099 | Luke Hemsley | Targeting Midweek Drinking Occasions With Wednesday's Domaine's Alcohol-Free Wine
Description
Merry Christmas & Happy 2026. This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
In this Episode, Host Chris Maffeo talks to Luke Hemsley, founder of Wednesday's Domaine, who discusses how his alcohol-free wine brand addresses the twin challenges of awareness and appreciation in an emerging category.
Unlike beer and spirits, which have made significant inroads in the alcohol-free space, wine has lagged due to historical quality issues and consumer skepticism.
Rather than positioning against alcohol, Wednesday's Domaine focuses on creating a midweek wine alternative for food and drink lovers who might occasionally want the ritual of wine without its effects. Luke shares insights on their strategic focus on the off-trade (particularly independent retailers), creating a geographic concentration in specific neighborhoods, and making their product stand out on shelves without sacrificing sophistication.
The conversation explores how on-trade and off-trade create a circular relationship that builds category credibility, the pricing psychology of alcohol-free alternatives, and the founder's journey of knowing when to delegate versus when personal passion is irreplaceable.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction and welcome
01:25 Initial connections and origin story
03:10 Awareness and appreciation challenges
07:40 Positioning as midweek alternative
11:05 Consumers' relationship with alcohol-free options
15:30 Psychology of non-alcoholic choices
20:45 On-trade vs. off-trade strategy
26:20 Pricing and value perception
30:10 Independent retail and geographic focus
35:05 Product visibility challenges
38:40 Founder's journey and scaling
42:30 Final thoughts and contact information
This episode is brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS, an Advisory helping drinks leaders execute bottom-up growth while managing stakeholder expectations. You can get in touch at bottomup@maffeodrinks.com
A Deep-Dive Analysis of This Episode is Available at maffeodrinks.com
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