Introducing Allison and Lauren, the masterminds behind Juliet! With a deep-rooted dedication to sustainability and an unwavering love for exquisite wine, these two dynamic individuals embarked on a journey to bring Juliet to life. Having been close friends for years and possessing extensive experience in sales, marketing, and the wine & spirits industry, they stumbled upon a remarkable revelation – boxed wine boasts a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to its bottled counterpart. This realization sparked a brilliant idea: to create an eco-conscious wine that not only preserves the taste and quality of traditional bottled wines but also champions sustainability. Juliet is more than just a wine; it’s a movement that aims to revolutionize the wine-drinking culture and propel the entire industry towards a greener future.

What is Juliet?

Juliet is changing the wine industry. It was founded by longtime friends on a mission to shift the culture of everyday wine drinking away from glass bottles—the largest contributor to wine’s carbon footprint. To achieve that, we reinvented boxed wine for the modern consumer, producing a line of 6 award-winning, California wines housed in chic, eco-conscious packaging.

What led you to start Juliet?

When we discovered that boxed wine has the lowest carbon footprint of any wine packaging format (by a lot!), we were inspired to act. A huge reason that more wine drinkers in the US don’t choose boxed wine is because of the negative stigma attached to it. We created Juliet to change that perception, offering women a wine that is beautifully designed, tastes great, and is better for the planet.

How did you go about working together with the wineries in Santa Barbara?

For our first vintage, we partnered with an incredible, Certified Sustainable winery in the Central Coast of California. Our Wine Consultant, Melissa Monti Saunders, MW worked with their wine-making team to develop our house style, and as our business has grown, we’ve partnered with additional winemakers that are able to maintain our commitment to quality, taste, and sustainability.

Will you tell us how Juliet is sustainable?

Juliet takes a holistic approach to sustainability and our proprietary Eco-Magnum packaging format is the cornerstone of our commitment. By choosing to offer Juliet in box, we’ve reduced the total carbon footprint of the wine by more than half (as compared to the equivalent amount of wine in glass bottles).

Will you tell us about your various wines?

Juliet currently offers 6 wines, all of them varietal, vintage, and made in the Central Coast AVA. Our Grenache Dry Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir are our flagship wines that we’ve produced since launch. Recently we added a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a limited edition Orange wine made from Marsanne.

What are your top sellers?

Our best-selling wine is our Dry Rosé. It’s the perfect summer wine and flies off the shelves in beach destinations like the Hamptons. We even sell it by the Magnum poolside at luxury resorts like the Bellagio in Vegas and the Auberge Resorts in California and New York. Our new Cabernet Sauvignon is another top seller. We introduced it in Fall 2023 and it sold out soon after! It’s an elegant, lean expression of the varietal that resonates well with our female audience.

How did you go about choosing the blends for your wine?

All our wines have a signature style that is bright and approachable with delicious fruit flavors and aromas. We really wanted to create wines that were delicious and easy to drink, either on their own or paired with food. When developing our house style we thought a lot about “village wines” from great wine regions in Europe. They are well-made and delicious, but not overly complicated, and frequently offer a great value for money.

Will you tell us about the ingredients you use?

At Juliet, we pride ourselves on transparency. We use minimal, natural additives only when necessary and list all ingredients and nutrition content on our website. Besides grapes, the most commonly used ingredient is Sulfites (less than 50 ppm), which is essential to preserve the freshness of the wines.

Do you have any food or event pairing recommendations for each wine you sell?

Our wines are created to pair easily with a wide variety of foods, but one of my favorite pairings is Juliet Pinot Noir with roasted vegetables and a savory meat. I’m also very into elaborate grazing boards with cheese, charcuterie and accompaniments, and both our Juliet Dry Rosé and Juliet Sauvignon Blanc are perfect for that occasion. With our newer varietals, the Cabernet Sauvignon complements rich pasta dishes well, and the Chardonnay is perfect to pair with spicy dishes.

What inspired the box design?

We created Juliet to transcend the boxed wine category and, in many ways, bridge the gap between boxed and bottled wine. Creating beautiful art and placing it on the traditional rectangular packaging didn’t resonate with us from a design perspective, so we decided to reinvent the shape and develop something totally new. The initial inspiration actually came from the beautiful cylindrical gift boxes that luxury whiskies and tequilas are offered in.

How is Juliet different from other wine companies?

Juliet is uncompromising, offering a high-quality wine that doesn’t sacrifice on sustainability or design. While other wine companies often have one or two of these tenets, Juliet sits uniquely at the intersection of all three.

Why boxed wine?

The lower environmental impact of boxed wine initially drew us to the category, but there are so many other fantastic attributes of the format, especially as it pertains to convenience. For example, it’s glass-free and portable, so it’s appropriate to take to the park or beach. Also, the interior pouch preserves wine for up to 4 weeks after opening, so our customers don’t have to worry about throwing away a half drank bottle of wine after a few days.

How did you choose the name, Juliet?

Our name is a nod to Romeo & Juliet. As a brand created by women, for women, we wanted to choose an iconic and recognizable female name and this fit the bill perfectly.

Do you have any tips for entrepreneurs?

We have learned so many valuable lessons in the three years since launch, but I think the best piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to just keep going, no matter how hard it gets. Launching and growing a company is riddled with ups and downs, and perseverance in the face of challenges is a key trait that all successful founders share. On tough days, I often reflect on the famous Babe Ruth quote, “it’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”

What is next for the company?

Juliet customers reach out to us on a daily basis asking to see Juliet on shelves at their favorite high-end retailers like Whole Foods and Target, so expansion into these chains has become our top priority in the year ahead. Our entire team is focused on breaking into new markets and new chains to ensure Juliet is available wherever our woman shops!

Where can people find you?

Juliet is available for sale online at www.drinkjuliet.com and in select retailers in California, Nevada, New York, and New Jersey. We are also launching in a few additional states this year including Tennessee and Illinois. Our website store locator is a great resource to find a store near you that carries the brand.