Wine may be under pressure — but some brands are still growing. The question is how.

In this episode of Business of Drinks, we sit down with Jeff Ngo, EVP, Chief Growth Officer at The Duckhorn Portfolio, to break down how Decoy has scaled into a multi-tier platform brand — and why it continues to gain share in a flat category.

The numbers tell the story. For the 52 weeks ending January 25, 2026 (Circana):

• Decoy Core: ~1M cases, +4.6% volume, +3.5% dollars

• Decoy Limited: ~144K cases, +24% volume, +18.7% dollars

• Decoy Featherweight: ~28.6K cases, +80% volume, +74.7% dollars

Impressive results by any measure — but this isn’t incremental growth. It’s a case study in how to build a platform inside a mature category, with each tier playing a defined role:

• Core ($15–$20): Scale, consistency, and national distribution

• Limited ($25–$30): Premium trade-up and margin expansion

• Featherweight ($20–$25): Moderation and new consumer entry

Jeff explains how this was built intentionally — not as SKU expansion, but as consumer-led architecture. Each line targets a distinct audience and occasion, from socially influential “tastemakers” to younger consumers seeking lower-calorie options that still deliver on taste.

Key takeaways for operators:

• Scaling requires saying no — to discounting, SKU sprawl, and short-term volume grabs that erode brand equity

• At 1M+ cases, consistency becomes the brand; sourcing, production, and execution must align across every channel

• Platform thinking beats product thinking; growth comes from structure, not just innovation

• Premiumization still works, but only when brands clearly overdeliver on value

• Distribution follows demand; brands that pull win more support than those that push

Jeff also shares how private equity ownership has shifted the focus toward long-term value creation, and how cross-category learnings are shaping digital and growth strategy.

For founders, this is a clear look at what changes when you move from early traction to true scale — and why most brands struggle to make that leap.

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

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Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

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Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

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Instagram @borkaline

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!

What does it actually take to win — and keep — placement inside one of the largest hospitality systems in the world?

In this episode, we sit down with Gary Gruver, Director of Global Beverage Strategy at Marriott International, who helps shape beverage programs across 30+ brands, 130+ countries, and a system approaching 10,000 hotels.

If you’ve ever thought, “If we could just get into Marriott,” this conversation might change your thinking, because there is no single “Marriott.” There are fundamentally different business models — from luxury properties like Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to high-volume select-service concepts — each with its own economics, velocity expectations, and operational constraints.

And, as Gary shares, most brands underestimate what happens after placement.

It turns out that getting on the menu is maybe 20% of the work. The rest is execution — distribution, inventory reliability, training, and boots-on-the-ground activation. Without that, even great liquid disappears.

Key insights:

🔶 Why “getting into Marriott” is the wrong goalEach tier — luxury, premium, select — requires a different product, story, and service model. In select-service, drinks need to be made in under 60 seconds. In luxury, it’s about theater and storytelling.

🔶 The real KPIs are velocity and operational reliabilityOut-of-stocks, weak distributor alignment, or lack of sales support will kill a brand’s placement. If a product can’t be consistently ordered and sold, it becomes a liability.

🔶 Placement does not equal success — activation doesMarriott doesn’t “sell your brand” for you. Without education, bartender engagement, and ongoing programming, even standout products stall.

🔶 How emerging brands can break in (without scale)Start local, build traction at a single property, and over-communicate wins. Then expand regionally. Corporate programs follow proven demand — not the other way around.

🔶 Back bar math: What gets cut (and why)Shelf space is finite. Slow movers get displaced. New products win only if they outperform on velocity or bring a compelling new POV.

At its core, this episode is about operational excellence. Hospitality is one of the most demanding environments for a beverage brand. If you can win here, you’re not just visible, you’re viable.

For the latest updates, follow us:

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Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

Subscribe to the Business of Drinks channel for more insights on how brands, retailers, and operators are unlocking growth across beverages. And please rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners. Thank you!

What happens when you rebuild French wine from scratch — without appellations, without traditional grapes, and without the assumption that younger consumers care about either?

In this episode, we sit down with Antonin Bonnet, co-founder of Pierre & Antonin, a fast-growing French wine brand scaling a very specific idea: Natural wine at a true mass-premium price point.

The numbers and positioning are what make this story compelling. Pierre & Antonin produced ~350,000 bottles last year and is targeting ~400,000 this year, expanding across 20+ export markets. But the real unlock is how they got there — by rethinking everything from grape selection to packaging to brand storytelling.

At the core is a contrarian bet: Hybrid “resistant” grape varieties. Long dismissed by the traditional wine industry, these grapes dramatically reduce vineyard inputs — less spraying, lower labor, lower cost — enabling the brand to hit a $15–$20 price point while maintaining margins.

That economic model is paired with a sharp read on the consumer. Their average drinker is 26–27 years old — a cohort that prioritizes taste, price, sustainability, and story over varietal pedigree or appellation.

And critically, the business is built around velocity, not tradition:

• Product-market fit: Pet Nat was the breakout SKU, driving ~60% of volume globally

• Retail unlock: Landing Trader Joe’s doubled revenue and validated U.S. national demand

• Go-to-market: Instagram collaborations outperform paid ads for reaching urban Gen Z consumers

• Brand strategy: Simplified labels and back-label education reduce friction at shelf

There’s also a deeper industry question running through this conversation: Is wine overbuilt for the next generation?

While the trade debates appellations and varietal purity, Pierre & Antonin is building for accessibility — in price, in messaging, and in experience. The result is a brand that’s growing by aligning sustainability with economics, not just storytelling.

For drinks founders, this episode is a case study in identifying white space, challenging category assumptions, and designing a business model that actually works at scale.

For the latest updates, follow us:

Business of Drinks:

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Instagram @bizofdrinks

Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

LinkedIn

Instagram @ericaduecy

Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.

LinkedIn

Instagram @borkaline

If you enjoyed today’s conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you’re listening, and don’t forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!