FOUNDER OF THE MONTH
BRETT BAYDA
DRINJK WINES
BY Russell Nichols
There ’ s nothing worse than pouring wine down the drain , says Brett Bayda , founder and CEO of Drinjk Wines . But he found himself committing this very sin far too often after opening a bottle . “ If I drank the whole bottle , I wouldn ’ t feel good ,” he says . “ But if I drank half , I ’ d get busy , forget about it , and it would oxidize .”
So he created Drinjk Wines for consumers like him who want more portion control instead of letting wine go to waste . The Rancho Cordova-based startup ’ s unique cylinder bottle holds 6.3 ounces of wine , enough for two people . Self-funded by Bayda , who owned a small building company in Canada , the business launched under the name Sip and Savor in 2017 with a three-bottle membership for $ 30 . Every month , members received three wines from one of the world ’ s best seven wine regions , including Spain , France and Italy .
Since launching , the startup has placed in pitch competitions but also faced challenges of packaging , having too much inventory and trying to market on a shoestring budget . In December 2019 , Drinjk Wines released an advent calendar , which caught the attention of Safeway , and the grocery began selling the product . The team has three full-timers , including Bayda , his wife , Alexa Bayda , who handles logistics and customer service , and Elina Wakker , the digital marketing manager . The company also has three parttime workers and 10 international remote contractors .
PHOTO BY TERENCE DUFFY
Sip and Savor . My original name for the startup was ............................................................
forest ranger . If I could have any other job , I ’ d be a ............................................................
“ Shoe The book that best represents my approach to business would be ..................
Dog : A Memoir by the Creator of Nike ” by Phil Knight . ..................................................................................................................
being embarrassed . My biggest fear about launching was ..........................................................
slow down . If I could give my younger self some advice , it would be ...............................
HAS COVID-19 FORCED YOU TO ADAPT ? “ We ’ ve made adjustments in the pandemic with a virtual wine-tasting box . Companies purchase 25 to 200 boxes and send them to all of their employees . Customers and I go online and do a live virtual wine tasting with eight of our single-serve wines . That ’ s become very popular .”
WHY THAT SPELLING FOR THE STARTUP ’ S NAME ? “ We are really trying to make wine more approachable with our new brand , new packing , new bottle design . The silent J symbolizes that we are a company that doesn ’ t take anything too serious . That we just love wine and love having fun .”
For more on Drinjk Wines , read Russell Nichols ’ Startup of the Month column at comstocksmag . com .
102 comstocksmag . com | October 2020