Apéro | Wine, spirits and beverages marketing and sales

Dolia Talks is a podcast by Dolia, the platform where beverage brands grow.

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Nicolas Maiarelli had no experience in the beverage industry when he launched IESSI, a non-alcoholic aperitivo built from a family recipe. In this episode, he breaks down the full journey: product development with a small Italian distillery, building a B2B distribution network from scratch in Paris, and why 80% of the brand's revenue comes from on-premise accounts rather than e-commerce.

We get into how to find and choose beverage distributors, why small specialist distributors outperform large portfolios for brand-building, and how IESSI approaches geographic expansion by thinking in cities rather than countries. Nicolas also shares his view on the no/low alcohol category in Europe and what it actually takes to sell an alcohol-free product into markets where drinking culture runs deep.

Topics covered: starting a beverage brand with no industry experience, alcohol-free aperitivo development, on-premise beverage distribution, distributor selection, European market entry, no/low alcohol category growth.

AGENDA

1:23 Nicolas's origin story — from L'Oréal to IESSI

5:47 Market opportunity & target customer

9:31 Launching in France and distributor pushback

16:30 Products, formats & channel strategy

22:09 From e-commerce to B2B — finding what works

25:18 Geographic expansion & distributor strategy

31:19 Social media, events & community building

36:39 Market saturation & the future of alcohol-free

41:46 Quickfire round

This episode is sponsored by Dolia, the platform where beverage brands grow.

What does it take to revive a 19th century family recipe and turn it into a modern non-alcoholic aperitif brand? Elodie Swanberg and Graham Tucker break down how they did it — from rebuilding the original recipe without alcohol, to navigating distribution in France and expanding into the US market. We get into the challenges of selling a new category to skeptical wine stores and distributors, why the "non-alcoholic" label might actually be holding the category back, and what wine producers need to learn from brands like Finote before it's too late.

AGENDA

02:04 The story behind Finote and the original recipe

04:37 Branding a heritage brand for a modern audience

09:20 Who is the Finote consumer?

15:07 How people actually drink Finote (surprising use cases)

19:59 Product development process — how long it really takes

24:06 Early distribution: starting local, going global

31:22 Entering the US market in 2026

34:45 Is the non-alcoholic category too crowded?

36:48 The problem with calling it "non-alcoholic"

41:27 Quickfire round

Feral is a pioneering Italian beverage brand creating a new category of non-alcoholic drinks through fermentation of beetroots, spices, and herbs.

First adopted by Michelin-starred restaurants as a premium non-alcoholic pairing, Feral now sells over 100,000 bottles annually across Europe.

Today, we sit down with Feral's founder, Maddalena Zanoni, to explore how the brand was born, how it scaled from fine dining to direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and why she believes the future of beverages is about creating something entirely new.

Agenda

1:34: The shift in alcohol consumption

3:20: Will traditional wine producers go non-alcoholic?

5:51: Market data: premiumization vs. de-consumption

8:03: Product development: finding unusual ingredients

11:03: Feral's origin story and positioning: from fine dining kitchens to first customers

16:16: B2B vs. B2C: the e-commerce surprise

19:01: How the idea was born & early validation

21:54: Who is the typical Feral customer?

29:55: International markets & expansion strategy

34:01: Building tourism initiatives and private clubs that actually work

43:25: Quickfire round: lessons for winemakers, 10-year vision, tips for entrepreneurs.

Discover more on Dolia: getdolia.com

Discover more on Feral: https://feral-drinks.com/en-eu

This show is sponsored by Dolia.

Alberto Lusini is the CEO of Angelini Wines, one of the leading Italian wine groups including brands like Bertani, Fazi Battaglia and Puiatti. Before Angelini, Alberto spent 20+ years in the food and beverage industry, working in management positions also in the US.

In the episode, we discuss tariffs, no-alcohol products, rising inventories and the importance of branding and marketing for the Gen Z.

AGENDA

05:44 Tariffs and Uncertainty

08:08 Is US Still The Key Market?

10:24 Declining Consumption

12:31 Consolidation and New Brands

15:08 The Impact of Gen Z On The Wine Industry

17:43 Modern Wine Communication

23:12 Low and Zero Alcohol Wines

27:45 Climate Risk and Real Sustainability

32:19 Managing a Multi Brand Portfolio

34:21 Hospitality and Direct to Consumer

38:22 Do Ratings Still Matter

41:47 Quick Fire and Final Thoughts

Today we are joined by Jean-Charles Letellier, one of the most recognised Asian wine market experts, to discuss why most European wineries fail in Asia and the key rules for success.

AGENDA:

0:01:22 - Why Western Wine Brands Fail in Asia

0:03:50 - Branding & Packaging for Asian Markets

0:11:10 - Best Regions & Cities in China

0:12:45 - Importer & Distributor Strategy

0:15:39 - Wine Preferences & Market Trends

0:21:35 - Consumer Profile & Behavior

0:27:48 - E-Commerce & Supermarket Strategy

0:30:23 - Distribution Channels & Local Partnerships

0:31:57 - Marketing Mix: Digital vs. Physical

0:37:44 - Why Export to Asia?

0:40:13 - Market Prioritization Strategy

Find out more on Dolia

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Julia Lindholm is the CEO of Château de Malherbes, a winery redefining wine branding strategies in Bordeaux. Julia is pushing for a new approach in the wine industry, with a strong focus on hospitality and wine tourism and a unique approach to Instagram and social media. 

AGENDA

1:04 Julia's journey into wine and taking over Château Malherbes

4:15 A new approach to wine branding 

12:02 Wine tourism as a discovery engine and customer connection

14:34 LinkedIn, Instagram strategy, and brand ambassador approach

31:07 Working with importers, sommeliers, and international markets

36:54 Building from scratch during COVID, finding the right partners

45:38 No/low wine and Gen Z habits

52:28 Quickfire

Chris Caldwell is the former Global CEO at Stoli. Prior to this experience, he spent more than two decades in the food & beverage industry, holding managerial positions at Enotria, Diageo and Fonterra.

AGENDA

2:05 Why the wine market is declining

13:51 Why the wine market needs consolidation

17:25 How to work effectively with distributors

26:44 Export markets, tariffs and internationalisation

36:50 Quickfire

Amayés Aouli is the Global Head of Wine and Spirits at Bonhams, one of the best auction houses in the World. Amayès is a true connoisseur of the wine market, from the dynamics of the wine auction market, to how wine prices are set, the influence of these prices on the wine industry and how to create a fine wine.

Amayés also shares insights on market and consumer trends, including strategies to attract younger generations to fine wine and the impact of recent US tariffs.

AGENDA:

01:06 Understanding the Wine Auction Market

02:38 Macro Changes in Wine Regions and Buyer Trends

04:56 Impact of US Tariffs on the Wine Market

08:27 Defining Fine Wine and Investment Potential

14:40 Marketing and Communication in the Fine Wine Market

17:13 Profiles of Fine Wine Buyers

19:21 Attracting Young Consumers to Fine Wine

21:25 Technology in Wine Auctions

22:59 Wine as a Luxury Item and Investment

28:09 Emerging Wine Producers and Modern Trends

31:57 Impact of Auction Prices on Wine Value

40:26 Future Trends and Consumer Behavior

Sara Pugnale è la marketing manager di Brancaia, cantina toscana fondata nel 1981 che oggi fattura 6.3 milioni di Euro. Sara ci racconta cosa significhi fare la marketing manager in cantina e condivide le migliori strategie per vendere più vino tramite l'hospitality e i canali digitali.