Fresh Vine Wine Brings Wine Marketing & Education to Independents

The U.S. is the largest wine market in the world, with more wine drinkers (79 million adults) than the entire population of France (67 million people, including children), according to a Forbes article. And with wine sales up nearly 17 percent in 2021 ($78.4 billion), it's time for independent grocers to step up their wine marketing and capture the category from competitors.

Enter Fresh Vine Wines, the Independent Grocers Alliance's (IGA's) new Red Oval partner and collaborator on wine marketing and merchandising. We spoke with Fresh Vine Wines President Rick Nechio and IGA's VP of Business Partnerships Heidi Huff about what this partnership means for independent grocers.

What makes Fresh Vine Wines different from other wines?

Rick Nechio (RN): Fresh Vine Wines is the premier producer of lower carb, lower sugar, and lower calorie premium wines in the United States. Our unique collection of bold, crisp, and creamy wines embody deeper connection with active lifestyles. That's important because today’s consumers have an expectation that retailers can and should support their health-and-wellness goals.

Heidi Huff (HH): When Rick first approached me about this partnership, I was really excited about the idea of better-for-you wines. Our shoppers want lower calorie, lower sugar, and even gluten-free options with their alcohol. And we know they would prefer to shop at small, local business—like their locally-owned independent grocer—when possible. When you put those two preferences together, the IGA-Fresh Vine Wines partnership is a perfect match to give shoppers what they want. 

RN: Plus we have a great collection, featuring a California cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, chardonnay, California rosé, and a Limited Reserve Napa cabernet. Everything is produced and bottled in Napa, too.

HH: We toured the winery in Napa and got to see how it's made. It was such an amazing experience, and a testament to the quality of these wines.

What can IGA retailers expect from this partnership?

HH: This partnership is especially exciting for us because in addition to making these great wines available to our shoppers, we will be creating amazing content for both store teams and shoppers--all with the goal of helping independent retailers sell more Fresh Vines wine.

We'll work with the IGA Coca-Cola Institute to create online training courses that will provide independent grocery store owners and their teams insightful strategies, tactics, and plans on how to market, merchandise, and sell premium wines like Fresh Vine. 

What can shoppers expect to see in stores and online?

HH: They will get a taste of Napa at home!  So not only will shoppers have access to this great-tasting wine with fewer carbs, calories, and sugar than many other wines found in stores, but they'll also get balanced, wellness-focused meal solutions to pair with the Fresh Vine wine. 

RN: We're especially excited about those food pairings, because we're working with Napa-based celebrity chefs to create those recipes exclusively for IGA shoppers. 

How can retailers get the wines in stores and market it to their shoppers?

HH: We will be sharing more information about getting the wines in stores soon—stay tuned to The IGA Minute for updates. We're also getting Fresh Vine Wines ramped up as a Red Oval partner to participate in IGA’s National Digital Ad platform and other promotional opportunities.

RN: Once retailers have the wines in stores, our plan is to get the word out through in-store promotions, including a potential appearance by the company’s celebrity owners, Nina Dobrev and Julianne Hough. These women have tremendous influence with their fanbase, and they will contribute to the campaign to increase wine sales at the Independent Grocers Alliance stores throughout the country. 

HH: And a big part of this partnership is the education—those courses we develop with the IGA Coca-Cola Institute will teach our retailers how to market premium wines like Fresh Vine Wines, and increase overall wine sales. 

Want to know more about Fresh Vine Wines? Visit their website and stay tuned to The IGA Minute for updates on distribution and wine marketing and merchandising classes.