Carlisle Winery & Vineyards

What Carlisle Winery & Vineyards does

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a family-owned Sonoma County winery founded in 1999 by Mike Officer (winemaker) and Kendall Officer (general manager), producing wines from a portfolio of more than 25 historic old-vine vineyards across Sonoma County and other California regions including Napa Valley, Mendocino, Lodi, Paso Robles, and Santa Lucia Highlands. The winery specializes in vineyard-designated Zinfandels alongside red Rhône and Spanish varieties, and notably was the first to commercially produce Grüner Veltliner in Sonoma County. Production is intentionally limited, typically ranging from 25 to 500 cases per wine, with a broader portfolio spanning approximately 25+ bottlings including sub-brands Three Birds, The Derivative, and Two Acres. Bottles retail in the $25-$75 range and are sold almost exclusively direct-to-consumer through a mailing-list allocation system and the company's e-commerce store, with shipping unavailable to 12 US states. The company operates as a private California LLC with 1-10 employees, relying on long-term grape contracts and its restored Two Acres estate vineyard for supply. There is no disclosed wholesale distribution of scale, no outside investment, and no technology platform beyond a standard DTC website.

Name

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards

Legal name

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards LLC

Website

https://carlislewinery.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a family-owned Sonoma County producer founded in 1999, making small-lot, vineyard-designated old-vine Zinfandels and Rhône-style wines sold direct-to-consumer via mailing list and e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Boutique Winery / Old-Vine California Wine Production

NAICS

Wineries (312130)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB), Wine Grape Vineyard Operations (Varietal/AVA Practices, Yield & Quality Targets) (AFAGAJAJ), Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Old-vine zinfandel
• Sonoma County wines
• Rhône varietals
• Vineyard-designated wines
• Direct-to-consumer winery

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer wine sales through their e-commerce platform and pre-release mailing list offers. Customers purchase wine directly from the winery store website.
2. Mailing List/Pre-Release Subscriptions: Customers join the mailing list to receive pre-release offers via email on specific dates (e.g., January 15th at 10 AM PST), creating a subscription-like recurring engagement model for new vintage releases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a small, family-owned Sonoma County winery that produces and directly sells old-vine, vineyard-designated wines. Its portfolio centers on Zinfandel and red Rhône/Spanish varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah), supplemented by white wine blends and Sonoma County's first Grüner Veltliner, all bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal intervention. Sales are conducted almost entirely direct-to-consumer through a mailing-list allocation system and the company's own e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards is a small, family-owned Sonoma County winery producing a focused portfolio of old-vine, vineyard-designated wines. The core offerings include Zinfandels (from estate and sourced old-vine vineyards), red Rhône and Spanish varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah), distinctive white wines including Sonoma County's first Grüner Veltliner and historic old-vine field blends, and signature blends like Three Birds and Two Acres. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal intervention winemaking. Sales occur primarily through a mailing list/pre-release ordering system and direct-to-consumer channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Three Birds: A Grenache-based blend composed of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah (GMS).
• The Derivative
• Two Acres

Products and services

• Old-Vine Zinfandel Vineyard-designated Zinfandel wines sourced from old-vine vineyards across Sonoma County, including single-vineyard expressions from Carlisle Vineyard, Tom Feeney Ranch, and other sites with plantings dating between 1905 and 1927. Sold direct to adult consumers via the winery's e-commerce and mailing list.
• Red Rhône and Spanish Varietals Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah wines produced from both estate and sourced vineyards, including vineyard-designated bottlings from Papa's Block, Two Acres, and James Berry Vineyard. Sold direct to consumers through the winery's online store.
• White Wine Blends White wines including field blends of Gewürztraminer, Trousseau gris, and Riesling from Compagni Portis vineyard, and Semillon-based blends from Rossi Ranch. Sold direct to consumers.
• Grüner Veltliner A distinctive Austrian white grape variety produced as a Sonoma County first from Steiner Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain. Sold direct to consumers through the winery's e-commerce store.
• Three Birds Red Wine A Grenache-based Rhône-style blend (70% Grenache, 20% Mourvèdre, 10% Syrah) named for the three founders, representing the winery's signature GMS blend. Sold direct to consumers.
• Two Acres Red Wine A Mourvèdre-dominant field blend from the estate Two Acres vineyard planted in 1910, featuring co-fermented Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Carignane, Peloursin, and Alicante Bouschet. Sold as a sub-brand direct to consumers.
• Mailing List / Pre-Release Allocation Service Subscription-style service allowing adult customers to pre-order wines before public release. Pre-release offers are emailed to mailing list subscribers on scheduled dates (e.g., January 15th at 10 AM PST), providing access to limited-production allocations not available through broader retail.

Quantifiable outcome

• Pioneered Grüner Veltliner production in Sonoma County
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Various Historic Vineyard OwnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarlisle sources fruit from over 25 historic old-vine vineyard partners including Bedrock Vineyard, James Berry Vineyard, Limerick Lane, Mancini Ranch, Montafi Ranch, Montecillo, Mounts Ranch, Old Hill Ranch, Pagani Ranch, Palisades Vineyard, Papa's Block, Papera Ranch, Radiant Ridge Vineyard, Rosella's Vineyard, Rossi Ranch, Saitone Vineyard, Sierra Mar Vineyard, Steiner Vineyard, Teldeschi Ranch, and others. These long-term relationships with vineyard owners are essential to sourcing exceptional old-vine fruit.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Bedrock Wine Co. Sonoma-based winery founded by Joel Peterson focused on old-vine Zinfandel and field blends from heritage vineyards including Bedrock Vineyard. Direct competitor sourcing from many of the same historic sites (Old Hill, Teldeschi, Pagani) and operating a similar DTC mailing-list model.
• Turley Wine Cellars: One of the most recognized California old-vine Zinfandel producers, also sourcing fruit from heritage vineyards across Sonoma, Napa, Paso Robles, and Lodi. Operates a similar vineyard-designated, mailing-list-driven DTC model and targets the same collector/enthusiast segment as Carlisle.
• Ridge Vineyards: Historic Sonoma/California producer famous for vineyard-designated old-vine Zinfandel (Lytton Springs, Geyserville) and Monte Bello Cabernet. Closely comparable to Carlisle in philosophy of single-vineyard, minimal-intervention winemaking and DTC loyalty.
• Robert Biale Vineyards: Napa-based specialist in old-vine Zinfandel from sites such as Oakville and St. Helena. Comparable small-scale, family-run operation with mailing list allocations and vineyard-designated bottlings aimed at the same enthusiast buyer.
• Limerick Lane Cellars: Russian River Valley producer specializing in old-vine Zinfandel and Rhône varieties from estate vineyards planted in the early 1900s. Direct overlap with Carlisle's Sonoma County old-vine Zinfandel focus and vineyard-designated style.
• Hartford Family Winery: Sonoma-focused winery producing old-vine Zinfandel and Chardonnay from coastal and Russian River vineyards. Competes for the same DTC collector with vineyard-designated bottlings and mailing list access.
• Seghesio Family Vineyards: Long-established Sonoma Zinfandel house with heritage vineyards and a portfolio spanning entry-level to vineyard-designated old-vine wines. Comparable production philosophy and target customer, though with broader retail distribution.
• Copain Wines: Sonoma-based producer focused on Syrah, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay with a vineyard-designated, terroir-driven approach. Comparable small-lot, DTC-leaning producer targeting collectors interested in Rhône varieties and Chardonnay.
• Tablas Creek Vineyard: Paso Robles estate specializing in Rhône varieties (Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Roussanne) with a similar vineyard-designated, minimal-intervention philosophy. Comparable in its Rhône-variety focus and DTC/club-driven sales model.

Broad incumbents

• Ravenswood Winery: Iconic Sonoma Zinfandel brand now owned by Constellation Brands, known for vineyard-designated old-vine wines. Larger incumbent that competes in the same Zinfandel enthusiast category but at broader distribution scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carlislewinery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Carlisle Winery & Vineyards