Naked Wines, which first appeared on the
WBM 50 when U.S. case sales surpassed 500,000 cases in 2017, has been growing quickly amid the ecommerce surge of the past thirteen months.
The online retailer, founded in the U.K. in 2008, employs a club with a unique spin on crowdsourcing where customers, called Angels, fund independent winemakers in return for wines at wholesale prices. Naked Wines works with WineShipping, which has facilities in California, Missouri, Florida and New York, sending packages to 95 percent of customers within two-days.
Last year, Naked launched a $5 million “COVID support fund,” reaching 44 U.S. winemakers with immediate purchases from Jesse Katz (Aperture), Tom Rinaldi (Pellet Estate), Ted Henry (PRIME Cellars & Clos du Val), Ryan & Meghan Glaab (Ryme Cellars), and Ana Keller (Keller Estate). CEO Nick Devlin says the company is reaching critical mass such that winemakers can build brands with Naked Wines as a platform and that he’s keen to wo