High Road Wine & Spirits

What High Road Wine & Spirits does

High Road Wine & Spirits is a privately held, Chicago-based wholesale importer and distributor of wines, spirits, beer, sake, and glassware, operating exclusively within the Illinois on-premise and hospitality trade. The company runs a territory-structured direct sales motion with representatives covering City Downtown, West Suburbs, central City, Southside, North Side, and North suburbs, supported by a Director of Sales, Director of Trade Development, brand management for spirits and domestic wines, and trade development/customer service functions. Leadership consists of Managing Partner Ken Fredrickson, MS and Director of Sales Fernando Beteta, MS — both Master Sommeliers — lending rare credentialed expertise to the sales process.

The product portfolio is organized into four lines: wines from seven major producing regions (Argentina, Austria-Germany, Italy, France, New Zealand, Spain-Portugal, and the United States including California, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and New York), spirits across nine categories (Agave, Bitters/Specialty/RTD, Brandy-Cognac, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Whiskey, Vermouth, Vodka), beer and sake (including Japanese sake breweries and Menabrea from Italy), and exclusive Illinois distribution of Riedel varietal-specific glassware for on-premise accounts. The portfolio is curated around hand-crafted, biodynamic, and organic producers rather than broad-line mass-market brands, reinforcing a craft- and quality-led positioning.

Commercially, High Road monetizes through wholesale per-order transactions with a $300 minimum or a $16 delivery fee, a $30 will-call or late-order surcharge, and per-bottle case-breaking fees on bottles priced at $15 or under. A digital flipbook price catalog (most recent edition dated July 2026) and portfolio tasting events supplement the relationship-driven sales motion. Operating hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a 4 p.m. order cutoff for next-day delivery. Revenue, customer count, and parent/ownership structure are not disclosed in the available source data, and no institutional capital beyond a single $100,000 raise on 2020-12-14 is on record.

Name

High Road Wine & Spirits

Legal name

High Road Wine & Spirits

Website

https://highroadws.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

High Road Wine & Spirits is a privately held, Chicago-based wholesale importer and distributor of hand-crafted wines, spirits, beer, sake, and exclusive Riedel glassware, serving the Illinois on-premise hospitality trade through a territory-segmented direct sales force and digital catalog.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Beverage Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (4248), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (424820)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Beer, Wine & Spirits Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAIAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale beverage distribution
• Wine and spirits importing
• Craft beer and sake
• Restaurant glassware supply
• Illinois wholesale distributor

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Beverage Distribution: The company generates revenue through wholesale distribution and importing of wines, spirits, beer, sake, and glassware to trade customers (restaurants, hospitality businesses) in Illinois. Products are sold on a per-order basis with minimum order requirements and delivery fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

High Road Wine & Spirits imports and wholesale-distributes hand-crafted wines, spirits, beer, sake, and glassware to trade customers in Illinois. The portfolio spans wines from seven major regions, spirits across nine categories, beer and sake, and an exclusive Illinois distribution of Riedel glassware for restaurants. Products are sold to on-premise and retail accounts through a territory-based direct sales team with delivery logistics built around a $300 minimum order or $16 delivery fee.

Product overview

High Road Wine & Spirits is a service-minded wholesale importer and distributor of hand-crafted wines, spirits, beer, sake, and glassware based in Chicago, Illinois. The company operates as a unified portfolio combining multiple product categories: wine distribution from seven major wine-producing regions (Argentina, Austria-Germany, Italy, France, New Zealand, Spain-Portugal, and United States), spirits distribution across nine categories (Agave, Bitters/Specialty/RTD, Brandy-Cognac, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Whiskey, Vermouth, Vodka), beer and sake offerings, and exclusive distribution of Riedel glassware for Illinois restaurants. Products are accessible through a digital flipbook catalog and the company's portfolio website, with ordering requiring wholesale customer credit application and minimum purchase thresholds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wine Distribution Wholesale distribution of hand-crafted wines from Argentina, Austria-Germany, Italy, France, New Zealand, Spain-Portugal, and the United States (California, Michigan, Oregon, Washington State, New York State) to Illinois hospitality and retail accounts.
• Spirits Distribution Wholesale distribution of spirits spanning Agave Spirits, Bitters/Specialty/RTD, Brandy-Cognac, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Whiskey, Vermouth, and Vodka to Illinois trade customers.
• Beer & Sake Distribution Wholesale distribution of beer, cider, and sake products including Menabrea from Italy and Japanese sake breweries to Illinois hospitality and retail accounts.
• Riedel Glassware Distribution Exclusive wholesale distribution of Riedel glassware for Illinois restaurants, covering the Austrian family-owned maker's varietal-specific stemware including Vinum and Performance series.
• HRWS Price Catalog (Flipbook) Digital price catalog in flipbook format displaying the company's wine, spirits, beer, sake, and glassware offerings with pricing information for trade customers.
• Wholesale Distribution Services Service-minded wholesale distribution in Illinois with $300 minimum orders, $16 delivery fee, $30 will call or late order fees, and next-day delivery with a 4:00 p.m. order cutoff.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RiedelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh Road Wine & Spirits is the exclusive distributor of Riedel glassware for restaurants in Illinois. Riedel, founded in 1756, is an Austrian family-owned company recognized worldwide as the pioneer of varietal-specific stemware. This partnership brings Riedel's precision-crafted glassware directly to the Illinois hospitality industry with tailored support and product guidance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Winebow Group: Mid-size wine and spirits importer-distributor focused on premium and craft producers; comparable to High Road in curating hand-picked international portfolios for on-premise accounts.
• Kobrand Corporation: Specialty wine and spirits importer-distributor with a portfolio of premium international brands; comparable to High Road in importing hand-crafted producers and supplying restaurants.
• Vias Imports: Specialty Italian wine importer-distributor with a portfolio of family-owned producers; comparable in focus on handcrafted, region-specific wines and on-premise distribution.
• Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits: Largest U.S. wine and spirits distributor with operations in Illinois; competes directly with High Road for restaurant and hospitality accounts in the same Chicago territory, though at much larger scale.
• Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC): National wine and spirits wholesaler operating in Illinois, competing head-to-head with High Road for premium on-premise accounts across Chicago.
• Breakthru Beverage Group: Major U.S. wine, spirits, and beer distributor with an Illinois operation; directly overlaps with High Road's hospitality customer base in Chicago.
• Skurnik Wines: Family-owned specialty wine importer and distributor focused on artisanal and low-intervention producers; closely mirrors High Road's craft/biodynamic portfolio strategy and direct-to-restaurant model.
• Terlato Wines: Illinois-based premium wine producer and distributor; comparable as a Chicago-rooted wine distributor serving on-premise customers with a curated high-end portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 High Road Wine & Spirits