Everybody says they want to attract a new generation of consumers to wine, but Jess Druey’s gone and done it.

In this episode of Drinks Insider she tells the unlikely story of how a college dropout launched a wine brand at 22, after Googling how to make wine. From getting her Mom to help package and send the bottles to partnership with the McBride Sisters, to taking home the $250,000 first prize on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, this is one of the unlikeliest stories in wine.

But it works. Jess honed her skills at Red Bull, and she brings her relentless focus on social media and community building to Whiny Baby, along with a completely new way of looking at packaging.

If you need some inspiration, this is the episode for you. Jess shows that there’s a new consumer group out there who is not just open to wine — they’re waiting to hear more.

[2:08] Jess discusses the brand lessons she learned at Red Bull.

[5:10] The impetus for Whiny Baby and how she developed the brand.

[10:54] Early experiences, mistakes and reversals.

[14:13] Jess explains how she got her strategic partnership with the McBride sisters.

[28:58] Jess talks about her experience on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars and that quarter of a million dollars.

[52:07] How to build a social community who’ve got your back and will help you develop your brand.

Your Host, Felicity Carter

Based in Europe, Felicity Carter is a well-known journalist, editor and researcher. Among other roles, she is currently Editorial Director of Areni Global, the fine wine think tank headquartered in London. Previously, she was founding Executive Editor of The Drop at Pix, editorial consultant for Liv-ex, and Editor in Chief of Meininger’s Wine Business International, which she built into the world’s premier business publication, with subscribers in 38 countries. Her work has appeared in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers in Australia, and in The Guardian US, among many others.

She was named a 2024 Industry Leader by WineBusiness Monthly.

And her other podcast is A Question of Drinks with the fabulous Lulie Halstead. It’s like the Freakonomics of Drinks. Check it out!

The wine trade is facing its worst trading conditions in 30 years — but it doesn’t have to be that way. That’s according to long-time wine industry observer and well-known journalist Jeff Siegel, who’s been immersed in the US market for going on 40 years.

This alternate title for this episode could be ‘Bitchin’ With Jeff’ as he offers his no-holds-barred take on what’s gone wrong and why.

Is there any hope? He says yes, and outlines what needs to be done to appeal to new consumers while retaining the old ones, and securing the future of wine for at least another generation.

In this episode of Drinks Insider we discuss:

[00:10:00] Premiumization, a term coined around 2010-2012. It’s the idea that Americans wanted to drink 'better' wine, leading to a focus on more expensive bottles, which increased margins for wineries, growers and retailers, but pushed out affordable options.

[00:14:09] The wine market has become very brand-focused and consumers are now brand loyal. But as the big brands become more homogenous and take up more shelf space, consumer choice is being narrowed.

[00:21:58] The restaurant industry's focus on high-priced wine to make up for costs has also hurt the industry, with many restaurants now selling poor-quality wine at high prices, with little appeal to consumers.

[00:28:21] How the wine trade can woo back entry-level wine drinkers.

[00:31:59] Despite a current grape glut, the moment for another "Two Buck Chuck" style wine is gone because the wine business has changed.

[00:41:08] Jeff knows exactly when the temperance movement re-emerged and why.

Sounds like fun? It is! It’s a lively conversation with someone who knows what they’re talking about and who can point the way forward.

And don’t miss the next episode, with Jess Druey, founder of Whiny Baby, who is living proof that a different approach can bring a whole new audience to wine.

A short announcement about a new initiative.

Prohibition didn’t begin as Prohibition. It was a bottom-up movement embraced by working people but seized on by temperance campaigners, who turned it into a disastrous social experiment that’s a byword for authoritarian overreach. Prof Dan Malleck from Brock University in Canada is a medical historian who has studied Prohibition and its fall-out and charted the rise of the contemporary neo-temperance movement.

In this special Drinks Insider episode, Dan discusses the history of the temperance movement, highlighting its moral and economic underpinnings, and compares it to the current neo-temperance movement. He critiques their selective use of research, particularly the attempt to undermine J-curve research, that associates moderate drinking with lower mortality.

This episode explores the unintended consequences of prohibitionist policies, both historically and in contemporary contexts such as Australia's tobacco control measures. The conversation does a deep dive into the question of how to balance public health concerns with individual liberty.

Want to know about trends in the US beverage alcohol market? And not just drinks trends, but how they dovetail with broader social trends? Then Bryan Roth, analyst extraordinaire, is your man.

In this episode he talks about confusion, convenience and the “invisible barrier of choice” and explains why the market is in a tailspin right now.

And did you know that carbonation is a trend? That’s right — there are people who know what they like when it comes to the tingle on the tongue, and seek exactly that sensation, and not a bubble more.

The episode also touches on the rise of flavored Canadian whiskey, the continued growth of RTDs, the shift to day drinking, and the impact of multi-generational living. Finally, we turn to the topic of cannabis.

To get more great insights from Bryan, go to https://www.sightlines.news/sign-up and type INSIDER on the signup page, for a free month of Sightlines.

It’s time to do a deep dive into wine export markets! Joris Snelten, CEO of Delta Wines, knows everything about the Netherlands—Delta Wines is not just a major wine importer and distributor that handles more than 80 million bottles, it also has a presence in Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Finland.

Joris talks about how he got into wine, and the journey of a European wine professional. He also explains how the Dutch wine market works from supermarkets and wine shops to online retailers—and reveals that Holland is moving from a beer and spirits market to a wine one.

After touring the Netherlands, the conversation moves into Belgium, Eastern Europe and the Nordic monopoly markets.

Alba Hough isn’t just president of the Icelandic Sommelier Association and chief production officer of Himibri Gin. She’s also the coolest woman in wine.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Alb talks about her unexpected career path in wine, including her participation in international sommelier competitions. She also discusses how Iceland’s unique food and wine culture was shaped by its history, geography and tourism — and reveals a unique approach to fish preservation. And there’s plenty about what Icelanders drink and how to get in to the alcohol monopoly.

But more than that, she discusses has past as a teenage grave digger, and how Facebook helped her track down longlost family members.

Noah Sanborn Friedman, the co-founder of Top Shelf Ventures, spends his day looking for alcohol brands to invest in, and he has a lot of insights into everything from navigating the USA’s complex regulatory system to raising capital in a challenging market. In this interview, he discusses what he looks for in a brand, the importance of liquid-to-lips strategy and why he believes now is the best time to invest in alcohol. He also talks about the industry’s response to health and wellness trends and the rise of non-alc beverages.

Noah’s great combination of hard-headed financial acumen and great enthusiasm makes this a lively, insightful conversation.