What Spanish Palate does

Spanish Palate is a privately held Spanish wine export and portfolio company founded in 2016 by Nicola Thornton and headquartered in Toro (Zamora), Spain. The company aggregates wines from small, independently owned Spanish wineries and exports them to importers and distributors across 40 countries, managing a portfolio of over 100 wines from 20 Spanish wine regions. Its go-to-market is sales-led: a technical team (described as having 90+ years of combined experience) assists importers with wine selection, sample shipping, order coordination, and promotion, effectively serving as an outsourced international sales arm for producers that lack the scale to reach foreign markets individually.

The business operates two main product lines. "Estate Wines" is a representation business covering small producers across regions including Toro, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Cigales, Utiel-Requena, León, Cuenca, Castilla, Galicia, and La Mancha (e.g., Valreinas, TR3SMANOS, Traslanzas, Vera de Estenas, Marqués de Reinosa, Leyenda del Páramo, Matarredonda, Hacienda Albae). "Spanish Palate Creations" is the company's own-brand portfolio, with lines targeting premium (El Alma de Gildo, Rosas Negras, Botas de Barro), everyday (La Baldosa, Mi Tractor Azul, El Volquete), experimental (Secret Cellar), and cause-marketing (CityArts) segments. Pricing for wholesale export is not publicly disclosed; Casa Nicola wine tourism in Toro offers tiered tastings (€35), dining menus (€35–€95), events, and a single double-room accommodation at €130/night.

Spanish Palate is founder-owned and operated, with no institutional funding, no parent company, and no public listing. Distribution relies on direct exporter-to-importer relationships, supplemented by press coverage in Forbes, Hola, Revista Tapas, Vinetur, and other outlets. The company's economic model combines wholesale wine margins with a small ancillary tourism revenue stream, and its competitive position rests on portfolio breadth, geographic reach across 40 countries, and the personal relationships and expertise of its technical and winemaking team.

Name

Spanish Palate

Legal name

Spanish Palate

Website

https://spanishpalate.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Spanish Palate is a Spanish wine exporter and aggregator representing 100+ wines from 20 regions to importers and distributors across 40 countries. Founded in 2016 in Toro, the company also produces its own branded wine portfolio and operates Casa Nicola wine tourism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Export and Distribution

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482), Wineries (312130)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Alcoholic Beverage Wholesale (Beer, Wine, Spirits) (AFAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Bulk / Private Label Alcohol Production & Brands (CRADAIAJ), Alcoholic Beverage Tours & On-site Experiences (Brewery/Winery/Distillery) (THAFALAK)

Keywords

• Wine export services
• Spanish wine distribution
• Wine portfolio management
• Wine tourism experiences
• Artisan winery representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Toro

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wine Export/Distribution: Export and distribution of wines from over 100 wines across 20 Spanish regions to 40 countries worldwide. Spanish Palate aggregates small, independently owned wineries and represents them to international markets.
2. Wine Tourism Experiences: Casa Nicola offers wine tastings (4 wines and 4 tapas), private dining experiences (Traditional Menu 35€, Bodega Menu 55€, Tasting Menu 95€), and underground cellar event space rental. Wine tourism generates direct revenue from visitors.
3. Accommodation: Casa Nicola offers one double room accommodation at 130€ per night. Includes ensuite bathroom, double bed, and lounge space. Guests can dine in underground cellar, El Lagar, or patio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Spanish Palate aggregates, represents, and exports wines from over 100 small, independently owned Spanish wineries across 20 regions to importers and distributors in 40 countries. The company produces its own Spanish Palate Creations branded wines and operates Casa Nicola, a wine tourism venue in Toro offering tastings, private dining, and accommodation.

Product overview

Spanish Palate operates as a wine import and distribution company offering two main wine portfolios: (1) Spanish Palate Creations - their own branded wines including El Alma de Gildo, Botas de Barro, La Baldosa, Mi Tractor Azul, Rosas Negras, Secret Cellar, El Volquete, and CityArts; and (2) Estate Wines - representation of small independently owned Spanish wineries from 20 regions including Villa Iulia, Vera de Estenas, Valreinas, TR3SMANOS, Traslanzas, Rubén Ramos, Pekado Mortal, Martínez Sáez, Marqués de Reinosa, Leyenda del Páramo, Matarredonda, and Hacienda Albae. Services include export assistance, wine selection, sample shipping, order coordination, and wine tourism experiences at Casa Nicola in Toro. The company was founded in 2016 and exports wines to 40 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spanish Palate Creations: The company's own wines produced from vineyards found across Spain, featuring brands like El Alma de Gildo, Botas de Barro, La Baldosa, Mi Tractor Azul, Rosas Negras, Secret Cellar, El Volquete, and CityArts wines.
• Estate Wines

Products and services

• Spanish Palate Estate Wines Portfolio Representation and international export of wines from small, independently owned Spanish wineries across 20 regions, including estates such as Vera de Estenas (Utiel-Requena), Valreinas (Ribera del Duero), Matarredonda (Toro), Hacienda Albae, Marqués de Reinosa (Rioja), Leyenda del Páramo, Martínez Sáez, Pekado Mortal, TR3SMANOS, Traslanzas, Rubén Ramos, and Villa Iulia. Targets importers, distributors, restaurants, and retailers worldwide.
• Spanish Palate Creations (Own-Brand Wine Range) Own-branded wines produced by Spanish Palate from vineyards across Spain, including El Alma de Gildo (Toro, 5 parcels aged in 12 oak types), Botas de Barro (old vine varietals), La Baldosa (everyday Macabeo, Garnacha, Bobal, Tempranillo), Mi Tractor Azul (organic old-vine young wines from Toro and Almansa), Rosas Negras (premium Tinta de Toro from old vines), Secret Cellar (experimental one-barrel batches), El Volquete (La Mancha house wine), and CityArts (wines with artwork from CITYarts' Pieces for Peace project).
• Export & Distribution Services International wine export services including wine selection assistance, sample shipping, order coordination, and in-market promotion for importers and distributors. The technical team brings over 90 years of combined wine industry experience and supports clients from initial selection through ongoing promotion.
• Casa Nicola Wine Tourism Wine tourism venue in Toro, Zamora featuring a 2-hour guided tasting of 4 wines with 4 tapas (Saturdays and Sundays), private dining in the El Lagar underground cellar, dinner with live music events held eight times per year, and one double room accommodation with ensuite bathroom. Targets individual wine tourists and enthusiasts visiting the Toro region.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CITYartscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSpanish Palate partnered with CITYarts, a New York-based organization that engages youth with professional artists to create public art including murals and mosaics. Spanish Palate created four unique wines, each carrying artwork from CITYarts' Pieces for Peace project. Some proceeds from wine sales fund continuing CITYarts endeavors. This creative partnership supports youth empowerment and community transformation while promoting Spanish wines.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jorge Ordóñez Selections: US-based importer and distributor that specializes in Spanish wines from small, family-owned producers, mirroring Spanish Palate's aggregation-and-export model. Both companies serve international importer and distributor customers with curated Spanish portfolios.
• Europvin: European importer focused exclusively on Spanish wines from quality-driven producers across multiple Spanish regions. Operates a comparable aggregation-to-export business model targeting international wholesale and hospitality accounts.
• Compañía de Vinos del Atlántico: Spanish wine importer and distributor specializing in estate wines from small producers across Spain. Closely comparable in its focus on artisanal Spanish producers and direct-to-importer export model.
• Berkmann Wine Cellars: UK-based wine importer and distributor carrying curated producer portfolios including Spanish estates. Comparable as a B2B wine distributor serving restaurants, retailers, and wholesale customers across multiple countries.

Broad incumbents

• Miguel Torres: Large, established Spanish wine producer with substantial own-brand production across multiple regions and a global export footprint. Comparable as a major player in Spanish wine export markets but at significantly larger scale than Spanish Palate.
• Marqués de Riscal: Historic Spanish wine producer (Rioja, Rueda, Ribeiro) with international distribution and wine tourism operations. Comparable in combining Spanish wine production with tourism experiences and global export reach.
• Freixenet: Major Spanish Cava and still wine producer with extensive international distribution. Overlaps with Spanish Palate in the Spanish wine export category but operates at vastly larger scale across global markets.
• Pernod Ricard: Global premium wine and spirits group that owns multiple Spanish wine brands and operates worldwide distribution networks. Comparable as a much larger incumbent competing in the same international Spanish wine distribution space.
• E. & J. Gallo Winery: World's largest wine producer with extensive global distribution across price points and origins. Comparable as a broad incumbent in global wine distribution where Spanish Palate's export portfolio must compete for shelf and list placement.
• Codorníu: Long-standing Spanish wine group (Cava, still wines) with international distribution and wine tourism (Codorníu Winery, Codorníu Catalunya). Comparable as an established Spanish wine exporter that also operates tourism venues, but at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spanish-palate-s.l.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Spanish Palate