Vint Podcast

Innovation & Building a Wine Brand for Gen Z with Jess Druey, Founder of Whiny Baby

In this episode of the Vintage Podcast,  Billy and Brady are joined by Jess Druey, the founder of Whiny Baby, a wine brand designed to resonate with Gen Z drinkers. From her early career at Red Bull to winning Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars, Jess shares how she built a wine brand that breaks the mold. They dive into the challenges of the wine industry, how younger consumers engage with wine, and why brands need to rethink their marketing strategies. Jess also teases new developments for Whiny Baby—including an upcoming orange wine—and shares insights into making wine fun, accessible, and relevant to a new generation.

Topics Covered:

  • How Jess got into the wine industry despite no formal background
  • The inspiration behind Whiny Baby and why it stands out
  • How Red Bull influenced her approach to wine branding
  • The importance of storytelling, packaging, and cultural relevance
  • The rise of Gen Z wine drinkers and what they actually enjoy
  • The challenges of launching a wine brand and scaling nationwide
  • How to make wine fun while maintaining quality
  • The future of Whiny Baby, including a new orange wine release

Where to Find Whiny Baby Wines:
Now available at Target, Total Wine, and BevMo in select states.

Follow Jess & Whiny Baby:
Instagram | Website

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the Vent Podcast
00:49 Stage One Master of Wine Program Insights
04:31 Napa's 2023 Vintage and Wine Tasting
09:02 Introducing Jess Drury of Winey Baby
12:33 Creating a Wine Brand for Younger Consumers
16:01 Winey Baby's Unique Marketing Approach
28:10 Whiny Baby's Next Steps
28:55 Challenges and Adaptations
30:33 Pricing and Market Strategy
35:51 Strategic Partnerships
40:20 Innovative Marketing Tactics
44:33 Navigating Industry Regulations
56:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The Vint Podcast is presented by Coravin, the world's leader in wine preservation systems. Listeners of the Vint Podcast can take 15% off their purchase on Coravin.com by using promo code VINT15 at checkout*. Members of the trade can access exclusive discounts at trade.Coravin.com.

The Vint Podcast is a production of the Vint Marketplace, your source for the highest quality stock of fine wines and rare whiskies. Visit www.vintmarketplace.com.

To learn more about Vint and the Vint Marketplace, visit us at https://vint.co or Vintmarketplace.com or email Brady Weller at brady@vint.co, or Billy Galanko at Billy@vintmarketplace.com.

*Terms and Conditions Apply. Offer valid only on Coravin.com while supplies last. Pricing and discount are subject to change at any time. Coravin reserves the right to limit order quantities. No adjustments to prior purchases. Not valid for cash.

Cheers!

Past Guests Include: William Kelley, Peter Liem, Eric Asimov, Bobby Stuckey, Rajat "Raj" Parr, Erik Segelbaum, André Hueston Mack, Emily Saladino, Konstantin Baum, Landon Patterson, Heather Wibbels, Carlton "CJ" Fowler, Boris Guillome, Christopher Walkey, Danny Jassy, Kristy Wenz, Dan Petroski, Buster Scher, Andrew Nelson, Jane Anson, Tim Irwin, Matt Murphy, Allen Meadows, Altan Insights, Tim Gaiser, Vince Anter, Joel Peterson, Megan O'Connor, Adam Lapierre, Jason Haas, Ken Freeman, Lisa Perrotti-Brown,...

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