Last year, I visited my mentor Namiko at her nearby office at World Innovation Lab. Namiko is one of the coolest GSB alums in the food & drink space--having worked on every cool team, from being employee #3 at Blue Bottle to pioneering the world’s first 0.00% alcohol beer (Kirin Free). Besides being able to absorb her incredible knowledge, it is great seeing her because she always let's me try the coolest new food and drink products from companies she is working with.
On this one visit, she showed me a product that I've stirred on since: Endless West's Glyph. She offered me a glass of this whiskey without context. While delicious, I wondered what was so special about it. That is when she made the big reveal: the whiskey was made in a lab (what!).
I was tickled to hear that a few weeks ago Endless West released Gemello, their synthetic drink that resembles a 6% Moscato.
While I've yet to get my hands on it, what would a world with synthetic wine look like? Is this just the Impossible Foods of wine? Surely a synthetic wine would use less agricultural inputs than a traditional wine, as well as reduce quality variables that come from varying weather patterns and global warming.
But would it remove the preciousness of wine? Would we enjoy an icewine if its taste were scalable, versus enjoy its rarity and craftsmanship?
Namiko sounds amazing! What a cool friend to have.
ReplyDeleteI personally had never heard of synthetic beverages before, so I appreciate you sharing this on the blog! Your analogy - The Impossible Foods of wine - really resonates, and I expect that many consumers who seek more environmentally friendly alternatives could be intrigued.
I also see your other point - wineries try to convey a sense of authenticity in brand or in the way that consumers experience the in-person tasting experience. This could be important, especially as wine competes for "share of buzz" relative to other products.
I'd like to try synthetic wine, and I think there'd be a place for it in my wine fridge. But I also value the story that I can tell about a specific bottle when I share it with a friend. I don't see myself every switching to synthetic wine entirely, but I see it being an interesting option to have among many and I love this innovation in the market.
I agree with Emily's point on authenticity and stories (and I really appreciate your analogy to Impossible Foods, which I love), but I do think there's still a possibility to do both (i.e. tell stories, retain craft authenticity).
ReplyDeleteI could see that authenticity would have a place in the world of synthetic wine-making; as that industry grows, there are likely to be "synthetic wineries" that take a unique approach to making their wines, and that's something that could be communicated to the consumer in the form of a story -- "instead of being a grape grower, the owner was a chemist". Even today, the average consumer likely doesn't fully understand the (regular) wine making process, and so might be equally as curious when synthetic wines come into play.
Something that fascinates me, as someone who has Celiac Disease (gluten autoimmune disorder), is the fact that these spirits could be made without any gluten containing ingredients. I have been unable to drink many of my favorite liquors and all my favorite beer brands since my diagnosis nearly a decade ago. I would jump at the chance to have Guinness, Laphroaig, or various other Scotch and Whiskey brands available and gluten-free for my consumption. I am sure there are other individuals with similar allergies (corn and malt are two in my family that come to mind) who would also enjoy drinking synthetic versions of their favorite beverages engineered to not include whatever ingredient is at issue. An obvious growth opportunity to me would be the licensure of this technology to various brands to create verifiable, non-allergenic versions of their beverages to grow their market share with this blue ocean strategy.
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