Business of Drinks 99: Why Wölffer Estate Is Winning While Wine Struggles - With CEO Max Rohn - Business of Drinks
Wölffer Estate Vineyard is an example of a legacy winery that has managed to stay culturally relevant and financially healthy through one of the most challenging periods in wine.
The Hamptons-based, family-owned winery now produces roughly 250,000 cases annually and finished 2025 up single digits in both dollar sales and volume, outperforming much of the broader category. In this episode, CEO Max Rohn explains how Wölffer evolved from a local estate into a nationally recognized lifestyle brand — without outside capital, without chasing volume, and without abandoning quality.
Key takeaways for drinks founders:
🔶 Build around how people actually live and drinkWölffer anchored its growth to occasion and lifestyle, not demographics. That strategy helped Summer in a Bottle become the #3 luxury rosé in the U.S., alongside Whispering Angel and Miraval, even as the rosé category cooled overall.
🔶 Scarcity and discipline can be strategic advantagesRather than scaling as fast as demand allowed, Wölffer grew slowly and organically, constrained by vineyard supply and intentional distribution. That restraint protected brand equity and supported strong velocity at shelf.
🔶 Expansion works when it fits real occasionsWölffer’s portfolio now spans traditional wine, cider, low-ABV, and non-alcoholic — but every extension connects back to the same brand DNA. Its non-alcoholic Spring in a Bottle is now the #1 luxury NA wine in the U.S., growing roughly 100% year over year with category-leading dollars per store.
🔶 Profitability first, alwaysWith no outside investors, Wölffer focused on margin discipline, conservative production, and testing new ideas in small runs — sometimes just a few hundred cases — before scaling.
🔶 Experiences drive the brand flywheelWölffer’s Hamptons estate draws about 150,000 visitors annually, turning direct-to-consumer traffic into long-term brand loyalty that fuels off-premise and national growth.
This episode offers a playbook for wine and beverage alcohol leaders navigating today’s market: Stay focused on velocity over volume, build brands that mean something beyond the bottle, and grow in ways that reinforce — rather than dilute — what made you relevant in the first place. Listen in for more insights.
Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on January 21.
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Business of Drinks:
Erica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.
Scott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. Most recently, he was the Portfolio Development Director at Distill Ventures. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.
Caroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.
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