Business of Drinks 95: How Une Femme Wines Scaled to 300,000+ Cases With Co-Founder Jen Pelka - Business of Drinks
Une Femme Wines didn’t scale the way most wine brands do — and that’s exactly why its story matters.
What began as the house wine at Jen Pelka’s two Champagne bars — The Riddler in San Francisco and New York — has scaled into a national brand selling more than 300,000 cases annually, with wines poured everywhere from Delta Airlines to Marriott, Kimpton, stadiums, cruise lines, and even space.
In this episode, Jen breaks down how Une Femme unlocked scale by saying yes to the right opportunities — and then rebuilding the business to support them.
The turning point came when a chance meeting led to a Delta Airlines trial that required Une Femme to ramp from 1,500 cases over two years to 6,000 cases in three months, a feat that seemed impossible at the time. But they persevered and that single partnership didn’t just change volume — it reshaped the company’s format strategy, pushing the brand into cans for sustainability, operational efficiency, and national reach.
From there, Une Femme scaled differently than most wine brands: Prioritizing national accounts and high-velocity venues over slow regional rollouts, and focusing relentlessly on freshness, tight SKUs, and operational reliability.
🔶 Format as a growth lever
Why canned wine — not bottles — became Une Femme’s primary scaling vehicle, and what founders need to understand about liners, pH, acidity, and freshness when launching cans.
🔶 Operational discipline at scale
How monthly canning runs, zero stock-outs, and a lean 10-person team support partnerships with Delta, Marriott, Levy, and Virgin Voyages.
🔶 SKU restraint
Why Une Femme has resisted SKU sprawl, phased out expensive formats, and focused on a core set of high-velocity products — while growing 70%+ YOY in a down wine market.
🔶 Channel strategy that actually works
How Jen evaluates where consumers are most open to drinking — planes, stadiums, hotels, museums — and why not every brand needs fine-dining placements.
🔶 Funding lessons to scale rapidly
How Une Femme raised roughly $16M across multiple tranches, built strong investor trust through monthly updates, and shifted focus from fundraising to sustainable profitability.
🔶 Mission with teeth
How Une Femme embedded its women-focused mission into sourcing, partnerships, and give-back — without letting purpose dilute operational rigor.
For founders navigating format innovation, national accounts, capital intensity, or the realities of scaling in a declining category, this episode is a case study in unlocking outsized growth.
Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on Dec. 24.
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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 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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