Most people think building a premium wine brand takes decades, deep pockets and a bit of luck. Kim Schofield proved otherwise.
In the very first episode of Between The Pours, the founder of Dancing Water, shares how she turned a distressed vineyard purchase into one of New Zealand’s most respected wine brands — making bold decisions that broke industry “rules”, paid off sooner than anyone expected, and helped put New Zealand rosé on the map.
Along the way, she reveals the wins, the mistakes, and the moments that almost didn’t make it. From relying on another local winery just to have enough wine to bottle, to building a business around customer loyalty rather than one-off sales, this conversation is packed with lessons for business owners, wine lovers and anyone who enjoys hearing how great brands are really built.
In this episode, Kim shares:
- Why she priced her rosé at $25 instead of $35–40 — and why it was one of her smartest decisions.
- The business model that flies in the face of an industry where 75% of online wine purchases are one-offs.
- Why breaking what’s considered retail’s biggest rule for selling wine actually worked in her favour.
- How Dancing Water ignored the “vineyards take 10 years to break even” mindset and reached profitability years earlier than expected.
Whether you’re looking for practical business insights, want to learn more about wine, or simply enjoy hearing honest stories from people who’ve built something remarkable, this is an episode you’ll want to pour a glass for.
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Between The Pours is New Zealand's rosé podcast, hosted by Kim Schofield of Dancing Water. New episodes every month.
📲 Subscribe: here
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🌐 Dancing Waters: dww.co.nz
