In this episode, we sit down with Jesse Bongiovi, Founder of Hampton Water Wine Company and Lily Pond Group, to unpack how a brand that could have been written off as “celebrity wine” — backed by his father, Jon Bon Jovi — turned into a durable growth engine that’s bucking industry trends.

Hampton Water is now at ~150,000 cases globally, growing ~20% year-over-year, distributed in 60+ countries, and built on a model that looks very different from how wine brands are typically scaled. During the pandemic, it became the #1 selling rosé on Wine.com, while also building one of the largest digital footprints in the category — now the most-followed alcohol brand on TikTok (~400K+ followers), according to Bongiovi — with some ~600,000 followers across platforms.

But the real story is how that growth was built — and what it indicates about how wine is actually selling today.

🔶 Demand-first, not distribution-firstHampton Water didn’t start by chasing placements. It built consumer pull first — through digital, DTC, and community — then used that demand to unlock distribution.

🔶 Awareness doesn’t scale — repeat purchase doesEarly visibility (including the Bon Jovi name) opened doors, but it didn’t drive the business. Growth came once the product earned credibility and consumers came back for a second and third bottle.

🔶 Most consumers aren’t buying wine the way the industry thinksWith ~86% of buyers choosing based on label alone (and another ~10% factoring in price), according to Bongiovi, the strategy shifted toward reducing friction — making the product easy to recognize, choose, and bring into any occasion.

🔶 Sell the occasion, not the categoryHampton Water isn’t positioned around varietal or region. It’s built around moments — what you’re drinking, where you are, and who you’re with — making wine easier to engage with for a broader audience.

This episode is a case study in how a modern wine brand scales — by aligning with how consumers actually behave, not how the industry expects them to.

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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

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