Wednesday's Domaine

The ubiquity of wine in our lives is such that we can't even imagine a world before it... Imagine a supermarket without wine.. It would be like not being able to find bread or vegetables. It would feel odd... Say what you want about supermarket wine, we've never had a greater choice of products from a wider range of regions. But back in 1969, that certainly was not the case. It's commonly argued that the 60s were when Britain adopted wine en masse, becoming "more European" in our tastes. With that change came the arrival of some pioneers, some mavericks. Those who saw the world differently, sat outside of conventional bricks and mortar stores and sought to challenge the status quo. One of those, and arguably the Godfather of the British wine industry, was Tony Laithwaite. He pioneered direct-to-consumer wine here in the UK - from filling a van down in Bordeaux and flogging here in the UK over 50 years ago to selling over £450M of wine globally last year, he has built an empire. In doing so, he forced everyone to up their game. He hasn't been afraid to zig when others have zagged, to champion new regions and producers, or to challenge conventional wisdom, of which there's a fair bit, around wine. It's for that reason that we're so delighted to begin working with Laithwaites Wine. You can now find both Piquant and Vignette online and in their stores - a massive step forward on our mission to become the midweek wine alternative for food and drink lovers. Link in comments - don't hang about.

When Netflix's hit show, Emily in Paris, dedicates two scenes in its new series to non-alcoholic wine, you know it's entering the cultural discourse in a big way... For a show that has on occasion been criticised for lazy stereotypes, the writers got this one spot on. From the office discussion around who actually consumes non-alcoholic drinks to the lack of an easily-signposted non-alcoholic section on the menu, they nailed it. It underscores how far we still have to go when it comes to ensuring that anyone visiting a restaurant, bar or pub can enjoy a great alcohol free wine by the glass, but it also cements my view on how big that opportunity is for those who get it right. Most venues now have alcohol free beers and spirts, and quite a decent chunk have multiple options in each category. Yet a startling amount still don't carry wine. It's on us to jointly wrestle with the category's two legacy issues - awareness and appreciation - something that non-alcoholic beer has succeeded with spectacularly. The historic argument that the quality isn't there doesn't wash any more - it is. The legacy view that customers don't want a non-alcoholic wine doesn't wash any more - they do. It's down to brands like Wednesday's Domaine to work alongside those in the on-trade to turn these opportunities into proof points, creating incremental revenue opportunities for operators in the process and burnishing the experiences of their guests, whether they're drinking or not. As for Emily in Paris, thank God there is a mid-season break so I can get back to doing some actual work... (Photo credit / images rights Netflix, 2024)

🏇 It's amazing how much can change in a year. 🍷 This picture is from the London Wine Fair 2023, and next week, we'll be back for the London Wine Fair 2024. ❌ When this picture was taken, we had two wines, no distribution, a horrible margin and a few dozen listings. 🩺 I was also 100% of the Wednesday's Domaine team at the time and had to ask my then-pregnant wife, Hannah Boissier, to help out on the stand, which she did brilliantly. To further complicate things, we then had to rope in my brother-in-law, George Miller, to man the stand whilst we went for our 12 week scan on day two. 💵 We didn't really have the cash to be there, but I felt that we had to be to cement us as one of "the" brands to watch in a fast-evolving space, a decision vindicated by some of the amazing conversations we had. ✔️ Returning this year, we have six fantastic wines, national distribution, a margin structure that supports sustainable growth and over 150+ listings in some of the country's best restaurants, hotels and wine shops. 📈 The team is still small, but it's lean and hungry, which counts for a lot when you're trying to build a category and place yourself at the forefront of it. 🌎 We're still early in the journey and there's a long way to go, but if the feedback from this year's ProWein is anything to go by, 2024 may well prove to be the year that No/Low wine tips into the mainstream. 🧍🏻Come find us at stand CS22 if you fancy a chat and as much [alcohol] free wine as you can stomach.

Kore Drinks x Wednesday's Domaine What an absolute pleasure it is to announce our newest addition to the portfolio, the incredible alcohol free wines from Wednesday's Domaine! 🍇 https://lnkd.in/eha7usGc “Make some room around the table, Wednesday’s Domaine has arrived. Beautifully crafted to deliver all of the flavour without any of the alcohol, our wines pair perfectly with good food and great company. Keep the wine flowing, the conversation flowing and whatever-you-have-to-do-the-next-day flowing. Whether you're meeting a friend after work, settling onto the sofa after the kids have gone to bed or just looking for something different, Wednesday's Domaine and our two alcohol free wines may well have the answer...”