Ep 23: How GenZ Jess Druey Disrupted the Wine Industry and What Happens Next

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!