099 | Luke Hemsley | Targeting Midweek Drinking Occasions With Wednesday's Domaine's Alcohol-Free Wine

The MAFFEO DRINKS Podcast is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries worldwide with 125+ episodes. Honest conversations about how the industry actually works, from the bar and what it means for the boardroom.This Episode is hosted by Chris Maffeo and brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.In this Episode, Host Chris Maffeo talks to Luke Hemsley, founder of Wednesday's Domaine, who discusses how his alcohol-free wine brand addresses the twin challenges of awareness and appreciation in an emerging category. Unlike beer and spirits, which have made significant inroads in the alcohol-free space, wine has lagged due to historical quality issues and consumer skepticism.Rather than positioning against alcohol, Wednesday's Domaine focuses on creating a midweek wine alternative for food and drink lovers who might occasionally want the ritual of wine without its effects. Luke shares insights on their strategic focus on the off-trade (particularly independent retailers), creating a geographic concentration in specific neighborhoods, and making their product stand out on shelves without sacrificing sophistication.The conversation explores how on-trade and off-trade create a circular relationship that builds category credibility, the pricing psychology of alcohol-free alternatives, and the founder's journey of knowing when to delegate versus when personal passion is irreplaceable.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and welcome01:25 Initial connections and origin story03:10 Awareness and appreciation challenges07:40 Positioning as midweek alternative11:05 Consumers' relationship with alcohol-free options15:30 Psychology of non-alcoholic choices20:45 On-trade vs. off-trade strategy26:20 Pricing and value perception30:10 Independent retail and geographic focus35:05 Product visibility challenges38:40 Founder's journey and scaling42:30 Final thoughts and contact information Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.For €100 a year you get access to Maffeo Confidential (Private Podcast) and get this analysis and access to the full archive of 125 episodes, each one translated from industry conversation into the commercial decisions underneath it. Find out more at maffeodrinks.com