The DRINKS Podcast: The Business of Online Alcohol
Your definitive source for digital transformation in the alcohol industry.
Hosted by Rami Jubran, Chief of Staff at DRINKS, this series explores how technology is reshaping alcohol commerce.
The alcohol business is at an inflection point. The way people discover brands, how they research what to buy, where they actually make purchases, it's all shifting. And honestly, a lot of traditional approaches just aren't working the way they used to.
Every week, we’ll talk with founders, operators, and executives who are figuring this out in real time. Some are finding real success with new strategies, others are learning expensive lessons, but they're all navigating the same fundamental challenge: how do you build a sustainable alcohol business in a digital world?
Whether you're running a winery exploring eCommerce, looking to add alcohol as a new category at a retailer, or building technology for regulated industries, these conversations give you the context you need to understand where this industry is heading.
The DRINKS Podcast: The Business of Online Alcohol
How Value Pricing & Digital Storytelling Are Rewriting Wine Sales with Carson Benham - 027
In this episode of the Drinks.com Podcast, host Brandon Amoroso sits down with Carson Benham, newly minted VP of West Coast Sales at Martin Ray Winery, for a candid look at where wine sales are really headed.
Inside the conversation
🎯 80/20 in action: how Carson decides which markets and events deserve his time—and why Utah suddenly matters.
🔄 E-commerce vs. three-tier: practical ways to use DTC traction to unlock distributor deals.
💸 Price-point reset: turning California’s bulk-wine oversupply into everyday-luxury bottles under $25.
📱 Gen-Z playbook: digital storytelling, “better-for-you” labels, and checkout flows that match fashion-retail standards.
🌊 Surviving the RNDC exit: ripple effects of a top distributor leaving California and the new openings for small brands.
🚚 Hidden costs revealed: shipping math, six-bottle safeguards, and why Apple Pay should be on every winery site.
Whether you sell wine, study the industry, or love a good deal at dinner, this conversation delivers practical takeaways you can use right away.
Mores resources at Drinks.com