How two friends created a million-dollar wine business during the COVID-19 pandemic

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by Lindsey Francy May 27, 2023 News
How two friends created a million-dollar wine business during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Sip Society is a lifestyle brand that focuses on the discovery of champagne and sparkling wine. The duo decided to start the wine brand after realizing wine marketing was not working for them.

People could decide what sparkling wine they liked without committing to buying a whole bottle of wine.

Every 2 months, subscribers can receive a gift box containing 3 small bottles of sparkling wine, as well as educational materials and a wine related gift. They can build a profile of the wine they like and also track their wine preferences online.

The wine brand was launched at the time of the COVID-19 epidemic. The sale of sparkling wine went down.

Both Davis and Carter began their careers in other industries. A graduate of the University of San Francisco, Davis worked for both Gap and Darby Smart.

Carter received his degree from UC Santa Barbara. She is the COO of the SIP Society.

Davis said that they were lucky because they both had good experience in other jobs that allowed them to quickly launch the company.

One of their weekly girl's nights was where they got together to talk and drink wine.

There was a real need for our concept in the market and we did some focus groups with other female BIPOC groups. Less than 1% of wine brands are owned by Black people.

They say starting their business at the peak of the Pandemic was difficult. They had challenges in the beginning with suppliers for sparkling wine, packaging, shipping, and other resources.

They buy their wine from some of the best producers in the world. They are looking for new brands from black and women owned businesses.