We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jess Druey a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jess, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2020, I was 22 years old, working in video production in Los Angeles, with zero connections (or even real interest) in wine. But one night, I was asked to bring a bottle of wine to a first date. I walked into Whole Foods, stood in the wine aisle—lost, confused, and overwhelmed. I had no idea what to pick. Wine education doesn’t exist for people who don’t grow up around it—so how was I supposed to learn?
At that point, my experience with wine was just like every other 22-year-old’s:
Grabbing a random bottle of rosé for girls’ night because it felt safe, pretending to understand wine lists at restaurants, nodding along like I knew what I was doing, on dates, just ordering “what he’s having” to avoid embarrassment, having zero clue what a varietal was or why it mattered.
That night, I bought the cutest label I could find—no idea what was inside. At checkout, the cashier asked, “Is this a good bottle of wine?”
I laughed, “I have no clue, I just picked the prettiest one.”
She laughed too, “Oh my god, I do the same thing!”
That was my lightbulb moment
If I felt this lost, and she felt this lost, how many others did too?
Instead of focusing on my date that night, I became obsessed with the bottle of wine in front of me.
How could I make the wine experience easier, more inviting, and more fun?
Why was no one welcoming new drinkers into the wine world?
That night sparked what would
eventually become Whiny Baby.
A name that embraces the “Whiny” reputation of Gen Z and gives nod to those who, like me – are “babies” on their wine drinking journey!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Whiny Baby is not just a cute label – it is a completely reimagined wine drinking experience!
Step 1: Choose a bottle based on your mood, emotion or occasion! (OMG?!?, Unwind, Or Obsessed)
Step 2: Uncap your conversation starter.
Step 3: Pour out your wine & spill the tea by texting or calling Whiny Baby (Text “WHINYXO” to (661)615-8398!
Step 4: Write down your memories on our special,saveable back label!
Whiny Baby wines were created to be high quality, accessible and chill-able wines for wine drinkers of all levels – allowing our community to focus on the enjoyment of the experience and fun of wine ! Our wine is sourced from some of the finest vineyards in California. The style of our wines was created by Jess Druey and crafted by a team of winemaking experts from McBride Sisters Wine Company.
Mission Statement:
Whiny Baby is all about providing play everyday through quality wine and quality time!
Founder Story:
In 2020 I was living in LA , working in video production with no connections (or interest) in wine like most Gen Zers.
I had a first date that I was asked to bring a bottle of wine to and found myself in a familiar situation for many: staring at the wine shelves – lost, confused & uninspired.
Rather than focusing on my date that night, I became obsessed with the magical experience of wine and knew there needed to be a brand that better served the lifestyle of the new generation! Wine should be FUN, approachable and accessible. Born and raised in Bakersfield, CA – an agriculture community – I have now moved back and am passionate about showing my generation the beauty of the food and wine journey and all the hands in the process along the way.The name Whiny Baby celebrates the emotional reputation of my generation. It embraces those who are taking baby steps on their wine journey, and embodies me….the ultimate whiny baby. Over the next year, I silently built this brand – navigating the complexities of this industry and developing unique details that wine had never seen before. Charms on a bottle? WHY NOT! A different conversation starter on each cork – exactly what I needed for that first date! A way to save the memories on the bottle?!?! After a successful first launch DTC, I knew I had something, and I knew I needed to find a way forward!I quit my job and went all in! Having no connections to the wine industry I called, emailed, LinkedIn messaged and DM’d anyone I could find. Most of the advice I received didn’t feel like the best route for me. I dreamed up a partnership for Whiny Baby that would ensure wine and business mentoring while protecting our authenticity. I eventually got connected with someone who said I reminded them of two sisters they once worked with – “the McBride Sisters?!!” I asked and pleaded to be connected. I was familiar with their story after listening to their episode of How I Built This. After several attempted outreaches , I finally landed a meeting. Long story short….they got it, believed, and took a risk on us. Today we are in a joint venture perfectly blending our shared missions of connecting people through quality wine! Today, I continue to take the Whiny Baby community on the journey with me every step of the way. Together we learn about wine, design our bottles, taste and smell, connect in person, innovate, develop our new blends, build our team, grow as an entrepreneur and have way too much fun. Every bottle of Whiny Baby is an excuse to play, an invitation to connect, and memories just waiting to be opened. Whiny Baby was born during a time of extreme loneliness for many (and myself!) , and still today we all are craving more connection. Whiny Baby is all about providing play everyday through quality wine and quality time. I am in the begining stages of my wine education journey and that is the beauty of Whiny Baby – I am able to ask all the questions that Gen Z wine consumers are too afraid to ask – what is a verital, does it matter what glass I drink out of? etc. I met recently with a somm who said the best wine she ever had was a $2 buck chuck – and it was because of the people she drank it with and the memories made – THAT is what wine is all about – and that is what I want Gen Z to know about wine – not the scary terms and uninviting labels the currently think of.
Whiny Baby wines were created to be high quality, accessible and chill-able wines for wine drinkers of all levels – allowing our community to focus on the enjoyment of the experience and fun of wine ! Our wine is sourced from some of the finest vineyards in California. The style of our wines was created by Jess Druey and crafted by a team of winemaking experts from McBride Sisters Wine Company.
Jess Druey founded Whiny Baby in 2020 after finding herself in a situation that many have experienced: staring at the wine shelf without a clue of what to grab. A simple task of selecting a bottle of wine to bring on a first date sparked an obsession in her with reimagining the entire wine drinking experience. She quickly realized that the mysterious world of wine was in need of a major refresh and a brand that better suited the needs of her generation; one that makes wine relevant to their lifestyles. Proudly Bakersfield, California born and raised, Jess is on a journey connecting back with her agricultural roots and is taking her community with her! The style of our wines are created by Jess Druey and through our joint venture with the McBride Sisters Wine Company are crafted by a team of winemaking experts. Whiny Baby wines were created to be high quality, accessible and chill-able wines for wine drinkers of all levels – allowing our community to focus on the enjoyment of the experience and fun of wine! Our wine is sourced from some of the finest vineyards in California. Whiny Baby is all about providing play everyday through quality wine and quality time. We believe that you can create seriously delicious wine, while not taking yourself too seriously! With Whiny Baby’s unique steps we encourage you to open your heart, pour out your emotions & create memories to savor forever. The playful name Whiny Baby pokes fun at Gen Z’s “whiny” reputation while celebrating their ability to openly express themselves unlike any other generation. The unique experience of Whiny Baby is Jess’ offering to encourage and aid her generation (which has been named the “loneliest”) in cultivating more connection in their everyday life. Whiny Baby – Don’t Stay Bottled Up!
Whiny Baby Wine Portfolio from California
“Unwind” White Blend: Aromas of ripe pear, pineapple and peach bring fruit cocktail to mind, while the palate sings with a citrusy freshness. Chilled or even over ice, this wine is summer in a glass. Chenin Blanc and Viognier form the backbone of this blend, but it’s the Riesling that dominates and really gives the aromatic lift we were aiming for in this wine.
“OMG?!?” Fizzy Rosé Blend: Pop the cap on this rosé gold stunner and enjoy flavors of strawberry, nectarine, and crushed raspberry, graced with gentle bubbles and a kiss of sweetness. Led by Merlot , this wine also benefits from small additions of aromatic whites (Riesling, Muscat) that enhance the fruit aromas and flavors.
“Obsessed” Red Blend: Vibrant, with ripe red cherry and berry fruit on the nose. The wine’s easy drinkability and long, satisfying finish make it delightful right off the shelf or chilled for poolside enjoyment. Using primarily Zinfandel and Merlot, we crafted this wine to be approachable, with minimal tannin and a crisp, fruit-forward personality.
Winemaking/Sustainability:
Since partnering with the McBride Sisters, Whiny Baby wines are produced with their winemaking team and existing partnerships. We are female owned and a part of the largest Black Owned Winery!
Under McBride production, Whiny Baby wines are Carbon Neutral Certified!
In 2023, MSWC became Scope 3 certified, and Certified Carbon Neutral by purchasing carbon credits from projects around the world that are focused on environmental, social equity and economic equity for historically marginalized communities to offset carbon emissions. They utilize facilities with sustainability practices in California such as wastewater conservation and energy reduction on their property and in their winemaking practices.
The three new Whiny Baby wines are blends of wines sourced from the finest vineyards in California with no other additives known besides sulfur dioxide and minimal grape concentrate for sweetness.
The winemaking team takes great care to taste wines frequently, blend, adjust sweetness and acid, and keep wines fresh right up to bottling using high standard winemaking processes.
Our head winemaker uses a small batch, hands-on wine making approach to our wines that are widely available. We are about accessibility – creating boutique styles wines with a focus on authenticity – for all to enjoy!
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
Step By Step, I Navigated How To Launch A Wine Company:
0 Industry Connections
I knew I needed a path forward and decided that finding partners who had the wine and industry knowledge that I lacked was the best route for Whiny Baby.
While I was grinding, hustling, in start-up mode to start my wine business, my Mom text me and told me to listen to HOW I BUILT THIS Episode w/ The McBride Sisters.
I reached out to anyone I could find in the wine industry on LinkedIn. I connected with an Old School Wine Industry Consultant who said I reminded him of two women in the industry he knows. Said it was the McBride Sisters and I BEGGED him for their contact info!
I emailed, DM’ed, called the McBrides for 6 Months, until they would take a meeting with me. Let’s just say the meeting went VERY well!
Today we’re in a Joint Venture together, I’m going to continue to transform the industry as we usher in GEN Z with Whiny Baby!
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
The alcohol industry has a complex, dated and complicated structure. As I have navigated many firsts, I have approached every hurdle and learning as an opportunity to try something that hasn’t been done before.
I believe that when there is a pain point – you have to lean in.
I constantly say to myself – because I don’t know how things are “suppose” to be done, I can reimagine how they could be done!
A great example is the interactive phone number on our bottles. This was always meant to be a fun way for us to connect with our consumers! They send us photos that we use for social media, ask us questions, and if you call the number you will be greeted with a voicemail that says “Thanks for calling us and not your ex!”
What was originally a fun community building detail has morphed into a helpful tool for sales and distribution.
When Whiny Baby enters into new stores or accounts it goes through our distributor partners. What often happens is I will know we are going into a store and a general idea of when – but the only way for me to know that it has actually hit the floor is if I go look myself.
I didn’t want to tell our consumers to go to a store and then Whiny Baby wasn’t there.
Instead – I leaned into the problem! I was honest with our consumers about the reality of the situation and asked them to text the Whiny Baby number a photo of the bottles when they spotted them at new stores.
I then started in real time posted once a new location was confirmed!
It was honest and transparent and showed that consumers can truly be apart of helping your brand. Our community leaned in and had fun helping us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whinybaby.com
- Instagram: @whinewithjess / @whinybaby
- Linkedin: jessdruey
Image Credits
Suech & Beck / Joy Kamel