Two years ago, I predicted this would be the Golden Age for wine online. And in some ways, it is. The technology, platforms, industry acumen, and consumer buying patterns have improved tenfold in the last two years versus more than in the previous decade. But there's a black cloud over digital wine. Nearly every wine-tech company is laying off people or is for sale. The cracks are more evident when you see Google Ads on some leading sites. But the nuclear winter for wine is also baked into the challenges of building a scalable wine business model. To date, no pure-play wine-tech company has earned over $350M in revenue or could be considered the top platform for the industry. The idiosyncratic nuances of wine make it hard for investors to understand the opportunity. But, equally importantly, it blinds too many passionate wine entrepreneurs to the barriers and flaws in their models for scaling their businesses.
Truly enjoyed this article. Here are my two cents : The constraints highlighted—regulatory hurdles, the challenge of shipping, and the cultural depth of wine—shouldn't be seen as barriers but as catalysts for innovation. Just as Elon Musk views space's harsh environment as a problem-solving catalyst, wine-tech entrepreneurs could use these constraints to pioneer groundbreaking solutions. For instance, developing lightweight, sustainable packaging that reduces shipping costs and environmental impact could revolutionize wine distribution.
Nice summation. Your quote, "Wine is not singular." is true for the category, but perhaps that is where a wine brand needs to play to stand apart in the sea of sameness. I just wrote about "Singular" a week back - triggered by a Pharrell Williams observation of a new artist and her sound.
Truly enjoyed this article. Here are my two cents : The constraints highlighted—regulatory hurdles, the challenge of shipping, and the cultural depth of wine—shouldn't be seen as barriers but as catalysts for innovation. Just as Elon Musk views space's harsh environment as a problem-solving catalyst, wine-tech entrepreneurs could use these constraints to pioneer groundbreaking solutions. For instance, developing lightweight, sustainable packaging that reduces shipping costs and environmental impact could revolutionize wine distribution.
Nice summation. Your quote, "Wine is not singular." is true for the category, but perhaps that is where a wine brand needs to play to stand apart in the sea of sameness. I just wrote about "Singular" a week back - triggered by a Pharrell Williams observation of a new artist and her sound.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/singular-tobin-toby-trevarthen-163we/?trackingId=7SYb%2FMsgRkimwBdydHS5FQ%3D%3D