustation (Tasting Workshops) Paid wine tasting workshops led by Sobelvin's oenologist, including blind tasting sessions and food & wine pairing workshops, priced at €55 per person and typically lasting around 2.5 hours, open to enthusiasts and professionals.
• Chèques cadeaux (Gift Vouchers) and Corporate Gifts Sale of gift vouchers (chèques cadeaux) and corporate gift solutions including a wide range of gift boxes and gourmet baskets for personal and corporate occasions, available to individuals and businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving customers in Belgium weekly across all regions (Liège Mon/Wed/Fri, Brussels Wed, Namur Wed, Ardennes Thu)

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bordeaux Wine Producers (Châteaux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSobelvin maintains year-round collaboration with Bordeaux wine producers (Châteaux) for direct primeur purchases at 'prix de sortie' (release prices). They participate in Bordeaux primeur campaigns, purchasing directly from the négociant Bordelais and offering clients early access to new vintages. This relationship enables competitive pricing and access to limited allocations.
• Domaine Jaeger-DefaixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-run Burgundy estate in Rully, Côte Chalonnaise. Hélène Jaeger Defaix explicitly chose Sobelvin for Liège distribution due to shared family business values and human scale: 'Notre domaine, comme Sobelvin, est une structure familiale à taille humaine.'
• Domaine Ollier TailleferminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily estate in Languedoc's Faugères appellation, managed in Organic Agriculture. Partnership spanning 15+ years, with 6th generation winemaker Florent recently joining. Quote: 'Il est très content de continuer la belle collaboration qui existe entre Sobelvin et le Domaine Ollier Taillefer depuis plus de 15 ans!'.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nicolas: Largest specialist wine retailer in France with physical stores and online sales of curated wines and spirits. Closely comparable to Sobelvin in assortment breadth, premium positioning and omnichannel (store + e-commerce) model, though at much greater scale and primarily French geography.
• Wine in Time: Belgian online wine merchant offering curated wines with delivery across Belgium. Directly comparable to Sobelvin on Belgian geography, online B2C focus, and curated wine assortment — though with a pure-play e-commerce model versus Sobelvin's hybrid store + digital approach.
• Ventealapropriete.com: French online wine retailer selling directly from producers to consumers with a broad catalogue. Comparable to Sobelvin on direct producer sourcing and DTC wine delivery model, though lacking the physical boutique and HoReCa professional services.
• Lavinia: Premium wine retailer with flagship stores across Europe and a strong e-commerce wine platform. Comparable to Sobelvin in focus on premium and fine wines, in-store specialist guidance, and educational tasting events, but at significantly larger and international scale.
• Vinatis: Major French/Belgian online wine and spirits retailer offering 10,000+ references with delivery across Europe. Comparable to Sobelvin on wine-and-spirits e-commerce and broad reference portfolio, though competing primarily on price and scale rather than specialist guidance.

Broad incumbents

• Carrefour Belgium: Large Belgian hypermarket and supermarket chain selling a broad range of wines, champagnes and spirits in-store and online. Overlaps with Sobelvin on gifting, wine retail and HoReCa supply at lower price tiers, but lacks specialist curation and education services.
• Albert Heijn Belgium: Dutch supermarket chain operating in Belgium with a curated wine, champagne and spirits range in-store and online. Overlaps with Sobelvin on premium and gift-assortment positioning, but competes from a mass-market grocery platform rather than specialist advisory model.
• Grands Chais de France: Leading French wine and spirits producer and merchant wholesaler. Comparable to Sobelvin on négociant model and broad wine/spirits portfolio, but operating at significantly larger scale across global markets rather than a single regional Belgian retail footprint.
• Intermarché: Large French/European retailer with strong wine and spirits assortment, including private-label vintages and producer partnerships. Comparable to Sobelvin on producer-direct sourcing philosophy, though at mass-market scale across multiple countries.
• Delhaize Belgium: Major Belgian supermarket chain with extensive wine and spirits assortment across physical stores and online. Competes with Sobelvin on convenience, price and breadth for everyday wines and gifting occasions, but does not provide specialist advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sobelvin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sobelvin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Sobelvin