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" Philosophy
03:00 One Restaurant to National Distribution Journey
06:00 Wine Intimidation and the Leather Entrance Story
09:30 Flipping "Top Cuvée" from Exclusive to Inclusive
12:00 Why Wine Bars Shouldn't Feel Educational
15:00 Building Community - The T-Shirt Customer Story
18:00 Labels Matter in Shops, Not Restaurant Lists
21:00 The £8 Glass = £22 Bottle Sweet Spot
24:00 Wine's "Dirty Word" Marketing Problem
27:00 Trust Engines and Part Two Preview