CABERNET CORPORATION

What CABERNET CORPORATION does

Cabernet Corporation, operating as Cabernet Corp., is a privately held, family-owned wine import and distribution company headquartered in Novato, California. Founded by Søren Axelsen (who planted the family's first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Monterey County, California in 1952) and formally established through the 1987 founding of Viña La Playa in Chile, the company is currently operated by his sons Peter and Eric Axelsen. It serves as the exclusive US importer and distributor for a select portfolio of family-owned, sustainably-driven wineries across three countries: Chile (Viña La Playa, Axel Wines, Vino de Eyzaguirre, The Charmer), Argentina (Belasco de Baquedano, Don Rodolfo / Art of the Andes), and most recently New Zealand (Clark Estate, added May 2024).

The company's business model is straightforward wine import and wholesale distribution. It purchases wine from partner wineries abroad and resells to US wine distributors, retailers, and restaurants, capturing margin on international wine trade. National US distribution is enabled primarily through a longstanding supplier relationship with Wine Warehouse (since 2001), supplemented by direct trade relationships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on quote-based pricing for trade customers. The portfolio is differentiated by sustainability credentials (Certified Sustainable, V-Label Vegan, Sustainable Wine Growing NZ, 1% For The Planet) and authentic family heritage narratives, which are marketed via trade press, wine awards competitions (USA Wine Ratings), and industry events.

Customer segments are bifurcated: the primary trade segment consists of US wine distributors, retailers, and restaurants seeking differentiated, sustainably-driven portfolios; the secondary persona is wine consumers seeking distinctive boutique wines. The company has no disclosed headcount, no external funding, and operates as a bootstrapped, founder-controlled business with no evidence of institutional investment or public listing.

Name

CABERNET CORPORATION

Legal name

Cabernet Corporation

Website

https://cabernetcorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cabernet Corporation is a family-owned wine importer and exclusive US distributor for a portfolio of sustainably-driven, family-owned wineries from Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. It sells to US wine distributors, retailers, and restaurants through trade channels led by Wine Warehouse.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Import and Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Alcohol Importers & Brand Owners (Wholesale) (CRAOAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Wine importation
• Wine distribution
• Imported wines
• South American wines
• Sustainable winery portfolio

Headquarters

HQ city

Novato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Import and Distribution: Cabernet Corp. generates revenue as an importer and exclusive US distributor of wines from its portfolio of family-owned wineries in Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. The company purchases wine from partner wineries and resells to US distributors, retailers, and restaurants, capturing margin on international wine trade.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cabernet Corp. operates as the exclusive importer and US distributor of wines from a select portfolio of family-owned, sustainably-driven wineries located in Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. The company purchases wine from its partner wineries and resells it to US distributors, retailers, and restaurants, capturing margin on international wine trade while providing US market access for boutique family estates with sustainability and heritage credentials.

Product overview

Cabernet Corp. is a family-owned wine import and distribution company representing a select portfolio of family-owned, sustainably-driven wineries from Chile, Argentina, and New Zealand. The company serves as the exclusive importer and founding partner for multiple wine brands including Viña La Playa, Belasco de Baquedano, Don Rodolfo, and Clark Estate, offering a diversified portfolio across major South American and New Zealand wine regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Clark Estate Wines: Family-owned winery from Upper Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand. Known for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir. Founded by Peter and Jane Clark in 1998, with son Simon as head winemaker.
• Viña La Playa
• Belasco de Baquedano
• Don Rodolfo
• Axel Wines
• Eyzaguirre
• The Charmer

Products and services

• Viña La Playa Certified Sustainable Chilean winery producing wines from the Colchagua, Colchagua Costa, Limarí, and Cauquenes Valleys, with vegan winemaking practices. Distributed in the US via Cabernet Corp.'s exclusive import relationship.
• Clark Estate Wines New Zealand wine brand from the Upper Awatere Valley, Marlborough, producing Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir with a focus on sustainability and naturally lower-alcohol wines. Distributed in the US as the exclusive import of Cabernet Corp.
• Belasco de Baquedano Third-generation family-owned Argentinian winery in Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, producing wines from 110+ year-old vineyards with French influence and Michel Rolland as consultant. Cabernet Corp. is the exclusive US importer.
• Don Rodolfo / Art of the Andes Argentinian wine brand from Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, producing wines with French influence under the Art of the Andes label. Distributed in the US as an exclusive import of Cabernet Corp.
• Axel Wines Chilean wine brand under the Viña La Playa portfolio, producing Carménère and other varietals including the award-winning Axel Carménère 2022. Distributed in the US via Cabernet Corp.'s exclusive import relationship.
• Vino de Eyzaguirre Chilean wine brand representing family-owned winery production in Chile under the Viña La Playa portfolio. Distributed in the US through Cabernet Corp.'s exclusive import relationship.
• The Charmer Chilean wine brand from The Charmer Wine Company, represented in the US market by Cabernet Corp. as part of its exclusive import portfolio.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clark EstatecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2024Clark Estate, pioneers of the Awatere Valley in New Zealand, partnered with Cabernet Corp of Novato, CA in May 2024. Clark Estate is a family-owned winery founded by Peter and Jane Clark in 1998, located in the Upper Awatere Valley, Marlborough. Their son Simon serves as head winemaker and daughter Sarah handles sales and marketing. Cabernet Corp. serves as their exclusive US importer and distributor.
• Capital AzulminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2024Viña La Playa partnered with Capital Azul to support marine conservation efforts in Chile. As part of the partnership with 1% For The Planet, 1% of La Playa Reserva sales go to preserving coastal water resources.
• 1% For The PlanetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabernet Corp. partners with 1% For The Planet, an organization connecting consumers and businesses with environmental nonprofits. Through this partnership, 1% of La Playa Reserva sales are donated to preserve coastal water resources.
• Wine WarehousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWine Warehouse has been a supplier to Cabernet Corp. since 2001. Wine Warehouse is a major US wine and spirits distributor that helps position Cabernet Corp.'s portfolio of family-owned winery brands in the US market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kobrand Corporation: Family-owned US importer of premium wines and spirits from select international producers. Directly comparable as a relationship-led importer-distributor focused on premium imported wine portfolios.
• Winebow Group: US wine importer and distributor portfolio company representing multiple international wine producers. Comparable as a multi-country wine importer using wholesale and direct distribution to reach US retailers and restaurants.
• Palm Bay International: US importer and marketer of premium wines and spirits from family-owned producers across multiple countries. Comparable model of curating international family-owned brands and distributing them via the US three-tier system.
• Skurnik Wines: Boutique, family-owned New York-based importer specializing in small, often family-run European and New World producers. Closely mirrors Cabernet Corp.'s profile as a relationship-led, family-operated importer of select small wineries.
• Terlato Wine Group: Family-owned US wine importer and producer with an exclusive international portfolio similar to Cabernet Corp.'s structure. Direct comparable in business model: curating and exclusively distributing premium family-owned international wineries to the US trade.
• Vias Imports: Small, family-run US wine importer focused on a curated portfolio of family-owned international producers. Highly comparable structure to Cabernet Corp. as a boutique importer-distributor for select family wineries.

Broad incumbents

• Trinchero Family Estates: Multi-generational, family-owned US wine company combining production and import of family-owned international brands. Comparable on family-ownership dimension and diversified multi-origin portfolio, though at much greater scale.
• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: Largest US wine and spirits distributor and a major broad-line importer. Operates in the same wholesale tier that Cabernet Corp. depends on through Wine Warehouse, illustrating scale and consolidation dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cabernet-corp

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 CABERNET CORPORATION