Like the effervescent bubbles in her sparkling wine, Emily Heintz believes that true quality always rises to the top.

Emily is the visionary behind Sèchey, a dynamic platform that includes a luxury dealcoholized wine brand, a dry bottle shop in South Carolina, and a thriving DTC business offering a wide range of alcohol analogs. Sèchey also curated Target’s non-alcoholic adult beverage set, bringing elevated options to the mass retailer’s shelves.

Sèchey’s strategic direction and impressive momentum caught the attention of InvestBev, a private equity firm specializing in adult beverages. In August, InvestBev made an undisclosed investment in the company, with founder Brian Rosen praising Sèchey for having “gotten farther with less than anyone else we’ve seen.”

In this episode, Emily joins us for a dive deep into her vision for Sèchey and the journey of building the brand. Framed around a series of true or false questions, Emily discusses the key factors driving the growth of the non-alcoholic beverage category, how Gen Z and Millennial lifestyles are shaping awareness and trial, and why she believes the founder’s voice is the most essential tool in connecting with customers.

Show notes:

0:25: Emily Heintz, Founder & CEO, Sèchey – Emily and Ray sample some of Sèchey’s sparkling wine, before she discusses her inspiration to start the company, whether her lack of experience in beverages impacted the company early on and why NA wine has the biggest upside among alcohol analogs. She also talks about what’s driving traffic in Sèchey’s retail store, whether category growth is directly tied to negative health effects of alcohol, and the gap between millennials and Gen Z consumers’ perception of wine. Emily also highlights Sèchey’s partnership with Target, her perspective that the future of NA beverages isn’t in liquor stores, why she’s only somewhat concerned about lower quality options in the space, and why she believes that the first adult beverage for younger generations should be a non-alcoholic one.

Brands in this episode: Sèchey, Athletic Brewing, Ghia, Kin Euphoric, Tost, Blind Tiger, Ritual Zero