What Lerner Project does

Lerner Project is a privately held Napa Valley winery founded in 2014 by proprietor Stu Lerner and winemaker Russell Bevan. The company produces ultra-premium, single-vineyard wines from prestigious Napa and Sonoma sources, including estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Armstrong Ranch on Diamond Mountain (Clone 6 planted 1983), Cabernet Sauvignon from Tench Vineyard in Oakville and Houyi Vineyard on Pritchard Hill, a Right Bank-style Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend from Sugarloaf Ranch, Chardonnay from Five Wells Vineyard, and Sauvignon Blanc from Moaveni Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain. The KA·SHER sub-brand extends the portfolio into supervised kosher Cabernet and Chardonnay. Production is conducted under Russell Bevan's direction using traditional Burgundian and Bordelais techniques, with select wines finished unfined and unfiltered.

The business operates an exclusively direct-to-consumer allocation model: wines are offered only to members of the company's mailing list at select times annually, with no retail or distributor presence. Customer acquisition combines the mailing list, SMS notifications (formally launched 2024), word-of-mouth driven by Bevan's Wine Advocate accolades (Wine Maker of the Year 2015, multiple 100-point Parker scores), and appointment-based tastings facilitated by Estate Director Dan Gaver. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Operations are supported from a Walnut Creek corporate mailing address, with production and vineyards located across Napa and Sonoma Counties in California. Distribution is strictly domestic; there is no international footprint.

The company is family-owned (Stu and Karen Lerner) with Russell Bevan as a minority/co-partner; no venture capital, private equity, or institutional investors are identified. Headcount is small and not disclosed. There are no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or M&A activity beyond the 2017 purchase of Armstrong Ranch from Tom and Jane Byrne. Revenue is not publicly reported.

Name

Lerner Project

Legal name

Lerner Project

Website

https://lernerproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (31213), Wineries (312130), Grape Vineyards (111332)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Alcohol Subscription & Wine Clubs (Retail) (CRANABAF)

Keywords

• Napa Valley wines
• Single-vineyard Cabernet
• Premium winery
• Wine allocation
• Kosher wine production

Headquarters

HQ city

Walnut Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales via Allocation/Mailing List: Wines sold exclusively to members of the mailing list at select times annually. Customers join the list to receive allocation notifications when wines become available for purchase. This creates a scarcity-driven direct-to-consumer model with no retail or distributor middlemen.
2. Online Store Purchases: Current release wines and kosher wines available for purchase through the company's e-commerce storefront at lernerproject.com/store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lerner Project is a Napa Valley winery that produces ultra-premium, extremely small-production wines sold exclusively to members of its mailing list at select times annually. The portfolio spans single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from prestigious Oakville, Diamond Mountain, Pritchard Hill, and Sonoma Mountain sites, alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot/Cabernet Franc blends, and a KA·SHER sub-brand of kosher wines.

Product overview

Lerner Project is a Napa Valley winery producing ultra-premium wines exclusively through allocation to mailing list members. The portfolio includes single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons from prestigious Oakville, Diamond Mountain, and Pritchard Hill vineyards, along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma. The wine lineup features: Five Wells Vineyard Chardonnay; Moaveni Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc; Oakville, Project 18, RMS, Sugarloaf Ranch Red Wine, Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, and Armstrong Ranch Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. The company also produces the KA·SHER sub-brand of kosher wines. All products are sold exclusively through the company's direct-to-consumer allocation system, with wines offered at select times annually to members only.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KA·SHER: Kosher wine brand created to honor heritage with world-class kosher wines from Napa and Sonoma Valleys
• KA·SHER Cabernet Sauvignon
• KA·SHER Chardonnay

Products and services

• Chardonnay (Five Wells Vineyard) A Chardonnay with notes of fresh pear and a hint of pie, featuring an invigorating essence and lingering citrus zest with a powerful finish. Ages gracefully over time.
• Sauvignon Blanc (Moaveni Vineyard) A Sauvignon Blanc built from Moaveni Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, raised in stainless steel to retain freshness and intensity. Unfined and unfiltered, 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
• Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Classic Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of black cherry, pomegranate and cassis intertwined with savory wild herbs, coriander and cinnamon. Rich, intense and beautifully balanced.
• Project 18 A barrel selection of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tench Vineyard in Oakville, blended with Cabernet Franc and Merlot from Sugarloaf Vineyard. Designed to be a high-value Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
• RMS (Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon) A Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon combining fruit, acidity and oak, perfectly proportioned with vibrant fruit, supple textures and spectacular aromatics.
• Sugarloaf Ranch Vineyard Red Wine A traditional Right Bank blend of near equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Sugarloaf Vineyard, showcasing tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, plum and deep blue fruits with firm tannins.
• Tench Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon A barrel selection showcasing the finest elements of Oakville from Tench Vineyard, featuring spectacular power, decadent aromatics and outrageous fruit wrapped around Darnajou and Gamba barrels.
• Houyi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Sourced from Pritchard Hill's Houyi Vineyard, offering a textural base with floral notes reminiscent of sage and lavender and freshness of acid bringing levity.
• Sage Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Mountain fruit Cabernet Sauvignon from the Saint Helena hills above Lake Hennessey, featuring dense mouth-filling dark berry fruits, exotic spices and signature fresh sage and subtle floral aromas.
• Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Armstrong Ranch) 100% Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 6 planted in 1983 from Armstrong Ranch Vineyard on Diamond Mountain, expressing the glorious aromatics of clone 6 married to luxury French oak.
• KA·SHER Cabernet Sauvignon (Kosher) A world-class kosher wine from the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, produced under kosher supervision to honor heritage while maintaining exceptional quality standards.
• KA·SHER Chardonnay (Kosher) A kosher Chardonnay from Sonoma County as part of the KA·SHER heritage wine line.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Russell Bevan / Bevan CellarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Russell Bevan serves as winemaker and business partner alongside proprietor Stu Lerner. Bevan brings extensive credentials including Wine Maker of the Year 2015 from The Wine Advocate and 100-point Robert Parker scores. His winemaking story began with a single ton of Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon grapes in 2004, leading to the founding of Bevan Cellars. He is responsible for all winemaking operations at Lerner Project, overseeing production from grape to glass at the Tench Vineyard facility.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bevan Cellars: Bevan Cellars is Russell Bevan's own label, producing high-end Napa Cabernet from vineyards including Tench and Sugarloaf. Directly comparable as it shares the same winemaker, vineyard sources, and ultra-premium Oakville/Pritchard Hill positioning as Lerner Project.
• Hundred Acre: Tiny-production Napa Valley cult Cabernet with vineyard sources including Kayli Morgan, Ark, and The Ark Vineyard. Comparable to Lerner Project on 'extremely small production,' single-vineyard estate focus, and allocation-only distribution to a collector base.
• Sine Qua Non: Ultra-small-production California cult winery selling exclusively via mailing list allocation at premium prices. Highly comparable to Lerner Project on scarcity-driven DTC model, single-vineyard focus, and cult collector demand.
• Carter Cellars: Boutique Napa Valley producer crafting single-vineyard Cabernet from Beckstoffer, Weitz, and other prestigious sources, distributed primarily through allocation. Comparable to Lerner Project on small case production, allocation-only model, and premium mountain/Oakville Cabernet positioning.
• Screaming Eagle: Iconic Napa Valley cult Cabernet producer operating on an exclusive allocation/mailing list model from a single Oakville estate. Directly comparable to Lerner Project on small-production, allocation-driven Napa Cabernet and premium single-vineyard positioning.
• Realm Cellars: Napa Valley cult Cabernet producer with vineyard sources on Pritchard Hill, Oakville and other mountain AVAs and a small mailing list allocation model. Comparable on terroir selection, premium single-vineyard bottlings, and allocation-based DTC distribution.
• Harlan Estate: Legendary Napa Valley cult Cabernet producer from Oakville, allocated exclusively through a long waiting list with virtually no retail presence. Comparable to Lerner Project on allocation exclusivity, premium pricing, and estate Oakville/mountain Cabernet positioning.
• Darioush: Persian-owned Napa Valley luxury Cabernet house on the Silverado Trail producing from Oakville and mountain AVAs with a tasting-room hospitality channel. Comparable to Lerner Project on premium Napa Cabernet positioning and limited-availability single-vineyard offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Silver Oak Cellars: Long-established Napa and Sonoma Cabernet house and one of Stu Lerner's wood pallet customers. Comparable as a benchmark premium Napa/Sonoma Cabernet brand, though operating at far greater scale and broader retail/hospitality distribution.
• Opus One: Bordeaux-style Napa Valley estate with whom Stu Lerner had a four-decade vendor relationship. Comparable as a benchmark Oakville/Napa luxury Cabernet brand, though at much larger scale and broader distribution than Lerner Project's allocation model.

Market position

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lerner_project
• Facebookfacebook.com/LernerProject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lerner-project

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 Lerner Project