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Brodie Meah, co-founder of Top Cuvée, reveals how one neighborhood restaurant in Highbury became the foundation for a "wine for everyone" movement that achieved national distribution.
Starting in 2019 with 40 covers nightly, Top Cuvée's journey from restaurant to retail to wholesale exemplifies bottom-up brand building.
Having witnessed fine dining's intimidation tactics firsthand in Melbourne, Brodie flipped the industry's most exclusive phrase:"top cuvée" (wines deemed too good for regular guests) into a symbol of accessibility.
The COVID pivot unlocked game-changing insights: wine labels matter enormously in retail but not restaurants, £8 glasses translate to £22 retail bottles, and wine's aversion to "openly commercial" marketing creates opportunity.
By building trust glass by glass, turning regulars into brand ambassadors, and proving neighborhood hospitality can scale, Top Cuvée transformed from one Highbury restaurant to shops to national wholesale—keeping "wine for everyone" real.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 From Fine Dining to "Wine for Everyone" Philosophy
- 03:00 One Restaurant to National Distribution Journey
- 06:00 Wine Intimidation and the Leather Entrance Story
- 09:30 Flipping "Top Cuvée" from Exclusive to Inclusive
- 12:00 Why Wine Bars Shouldn't Feel Educational
- 15:00 Building Community - The T-Shirt Customer Story
- 18:00 Labels Matter in Shops, Not Restaurant Lists
- 21:00 The £8 Glass = £22 Bottle Sweet Spot
- 24:00 Wine's "Dirty Word" Marketing Problem
- 27:00 Trust Engines and Part Two Preview
Chris Maffeo hosted this episode, brought to you by MAFFEO DRINKS.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
MAFFEO DRINKS is a leading drinks business podcast, listened to in 120 countries with 130+ episodes. How the industry actually works, from the bar to the boardroom.
Wanna know what the conversation above means for your team? It's in the paid section.
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