Waters Edge Wineries

Waters Edge Wineries is a U.S. franchise system of boutique urban wineries that combine on-site winemaking with a relaxed tasting room and bistro setting. Each location brings a full winery experience into street-level retail and mixed-use projects, producing wine from imported juice on the premises and pairing it with food, events and retail bottle sales. As of May 2024, the company and its franchisees operate 15 locations in markets across California, Colorado, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas, with additional units in various stages of development.

The business began in 2004, when founders Ken and Angela Lineberger opened a single winery in Southern California under the name The Wine Tailor. That original site served as a test kitchen for the idea that a working winery could fit comfortably in a neighborhood setting, without vineyard land. Over the following years the founders refined the model, introduced on-site production using global grape sources, and rebranded as Waters Edge Wineries as they shifted into franchising in the early 2010s. A notable milestone in the company’s growth was its move beyond California into Midwestern and Mountain West markets, which showed that the concept could draw steady traffic in mid-sized cities and suburban downtowns, not just coastal wine destinations.

Over roughly the last five years, Waters Edge Wineries has broadened both its geography and the types of projects it targets. The brand has moved into more secondary and suburban trade areas, added locations in places like Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and continued to adapt its bistro and event programming to fit local neighborhoods. The company remains independently owned by its founders, with no reported acquisition activity or large-scale closures through 2024, which has helped maintain a consistent concept as the footprint has expanded.

For landlords, brokers and developers, each Waters Edge Wineries location typically serves as both a functioning production space and a social hub. Franchisees often produce a wide range of varietals and blends, bottle and label in house, and sell by the glass, by the bottle and through wine clubs, usually alongside small plates or a full bistro menu. Stores are set up to host private parties, tastings and wine education sessions, which can drive evening and weekend traffic and keep customers on site longer than a traditional bar or restaurant.

The company continues to recruit new franchise partners and is actively marketing urban winery and bistro opportunities in mid-sized cities and suburban markets across the country. Priority growth areas include Midwestern secondary markets, Southern suburbs and lifestyle centers, downtowns in the Mountain West, and select infill locations in California and Texas. The format is suited to downtown districts, lifestyle centers and mixed-use environments, and can often be adapted to existing restaurant or retail shells, with production equipment either tucked into the back of house or presented as a visible feature of the space. This flexibility has allowed Waters Edge Wineries to plug into a range of multi-tenant settings alongside restaurants, entertainment uses and specialty retail.

Corporate operations are led from the company’s headquarters in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The franchisor oversees wine sourcing, production standards, brand development and training, while giving franchisees room to tailor menus, events and local marketing to their specific trade areas. As the system grows, Waters Edge Wineries continues to position its urban winery model as an experience-focused tenant that can anchor or complement food, beverage and entertainment offerings in both new and existing projects.