Tertulia Cellars
Tertulia Cellars is a privately held estate winery founded in 2005 in Walla Walla, Washington, producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietals from three estate vineyards and selling through three tasting rooms, two wine clubs, online, and wholesale across WA, OR, ID, and NY.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersWalla Walla, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tertulia Cellars does
Tertulia Cellars is a privately held estate winery founded in 2005 in Walla Walla, Washington, producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietal wines from three estate vineyards: Whistling Hills (the original vineyard surrounding the winery), Riviere Galets (12 acres planted in 2009 in The Rocks District), and Elevation (15 acres planted in 2013 at 1500-1700ft). Winemaking integrates old-world techniques — including extended maceration of up to three weeks post-fermentation for soft tannins — with modern cellar equipment, and the operation practices sustainable viticulture (cover crops, mechanical weeding, drip irrigation, lavender for beneficial insects). The portfolio spans single varietals (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Grenache, Marsanne, Viognier) and Rhône-style blends (GSM, The Great SchisM, C.C. Blend), with a Redd Brand second label at more accessible price points.
The business operates across three revenue channels: direct-to-consumer through three company-owned tasting rooms in Walla Walla (WA), Dundee (OR), and Woodinville (WA) plus an online shop; recurring revenue through two wine clubs (Circle of Friends with quarterly shipments and 10-20% member discounts, Tierra Labrada with annual reserve releases from Elevation Vineyard); and wholesale distribution to over 50 restaurants and specialty retailers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and New York. Strategic GTM partnerships with Hampton Inn & Suites in Walla Walla and Woodinville embed the tasting room experience with hospitality and tourism, and a Phinny Hill Vineyard partnership in Horse Heaven Hills secures Bordeaux and Carménère grape supply.
The company is founder/management-owned, led by Managing Partner Jim O'Connell and Head Winemaker Ryan Raber, with no disclosed venture capital, private equity, or institutional ownership. Customer segments target wine enthusiasts and collectors seeking distinctive estate wines, wine country tourists across the Walla Walla, Dundee, and Woodinville regions, and Pacific Northwest restaurants and retailers seeking terroir-differentiated selections. Competitive differentiation rests on three-vineyard estate sourcing, sustained award performance (11 wines scoring 90-95 points in a single year, multiple Double Gold medals at SF Chronicle and Seattle Wine Awards), and a tiered membership ecosystem with library-wine exclusivity.
Tertulia Cellars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tertulia Cellars
- Legal name
- Tertulia Cellars
- Website
- https://tertuliacellars.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tertulia Cellars is a privately held estate winery founded in 2005 in Walla Walla, Washington, producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietals from three estate vineyards and selling through three tasting rooms, two wine clubs, online, and wholesale across WA, OR, ID, and NY.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tertulia Cellars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Estate Winery
- NAICS
- Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Vineyard Establishment & Development (Site Prep, Trellising, Planting) (AFAGAJAA), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)
Keywords
Where Tertulia Cellars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walla Walla
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Tertulia Cellars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales: Sales through three company-owned tasting rooms and online shop. Tasting room fees and wine purchases by visitors and wine club members visiting locations in Walla Walla, Dundee, and Woodinville.
- Wine Club Memberships: Two wine clubs (Circle of Friends and Tierra Labrada) with quarterly shipments. Circle of Friends offers 10-20% discount on all purchases. Tierra Labrada is an annual reserve club. Members receive complimentary tastings, tech sheets, priority access to limited releases, and exclusive library wines.
- Wholesale Distribution: Distribution of wines to restaurants, wine bars, retailers, and specialty food stores throughout Washington and Oregon states.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Circle of Friends Wine Club - Quarterly shipments with 10-20% member discount |
| Subscription | Annual | Tierra Labrada Reserve Wine Club - Annual release with premium allocation |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Wine Bottles - Retail pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Tertulia Cellars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tertulia Cellars is a privately held estate winery producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietal wines from three estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley (Whistling Hills, Riviere Galets, Elevation). The winery sells wines through three company-owned tasting rooms in Walla Walla (WA), Dundee (OR), and Woodinville (WA), a direct-to-consumer online shop, two wine club subscription programs (Circle of Friends quarterly, Tierra Labrada annual), and wholesale distribution to restaurants and wine retailers across Washington and Oregon.
Product overview
Tertulia Cellars is an estate winery producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietal wines from its three estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. The core product portfolio includes single-varietal wines (Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Grenache, Marsanne) and Rhône-style blends (GSM, The Great SchisM, C.C. Blend), supplemented by two wine club programs—Circle of Friends offering quarterly shipments of diverse wines, and Tierra Labrada providing annual releases from the Elevation vineyard. A second label called Redd Brand offers more accessible pricing. All wines are available through the winery's three tasting rooms in Walla Walla, Dundee, and Woodinville, plus online sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Redd Brand: Second label wines by Tertulia Cellars, available at local restaurants and retailers.
Products and services
- Viognier White Rhône-style wine from Whistling Hills Estate Vineyard, barrel fermented and sur lie aged, featuring floral aromatics with stone fruit notes.
- Tempranillo Rosé Rosé wine from Riviere Galets Estate Vineyard with crisp acidity and fruit-forward character.
- Syrah Red wine from estate vineyards showcasing dark fruit notes, spice, and lingering tannins characteristic of Walla Walla Valley.
- Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux-style red wine sourced from Phinny Hill Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills AVA, featuring dark fruit and structured tannins.
- Carménère Distinctive red wine from Horse Heaven Hills with bold fruit notes and trademark peppery finish.
- GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre) Rhône-style blend from Riviere Galets Estate Vineyard combining Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
- Marsanne Rhône-style white wine from Elevation estate vineyard, featuring bright fruit notes and creamy mouthfeel.
- Grenache Red Rhône varietal from Riviere Galets with bright jammy fruit and rustic character, best served slightly chilled.
- C.C. Blend Light, delicate, fruit-forward Rhône blend combining Cinsault and Counoise varietals.
- The Great SchisM Near-GSM blend from Riviere Galets vineyard, rich with dark fruit and bracing minerality from Mourvèdre content.
- Reserve Syrah Premium Syrah from Riviere Galets and Whistling Hills estate vineyards, combining fruit from two sources with Viognier co-fermentation.
- Tempranillo Grand Reserve Grand reserve style Tempranillo from Whistling Hills receiving 36 months barrel time in heavy toast American oak.
- Circle of Friends Wine Club Signature wine club shipping quarterly with 10-20% discount on purchases, complimentary tastings, new release tech sheets, priority access to limited releases and library wines. Members can select 3, 6, or 12 bottle allocations.
- Tierra Labrada (Reserve Wine Club) Reserve wine club released annually featuring wines from Elevation Vineyard, with members selecting three, six, or twelve bottles from available varietals.
- Redd Brand (Second Label) Second label featuring more approachable wines including Grenache, Syrah, and Late Harvest Semillon at accessible price points, available at local restaurants and retailers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 11 wines scored between 90-95 points in one year
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Tertulia Cellars
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tertulia Cellars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Tertulia Cellars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Hampton Inn WoodinvillecorePartner hotel located in Woodinville wine country, 30 minutes from Seattle. Offers priority rates to Tertulia wine club members. Hotel houses Tertulia's Woodinville tasting room on property.
- Hampton Inn Walla WallacorePartner hotel offering 10% discount to Tertulia Cellars wine club members. Complimentary wine tasting for guests Friday 4-6pm. Priority hotel rates for wine club members.
- Phinny Hill VineyardcorePartner vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills providing grapes for Carménère and Bordeaux varietals. Located on sun-drenched hilltop with gravel soils, excellent air drainage, and longest growing season. Known for finesse and structure imparted to wines.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tertulia Cellars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leonetti Cellar: Iconic Walla Walla estate winery producing premium Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Bordeaux blends with strong critic scores. Directly comparable for Walla Walla terroir focus, premium pricing, and wholesale/collector demand.
- Cayuse Vineyards: Boutique Walla Walla estate winery focused on Rhône varietals from The Rocks District, with extremely limited production and cult-status allocation model. Comparable for terroir-driven Rhône positioning and small-batch premium pricing.
- Domaine Serene: Premium Willamette Valley (Oregon) estate winery focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with multiple tasting rooms and a wine club. Comparable for estate-vineyard DTC model and Oregon presence, particularly to Tertulia's Dundee tasting room.
- Stoller Family Estate: Single-vineyard Dundee Hills winery with on-site tasting room, hospitality focus, and estate-grown wines. Comparable as an Oregon estate winery with strong DTC experience design and tourism integration.
- Woodward Canyon Winery: Walla Walla Valley estate winery with long history (founded 1981), estate vineyards, Bordeaux-leaning portfolio, and a Walla Walla tasting room. Comparable for Pacific Northwest estate positioning and Bordeaux varietal focus.
- Willamette Valley Vineyards: Oregon-based publicly traded estate winery with multiple estate vineyards, a tasting room, wine club, and wholesale distribution. Comparable in estate-vineyard + tasting room + wine club structure, though more Pinot Noir-focused than Tertulia's Rhône/Bordeaux mix.
- L'Ecole No 41: Estate Walla Walla Valley winery founded in 1983, also Rhône- and Bordeaux-focused, with estate vineyards, a Walla Walla tasting room, and national wholesale distribution. Closest comparable in geography, varietal focus, and DTC-plus-wholesale model.
- Penner-Ash Wine Cellars: Willamette Valley estate winery with a Yamhill-Carlton tasting room, Rhône and Pinot Noir portfolio, and reputation-driven wholesale. Comparable for boutique Oregon estate model with tasting room plus regional wholesale.
Broad incumbents
- Château Ste. Michelle: Washington State's largest and most established winery with broad national distribution, multiple tasting rooms, and a wide varietal range including Rhône and Bordeaux. Comparable as a Washington State winery serving wholesale and DTC, but at vastly larger scale and portfolio breadth.
- A to Z Wineworks: Oregon producer with broad varietal coverage, national wholesale distribution, and tasting room presence. Comparable as an Oregon winery serving multiple sales channels, though operating at significantly larger scale than Tertulia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Tertulia Cellars social profiles
Digital presenceTertulia Cellars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tertulia Cellars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Tertulia Cellars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tertulia 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 Tertulia Cellars
What does Tertulia Cellars do?
Tertulia Cellars is a privately held estate winery producing terroir-driven Rhône and Bordeaux varietal wines from three estate vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley (Whistling Hills, Riviere Galets, Elevation). The winery sells wines through three company-owned tasting rooms in Walla Walla (WA), Dundee (OR), and Woodinville (WA), a direct-to-consumer online shop, two wine club subscription programs (Circle of Friends quarterly, Tierra Labrada annual), and wholesale distribution to restaurants and wine retailers across Washington and Oregon.
Is Tertulia Cellars a public or private company?
Tertulia Cellars is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Tertulia Cellars founded?
Tertulia Cellars was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tertulia Cellars based?
Tertulia Cellars is headquartered in Walla Walla, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tertulia Cellars make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales are the primary driver. The others are wine Club Memberships and wholesale Distribution.
Who are Tertulia Cellars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leonetti Cellar, Cayuse Vineyards, Domaine Serene, Stoller Family Estate, Woodward Canyon Winery, Willamette Valley Vineyards, L'Ecole No 41 and Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Broad incumbents are Château Ste. Michelle and A to Z Wineworks.
Does Tertulia Cellars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tertulia Cellars.
What industry is Tertulia Cellars in?
Tertulia Cellars's product category is Estate Winery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRADAIAB, Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands, with a secondary code of THAFALAE, Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms). Its NAICS code is 312130 and its SIC code is 5180.