In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, host Brett Stapper interviews Jen Pelka, Co-Founder and CEO of Une Femme Wines. Growing from a small in-house brand at her champagne bars to the third-largest canned wine company in the United States in just five years, Une Femme has transformed its go-to-market strategy from traditional fine dining and boutique retail to securing enterprise-level partnerships with companies like Delta Airlines, Virgin Voyages, and major hotel chains. Pelka shares how pivoting during the pandemic led to explosive growth, taking their production from 1,500 cases to over 300,000 cases annually with just eight full-time employees through a capital-light model focused on strategic B2B partnerships.

Topics Discussed:

• Transitioning from restaurant ownership to building a wine brand

• Scaling production 3-4x overnight to meet enterprise-level demand

• Creating a capital-light business model through strategic partnerships

• Developing high-quality canned wine products backed by scientific research

• Building a mission-driven brand that authentically centers women

• Navigating the challenges of retail distribution and DTC economics

• Surviving devastating personal and business losses during the pandemic

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Pursue “Fewer, Bigger, Better” Enterprise Partnerships

Une Femme shifted from traditional wine market expansion (small local retail and restaurants) to methodically targeting enterprise-level partnerships. By focusing on major players like Delta Airlines, Virgin Voyages, and Hilton, they’ve placed their product in front of millions of consumers while keeping their sales team incredibly lean – just three people handling accounts that generate 300,000+ cases annually.

Prioritize Operational Excellence Over Constant Innovation

Once securing major partners, Une Femme focuses on being an exceptional supplier through consistent delivery, proactive communication, and sophisticated reporting. This operational excellence has led to expanded partnerships over time (e.g., from one Delta program to owning their entire wine portfolio) rather than focusing solely on new customer acquisition.

Use PR Strategically for B2B Growth, Not Just Consumer Awareness

Jen Pelka’s background in restaurant PR proved invaluable for establishing credibility and visibility. Early features in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit provided leverage in B2B partnership conversations while creating brand recognition for consumers encountering their products through those partnerships.

Create Community Through Recognition Rather Than Consumption

The “Hall of Femme” program transformed customers into advocates by celebrating women who’ve “shattered glass ceilings” – literally sending them wine with stunt glass to break. This created a powerful emotional connection to the brand while generating organic content as recipients shared their experiences on social media.

Develop a Light-Capex Model for Scaling Without Infrastructure

Rather than investing in vineyards or production facilities, Une Femme established long-term contracts with family-owned, sustainable vineyards and production partners. This approach allowed them to scale from 5,000 to 350,000 cases without the overhead of traditional wineries while maintaining quality control.

Focus Investor Relations as a Marketing Channel

Monthly investor updates with transparent data, challenges, and specific asks have turned Une Femme’s investor community into powerful brand advocates. This systematic communication approach has both facilitated additional fundraising and created a network of high-profile supporters who amplify the brand message independently.

Lead Category Innovation Through Research and Standards

When entering the canned wine space, Une Femme didn’t just create another product – they helped establish the Canned Wine Consortium and partnered with Cornell University to research wine-can chemistry, positioning themselves as category leaders rather than followers while improving overall product quality.