By Carl Giavanti
Erica Duecy is founder of Business of Drinks, a podcast and data-and-insights consultancy, and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.
She also has led digital editorial teams at Architectural Digest and Saveur magazines. Her content, podcast and video programs have won more than 40 digital and editorial awards. She is a WSET Advanced-certified wine and spirits communicator and author of the cocktail book Storied Sips (Random House), about the real-life stories behind the world’s most famous cocktails. She covers all types of drinks: wine, beer, spirits, non-alcoholic drinks, sodas, functional beverages, THC-infused, coffee, tea and others. https://linktr.ee/ericaduecyÂ
How did you come to wine, and to wine writing?
I came to wine from a background in food, restaurants and travel journalism. In my twenties, I ate out nearly every meal while covering NYC restaurants as a food trends reporter, and later as a restaurants and hotels editor. And that meant a lot of meals accompanied by cocktails and wine. Over time, I grew more intrigued by what was in my glass than on my plate, and I started working through the WSET certifications. I shifted my focus to wine and spirits writing and editing, and wrote a cocktail book about the true stories behind the world’s best-known cocktails, called Storied Sips (Random House).
What led you to your wine industry business journalism focus?
Covering the drinks business is a continuation of my path down the rabbit hole. First, I tackled consumer topics, then I went deeper. The more I learn about this industry, the more I realize how much there is to learn. And for those who are new to the game — like drinks brand founders — there is no blueprint to follow to achieve success. That’s what I aim to change with Business of Drinks.
I love to learn — then share — how to build brands and companies that excel. And how to navigate within the industry most successfully. From licensure to distribution to marketing strategies, there’s no shortage of angles to tackle. Plus, the industry is also shifting quickly, and there’s a ton of innovation happening across the drinks space, from non-alcohol wines to canned cocktails.
And that’s not to mention the generational changes! I’ve conducted original research about what Millennials and Gen Zs are drinking — and why they’re choosing those products. That’s both available to brands as a report, or in any of the presentations I give for companies and associations. And, of course, everything is fair game for the Business of Drinks podcast. It’s safe to say that we’ll never run out of potential episodes.
What’s the editorial focus of Business of Drinks?
Business of Drinks is a podcast dedicated to helping drinks businesses unlock growth. We have two tracks. The first is case studies of the most successful drinks brands across all categories. Examples would be talking with Bill Shufelt, founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing, about how he found his brand’s first 1,000 true fans and became one of the largest non-alc beer brands in America, or discussing with Justin Fenchel, co-founder and CEO of the RTD party punch Beatbox, about how he scaled his business to $100 million in sales. We layer in those episodes with masterclasses on topics like how to find and work with distributors, how to pitch investors and how to build a sales team, among many others.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I spend a lot of my time in the Catskill Mountains of New York and have recently taken up fly fishing. I love the immersive nature of fly fishing, where you’re actively engaging with the river and its inhabitants. It’s both exciting (when you hook that fish) and meditative (when the fish aren’t biting and you’re just enjoying being in the river).
What haven’t you done that you’d like to do?
I’ve advised several start up drinks brands at various stages in their journey, but I’ve never partnered to bring a product from idea to market. That’s something I’d love to try at some point — developing a product and its go-to-market strategy, then helping it find an audience and scale up. I think it would be immensely gratifying to shepherd a brand through its entire lifecycle.
Can you describe your approach to producing wine-related content?
It’s always about what serves the audience best. I write articles, present at conferences and produce the podcast largely for trade audiences. The stories I tell vary considerably depending upon who the end user is. If it’s entrepreneurs, I’m helping them solve problems or understand what’s working in the market right now. But if I’m writing for consumer audiences, it’s an entirely different type of writing, typically around recommending products or sharing eco-focused news.Â
Do you work on an editorial schedule and/or develop story ideas as they come up?
For Business of Drinks, I release new episodes every other week. For other outlets, it’s more spontaneous, as ideas emerge.
Where do you post content on social media? Why is that important?
I post most of my content on LinkedIn, as the go-to place for business conversations. It’s where I share ideas and video snippets aimed at giving insights for drinks businesses. I generally post the best takeaways from guests on the Business of Drinks podcast, and discussion on why those perspectives matter. I also post trade- and consumer-focused content on my Instagram account.
What are your recommendations to wineries when interacting with journalists?
Make it easy. I always point to Tablas Creek as a great example. Yes, they’re an amazing winery, but that’s not the only reason they’re constantly being featured. They make the process quick and painless. They have a clearly labeled Trade & Media Resources section that gives journalists direct access to download hi-res images, videos, state-by-state distributor contacts and other resources so we can produce a story without having to email back and forth. Dead simple. It’s surprising to me that more wineries haven’t followed their lead — it’s efficient for both parties.Â
What advantages are there in working directly with winery publicists?
For more complex requests, winery publicists are a great resource. They have access to leadership and decisionmakers, and can make interviews, samples and visits happen on a tight deadline.
If you take days off, how do you spend them?
On weekends in warmer months, I’m usually in the Catskill Mountains with my husband and kids. And in the winter, we enjoy skiing, and spending time in NYC visiting museums and seeing shows.
What is your most memorable wine or wine tasting experience?
That would have to be the time I was invited to taste some 1846 Madeira at Christie’s auction house. The wines were a historic discovery, hidden behind a false wall at Liberty Hall Museum in New Jersey and unearthed during a renovation. I tasted two Madeiras — one a drier style likely from the Sercial grape, and the second a medium dry from Verdelho. They were both incredibly vibrant after 172 years! It was mind-bending to taste wines with such a deep history — liquid archaeology in its truest form.  Â
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Carl Giavanti
Carl Giavanti is a winery publicist in his 16th year of consulting. Carl has been in business marketing and public relations for over 30 years; his background in tech, marketing and project management informs his role as a publicist and wine writer. Clients are or have been in Willamette Valley, Napa Valley, and Columbia Valley https://carlgiavanticonsulting.com/ He also writes for several wine and travel publications https://linktr.ee/carlgiavanti
