14/01/2023

Kayla earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Enology and Viticulture at Cornell University. As a Sonoma County native, she has been working in wine production since she was 16 years old, and has gained cellar, vineyard, and laboratory experience from notable Sonoma and Napa wineries such as Chalk Hill, Raymond, Quivira, and Clos du Bois. In 2014 she traveled to Chile to work at Château Lafite Rothschild’s Viña Los Vascos. Kayla spent the last few years in the laboratory at Paul Hobbs Winery before joining the BevZero team.

The global non-alcoholic wine segment has been experiencing significant growth of over 20% YOY primarily driven by increased interest in health and wellness products that support mindful, consumption-conscious lifestyles while affording guilt-free indulgence.

IBWSS 2023 will have Kayla give a keynote on how wineries, breweries, and distilleries can make non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks and what is process and investment that is needed here.

Sid Patel, CEO of IBWSS chats with Kayla Winter, and here are the minutes of the meeting:

A lot of consumer interest is expected in 2023.

Top non-alcohol retailers are telling me that wine is their fastest-moving product. I surely agree that we still need to find that growth in the wine category in big supermarkets.

The sparkling category in wine is moving a lot.

Red is the hardest to get it right but it's what consumers want the most, so if done well, it's a fast-moving product.

It's a big investment for a winery or distillery to get started in the category, but it's a growing long-term category. It's the fastest-growing category. A good way to start is with companies like us, build up some scale, and then make the investment once there is a customer repeat order business.

Premium products are moving a lot faster. For a non-alcoholic premium, we define it as $20-30 would be 20-30. Those tend to be top sellers for retailers.

Growth on both ends of the spectrum. Sommeliers, bartenders, and retailers asking for premium and lesser-known varietals. But on another side of things, people want higher quality brands that are affordable in big stores like Target and trader joes.

The category gives many different angles for existing big brands to get into. They can sell at all places, they can use this for advertising their brand on social media. They also need to offer their big customers the category.

Truth: It's more expensive to make nonalcoholic beverages than normal alcoholic beverages. Thus, we need to educate end consumers, that this is infected more expensive product and not an inferior product.

We are advancing a lot in technology making nonalcoholic products taste better now.

There are many other ways to work in this category or get started, one great example is how BevZero and Summerland Wine Brands announced a strategic partnership to bring non-alcoholic wines to market. BevZero’s expertise in NA wine development and dealcoholization technology in collaboration with Summerland’s winemaker craftsmanship, custom label design and production capabilities, and extensive industry relationships combine to produce high-quality private label NA wines to fulfill the growing demand in the market.

The initial NA custom label program includes four varietals: Chardonnay, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Red Blend. The NA wines are created from premium, traditionally fermented California wines utilizing BevZero’s state-of-the-art technologies that gently remove the alcohol while preserving its essence.  Summerland’s Winemakers then craft the perfect blend to retain the depth of flavor and complexity to achieve an ideal balance of aroma and palate. 

If you are a winery, brewery, or distillery looking to make Non-Alcoholic and Low Alcohol Drinks, you must attend Kayla’s session at the upcoming IBWSS show. This is a great chance to meet her, and ask him direct questions. Get your conference ticket before January 31 to secure the super early bird pricing of just $299. Prices go up from February 1, 2023.

Who’s Else Is Speaking at IBWSS 2023?

1. Sarah (Morra) Qualters, Director of Marketing, Corporate Brands & Emerging Channels, at The Wine Group.

2. Ryan Pandl - Senior Buyer, Adult Beverages and Beverages at Target.

3. Kryss Speegle MW - Alc Bev production, sales and education, O'Neill Vintners & Distillers.

4. Jessica Kogan, Chief Growth & Experience Officer at Vintage Wine Estates.

5. Shreyas Balakrishnan, President at Cutwater Spirits.

6. Randy Herron, Head Winemaker at C. Mondavi & Family.

7. Jon Berg, Thought Leadership VP – Beverage Alcohol Vertical for NielsenIQ.

8. Cami Lehmann, Purchasing, Wine Programs, and Marketing at Maggiano’s Little Italy.

9. Jim Bube MS, Wine Director at Hogsalt, Chicago.

10. Maurice DiMarino, Wine and Beverage Manager at Cohn Restaurant Group.

11. Cheryl Durzy, LibDib Founder & CEO.

12. Rachel Lowe, Director of Beverage for Levy Restaurants, Chicago, IL.

13. Nathan Mansperger, VP of eCommerce, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits.

14. Bryan Melo, Senior Director of National Accounts & eCommerce at Freixenet Mionetto USA.

15. Horst Muelle, Global Head VinLog at Kuehne + Nagel.

16. Anita Oberholster, Extension Specialist in Enology at the University of California, Davis.

17. Jason Steffens, Training Manager at Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits.

18. Devin Walden, Master Distiller of Tropical Distillers.

19. Kayla Winter, Director, Product Services and Winemaking at BevZero.

More speakers are being added and you will be able to see the full list here.

What will you learn at IBWSS Conference?

The conference will take a deep dive into private labels, industry progress, bulk, and supply chain. Speakers who are experts in the bulk and private label business will provide you with actionable insights to help you save money with the expensive lessons that they have learned, they will provide you with knowledge of the current and future landscape of the industry so you can plan your business trajectory, they will provide you with appropriate knowledge to spot upcoming opportunities. IBWSS conferences are considered to be the best in the business and all the speakers at IBWSS have been carefully selected to give you a complete seminar that is valuable for you.

Image: Kayla Winter; Source: Instagram

Topics will include data and trends, the non-alcohol segment and how winemakers can partake in this, supply and ocean freight, sales, technical and blending panel, what bulk wine and bulk spirits buyers are looking to buy, and how they will plan their buying in the recessionary period, national chain buyers like Target on sustainability in suppliers, managing a fast-growing brand, smoke lab analysis and contracts, alternative packaging, eCommerce and digital panel and more.

There will also be 4 main panels, one with on-trade chain buyers, one with off-trade national chain buyers, a technical panel of winemakers, and lab experts, and one with bulk wine and spirits buyers. The panels will be open for audience Q and A.

Who is this for?

Anyone in the bulk wine, bulk spirits, private label, contract bottling, and supply chain business. From winemakers, and distillers to retail buyers, salespeople, and CEOs, IBWSS is where decision-makers gather in planning and improving their private label, contract, and bulk business.

Networking Party

Don’t miss the cocktail party at the Double Tree Hotel next to the expo venue at the end of day 1. Grab a drink or two and network with speakers, exhibitors, and peers. You get free access to this if you book your IBWSS conference tickets before December 16 (in the launch week).

Can’t attend in person? Secure the recorded sessions with an all-track pass

We'd love to see you in person and hang out with us, learn, network, and also have a drink at the after-party! However, if you'd prefer to attend virtually, the PowerPoint and videos of the speakers’ talks will be available. You will be able to watch all the sessions in your own time and have access to Powerpoint presentations so you can learn and apply the information in your business.

Pricing for IBWSS In-Person Conference Sessions

December 17, 2022, to January 31, 2023 - $299 (Super Early Bird).

February 1, 2023, to May 10, 2023 - $399 (Early Bird).

May 11, 2023, onwards - $499 (Regular).

*All conference tickets are fully refundable 60 days before the event. All conference tickets include lunch, coffee & pastry, and expo floor entry. The launch pricing conference ticket also includes access to the cocktail party.

Pricing for IBWSS Expo Floor

December 17, 2022, to January 31, 2023 - $39 (Super Early Bird).

February 1, 2023, to May 10, 2023 - $49 (Early Bird).

May 11, 2023, onwards - $59 (Regular).

Secure your seat at the best deal by grabbing your conference pass before January 31 (Super early bird).