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Key people at Empathy Wines.
Empathy Wines was founded in 2018 by Gary Vaynerchuk (Co-Founder).
Empathy Wines is a direct-to-consumer winery that produces and sells California-sourced wines through an online subscription platform. The company bypasses traditional distribution channels by sourcing grapes directly from sustainable agricultural partners to offer red blends and rosés at a standardized retail price point of $20 per bottle. By leveraging digital marketing and a streamlined e-commerce delivery infrastructure, the business rapidly scaled its direct sales operations to reach approximately 15,000 cases sold by the middle of 2020. During this initial growth phase, the platform successfully accumulated a dedicated consumer base of over 2,000 active subscription customers. This digital expansion led to the company being acquired by Constellation Brands in July 2020, integrating the startup's proprietary consumer data framework into its broader corporate beverage portfolio. Empathy Wines was founded in 2019 by Gary Vaynerchuk, Jon Troutman, and Nate Scherotter.
Key people at Empathy Wines.
Empathy Wines was founded in 2018 by Gary Vaynerchuk (Co-Founder).
Empathy Wines is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) winery that produces high-quality, sustainably sourced California wines at lower prices by bypassing traditional distributors and retailers.[1][2][3][6] Co-founded by Gary Vaynerchuk, Jon Troutman, and Nate Scherotter, it serves wine enthusiasts seeking premium blends (rosé, white, red) without markups, solving the problem of inflated retail prices while supporting grape growers financially and highlighting their role.[1][4][5] Launched in 2018 with initial sales in 2019, it achieved rapid growth—selling ~15,000 cases and gaining over 2,000 subscribers—before Constellation Brands acquired it in 2020, enabling further expansion via established distribution while maintaining DTC focus.[5][7][8]
Empathy Wines emerged from Gary Vaynerchuk's (@GaryVee) lifelong passion for wine, starting at age 14 in his family's Wine Library business, where he built one of the world's first wine e-commerce platforms and a major independent retailer.[1][6] Teaming up with long-time collaborators Jon Troutman and Nate Scherotter—former interns who rose to key roles—Gary launched the winery in 2018 (first products 2019) to disrupt an industry rife with middlemen markups that shortchange farmers and overcharge consumers.[2][3][6][7] The idea crystallized from frustration with U.S. wine pricing: a $40 retail bottle could cost half direct, so they partnered with sustainable growers in regions like Lodi, Lake County, Sonoma, and Mendocino (e.g., Shannon Ranch, Bokisch, Mettler, Marietta Cellars).[1][4] Early traction came via social media and DTC shipping, hitting 15,000 cases sold and 2,000+ subscribers quickly, leading to Constellation Brands' 2020 acquisition.[5][7][8]
Empathy Wines rides the DTC disruption wave in consumer goods, akin to Everlane or Warby Parker, applying e-commerce, social media, and data-driven marketing to a legacy industry dominated by three-tier distribution (grower → distributor → retailer).[1][4][7] Timing was ideal post-2018, amid rising demand for transparent, sustainable products and direct brands fueled by influencers like Gary Vee, who scaled via digital equity-building.[2][6] Market forces favoring it include millennial/gen-Z preferences for value, traceability, and lower-alcohol blends from emerging regions, plus pandemic-accelerated online alcohol sales.[3] Its acquisition by Constellation Brands (a beverage giant) bridges DTC innovation with scale, influencing wine by normalizing farmer-forward models, subscription perks, and tech-enhanced discovery—potentially pressuring incumbents to adapt or lose share to agile, consumer-centric players.[5][7][8]
Post-acquisition, Empathy Wines is positioned for scaled growth under Constellation's resources, likely expanding DTC tech (e.g., AI personalization via SMSomm), grower partnerships, and national events while preserving its anti-middleman ethos.[5][7] Trends like sustainability mandates, e-commerce dominance in alcohol (projected to hit 30%+ U.S. market share), and premiumization at value prices will propel it, especially as consumers demand traceability amid climate pressures on farming.[3][4] Influence may evolve toward hybrid models—DTC core with selective retail—shaping a more empathetic, efficient wine ecosystem where farmers thrive and drinkers access authentic bottles affordably, fulfilling Gary Vee's vision from social launch to industry staple.[1][2]
