The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast delivering actionable insights for drinks leadership.
For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations.
20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations.
Insights come from sitting at the bar.
Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality.
Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic.
Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com
All content for MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up is the property of Chris Maffeo and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast delivering actionable insights for drinks leadership.
For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations.
20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations.
Insights come from sitting at the bar.
Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality.
Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic.
Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com
111 | Wine for Everyone: How Brodie Meah Took Top Cuvée from One Restaurant to Retail to National Distribution
MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up
31 minutes
1 month ago
111 | Wine for Everyone: How Brodie Meah Took Top Cuvée from One Restaurant to Retail to National Distribution
Brodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée, reveals how one neighborhood restaurant in Highbury became the foundation for a "wine for everyone" movement that achieved national distribution.Starting in 2019 with 40 covers nightly, Top Cuvée's journey from restaurant to retail to wholesale exemplifies bottom-up brand building.Having witnessed fine dining's intimidation tactics firsthand in Melbourne, Brodie flipped the industry's most exclusive phrase:"top cuvée" (wines deemed too good for regular guests) into a symbol of accessibility.The COVID pivot unlocked game-changing insights: wine labels matter enormously in retail but not restaurants, £8 glasses translate to £22 retail bottles, and wine's aversion to "openly commercial" marketing creates opportunity.By building trust glass by glass, turning regulars into brand ambassadors, and proving neighborhood hospitality can scale, Top Cuvée transformed from one Highbury restaurant to shops to national wholesale—keeping "wine for everyone" real.Timestamps:00:00 From Fine Dining to "Wine for Everyone" Philosophy03:00 One Restaurant to National Distribution Journey06:00 Wine Intimidation and the Leather Entrance Story09:30 Flipping "Top Cuvée" from Exclusive to Inclusive12:00 Why Wine Bars Shouldn't Feel Educational15:00 Building Community - The T-Shirt Customer Story18:00 Labels Matter in Shops, Not Restaurant Lists21:00 The £8 Glass = £22 Bottle Sweet Spot24:00 Wine's "Dirty Word" Marketing Problem27:00 Trust Engines and Part Two Preview
MAFFEO DRINKS: Brands Built Bottom-up
The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast delivering actionable insights for drinks leadership.
For founders, directors, distributor MDs, and hospitality leaders navigating the tension between bottom-up reality and top-down expectations.
20+ years building brands across 30+ markets. Each episode features drinks builders: founders, distributors, commercial directors, sharing how the drinks industry actually works. Not the conference version. Honest conversations.
Insights come from sitting at the bar.
Beyond episodes: advisory for leadership teams, subscription with episode deep dives and principles to navigate your own reality.
Beer, wine, spirits, Low and non-alcoholic.
Bottom-up Insights & Episode Deep Dives at https://maffeodrinks.com
