Courage to Experiment: Unlocking New Revenue Potential Through Innovation in the Wine Industry

Packamama's flat bottles not only save weight, but also space — for example, on kitchen shelves.

The wine industry is undergoing transformation – or rather: it must transform. As consumers, markets, and climatic conditions evolve at high speed, the sector is under pressure to find new pathways: in product development, in distribution channels, and in how it communicates with its audiences. To remain competitive, producers will need more than outstanding vineyard sites and old vines – they will need innovation.

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Global wine consumption is declining, and that is hardly news. To maintain or grow sales volumes and revenue, fresh, innovative ideas are essential. While the wine sector still has some catching up to do, it also holds significant potential. “Compared with other beverage categories, the wine industry is still remarkably conservative,” says Santiago Navarro, CEO of UK-based packaging innovator Packamama. “Yet the industry relies on complex global supply chains – and this is precisely where innovation can have the greatest impact.”

The most important factors for innovative product development and marketing according to respondents to the ProWein Business Report.

In 2022, Packamama introduced its flat PET wine bottle into a market historically dominated by often heavy glass bottles. Today, the company sells several million of these bottles annually, especially in the UK, the USA, France, and in about ten additional markets worldwide.

Made from recycled PET and weighing only 63 grams, the flat bottle reduces both weight and volume – making it not only more sustainable but also more efficient throughout the supply chain, from retail placement to logistics and storage. “If we were to reinvent wine packaging today, we would certainly not choose a heavy, fragile vessel. Packaging innovation is long overdue,” Navarro states.

Findings from the ProWein Business Report reinforce this perspective. The major annual survey, conducted by ProWein in cooperation with Geisenheim University and capturing insights from more than 1,300 international professionals from production and trade, identifies packaging as the most important factor in new product development.

Champagne-JACQUART-©Leo-Ginailhac

From Vineyard Innovation to Marketing and Sales

Innovation often begins in the vineyard. New technologies make immediate impact: precision agriculture solutions, such as computer-controlled application of plant protection products, deliver measurable results and reduce operational costs.

Product and marketing innovations, however, require longer-term investment – though one that may deliver significant returns.
“Compared to other beverage segments, the wine sector is less innovative, largely due to its deep cultural roots and traditions. But where innovation succeeds, growth and value creation follow,” says Dr. Simone Loose, Head of the Institute for Wine and Beverage Research at Geisenheim University and responsible for the ProWein Business Report.

Indeed, research such as the Investigation of Innovation in the Wine Industry via Meta-Analysis (Ali Dogru and Joseph Peyrefitte, University of Southern Mississippi, 2022) suggests a clear relationship between innovation and economic performance. In short: innovation pays.

Yet the question remains: Who can afford to innovate? Large industry players invest tens of millions in digital brand building, while small and mid-sized wineries operate with limited or no dedicated marketing budgets.

Image from the title of the experimentation work by Prof. Stefan Thomke

In his book “Experimentation Works – The Surprising Power of Business Experiments,” the scientist explains how companies can leverage innovation potential through experimentation.

Innovation is Not About Money

“Many people confuse invention with innovation. Novelty alone is not enough – it must create value for customers or the industry,” says Prof. Stefan Thomke of Harvard Business School, a leading expert on innovation. Innovation does not necessarily require high capital. The key, he stresses, is experimentation. Instead of relying solely on big data and market research, especially small and medium-sized enterprises should embrace controlled experimentation. Smaller companies, Thomke argues, can even outperform large corporations, whose bureaucratic structures often inhibit the rollout of new and disruptive ideas. He cites booking.com as an example. Originally a small start-up, the platform adopted a strong culture of experimentation from the outset – and continues to do so as a market leader. “Whenever you make a booking on the website, you are most likely part of an experiment. Out of ten tested ideas, nine may fail. That is difficult for entrepreneurs to accept – but without experimentation, you never find out what truly works,” says Thomke. His conclusion: “Companies that systematically run small experiments innovate more successfully and reduce uncertainty.”

Good wine - Eliah Werner, Young Poets

Innovative Brand Building – Starting with the Consumer

In marketing especially, the industry now needs to rethink and challenge established parameters such as terroir-driven communication or critics’ scores.
“In the wine world, we talk endlessly about vineyard sites and points, but far too little about people. My approach: put the consumer at the center – not the wine,” says Eliah Werner, founder of the German brand Young Poets.

Before launching Young Poets in 2019, Werner worked for eight years at Procter & Gamble, applying classic FMCG branding principles to the wine category.
“In wine, it’s no longer about who has the best grapes. It’s about who connects with consumers.”

Young Poets has already launched eight products. Starting with 8,000 bottles in year one, the brand now sells 300,000–400,000 bottles annually in Germany alone, in cooperation with Mack & Schühle. Werner collaborates with young winemakers worldwide but thinks like an FMCG marketer: standout design, emotive storytelling, and strong brand recognition.
“The courage to be different,” he says, “is the key. You don’t have to be better – just different. The wine industry is one of the most segmented markets out there. That’s exactly why you must stand out even more.”

His wines carry playful brand names such as “Everything Happens for a Riesling,” “Fifty Shades of Grauburgunder,” or “The Grass is Always Grüner Veltliner.” While he acknowledges the importance of origin and vineyard designations, he replaces technical terroir information on labels with color-coded cues to simplify choices for mainstream consumers.
“Terroir and quality matter – but not in the first step of storytelling. Being engaging and relevant comes first.”

Die Winemaker hinter den sogenannten NDA-Weinen sind geheim. Genau damit erzeugt etwa der US-Weinhändler Wein Access Neugierde beim Kunden.

The Allure of Mystery: NDA Wines

Emotion and experience are crucial for consumer engagement – a point echoed by the experts surveyed in the ProWein Business Report. And this creates fertile ground for innovative concepts.

Not only the wine itself can become an experience, but also the customer journey.
Recently, a new trend has emerged in the US: NDA Wines – wines sold under a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

These wines are essentially private-label products, but with a twist: the retailer is contractually prohibited from naming the winery behind the wine. Wineries have long used this method to move excess inventory at lower prices without compromising brand equity.

Now, however, this once hidden practice is being turned into a marketing tool. Mystery, exclusivity, and “insider access” become part of the appeal.

Wine Access, a prominent US online retailer, leverages this strategy with offerings such as the 2023 “Editorial” Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. The pitch is captivating: “This sensational 2023 Editorial Cabernet hails from an NDA-protected vineyard that also supplies Joseph Phelps, Pahlmeyer, and Philippe Melka.” Anonymous winemakers are quoted, adding intrigue and credibility.

This blend of crafted storytelling and secrecy transforms a simple online purchase into an immersive experience. Consumers feel part of an exclusive inner circle – fostering strong brand loyalty.

A New Category Blend: Wine Meets Energy Drink

Innovation means thinking outside the category – and German start-up Weinfly is a prime example. Founders Maximilian Koch and Max Plessing found conventional wine uninspiring but wanted to engage a younger audience while staying connected to their Württemberg roots.

In 2019, they launched Weinfly: a rosé wine infused with flavorings, caffeine, taurine, and guarana, lightly sparkling. The bold, neon-yellow label intentionally breaks with contemporary wine aesthetics, targeting a young, party-oriented demographic far removed from traditional wine drinkers. Weinfly consumers are typically 16 to 25 years old and – unusually for a rosé-based fizz – 70 percent male. With 7.5% ABV, a price point of €9.99, and increasing supermarket availability, the product is redefining category boundaries.

Their lack of wine-industry background is, they say, a strength.
“This allows us to see the product differently. We designed the brand to be intentionally simple – no technical jargon, no elitism. Traditional wine labels overwhelm young shoppers,” says Koch.
Even origin information, a critical quality marker for wine experts, is absent. “It’s a deliberate break from classic wine. But that’s what it takes to give younger audiences access to wine – not another vineyard-designated bottle.”

Conclusion
Innovation means creating something new. This may involve new wine styles, but today the creative process must go beyond the liquid in the bottle. The goal is to inspire consumers, create memorable experiences, and deliver added value that resonates both sensorially and emotionally.

Great innovation potential is also attributed to the non-alcoholic category and RTDs, i.e., ready-to-drink beverages. To learn how wine producers can leverage this category, please refer to the following link.