There’s a brand of wine especially for Gen Z and the sisters behind your favorite bottle of Black Girl Magic Wines are involved in it. Robin McBride and Andréa McBride John of the McBride Sisters Wine Company (the largest Black and women-founded wine company) teamed up with entrepreneur Jess Druey to collaborate on her California-based brand, Whiny Baby, producing and distributing the beverage on a national scale.
Druey, who is part of Gen Z, flipped the opinion that this particular group is “a generation of whiny babies,” reclaiming it to make a collection of wines marketed to young people. And it makes sense. Wine is often pushed towards older crowds, which results in younger drinkers shying away from it. The Wine Market Council found through a 2021 survey that only 14 percent of those between the ages of 21 and 30 drink wine weekly. So Druey set out to make a more approachable wine, partnering with the McBride sisters who are crafting the bottles. What makes them less intimidating, is a variety of things, including the names. The first trio released is a red blend of zinfandel and merlot called “Obsessed,” offering a fruity flavor. There’s also the “OMG?!?” rosé blend that is a mix of merlots, riesling and muscat, and the “Unwind” white blend that includes Chenin Blanc and Viognier as well as Salinas Valley riesling.
And the look is also unique, from the lettering of the Whiny Baby logo to the bottle cap as opposed to a cork, and the bottle charm that can also be used as a phone charm. And there’s a removable label at the back of the bottles so those who try the offerings can record their thoughts on it, as well as, perhaps, the experience connected to the time they had it, like conversations had, who they enjoyed it with and more. Nevertheless, it’s not a lightweight, childish version of wine. The rosé tastes like rosé, the red tastes like a red blend and the white option, my favorite, does have a light, refreshing fruity taste. They don’t disappoint.
But I think the true enjoyment comes from the presentation. Every bottle has personality. Look at these super cute bottles of wine, with their charms, sticker details and “tastes like” info for people to know what flavor they’re going to experience. It’s easy. There’s no fighting to get it open or to figure out how to close it. It’s also fun. There are prompts in the bottle caps to help create conversation with whomever you might share your drink with. And yes, as an added bonus, the wine is good too, whether you’re taking in a sweet aroma while covering your palate with a citrus treat in the white or enjoying the strawberry, raspberry and nectarine notes in the rosé. The This display brings joy to the experience of consumin wine, which can feel stiff and serious, even when you’re having a favorite flavor. That said, Whiny Baby’s approach is great to get more Gen Z folks into wine versus cocktails and beer, but it’s also convincing and welcoming for Millennials and more.
You can try Whiny Baby over at whinybaby.com, as they ship the bottles to a majority of states across the U.S.
