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Bypassing conventional distributor and retail channels, Empathy works directly with grape growers to source quality grapes and produce its own range of wines.

Among the grower partnerships in place so far are with Shannon Ranch Vineyards in Lake County, California, Bokisch Vineyards and Mettler Family Vineyards in Lodi, and Marietta Cellars in Sonoma...

“We started Empathy Wines as a radical new way of selling wine. We want people to pay less for great, authentic wines while shining a spotlight on top-tier grape growers – the unsung heroes of the wine world,” said Vaynerchuk.

Digital marketing mogul Gary Vaynerchuk is working to disrupt the wine industry with the launch of Empathy Wines. Empathy Wines is a concept that lets farmers sell directly to consumers, under the Empathy Wines label. This eliminates the markup consumers must pay, while also allowing farmers to earn more... Ultimately, Vaynerchuk hopes “empower drinkers to trust their palate… taste lesser-known regions and grapes, and decide for themselves the good from the bad.” With Empathy Wines, he seems to be on track to do just that.  

As Vaynerchuk’s media empire grew over the past decade, two of his disciples, Jon Troutman and Nate Scherotter, climbed the ranks. Along the way, the three worked together to create other wine-related businesses such as Cork’d, a social network for wine enthusiasts, while also growing VaynerMedia into the powerhouse it is today.

Now, the trio has partnered to create what they hope will be an industry-disrupting, direct-to-consumer winery called Empathy Wines. With a motto of “Empathy for the Farmer, Empathy for You,” the winery aims to cut out the middlemen to save consumers money on wine, while also trying to create more of a connection between consumers and the farmers in Northern California who supply the grapes for these wines.

Empathy Wines was created to provide good wine at a reasonable cost by selling wine direct to consumers – meaning those $50 bottles of wine are now $20.

For transparency purposes, I purchased the 6-bottle package ($450) but will now probably upgrade to the case which is $720 for the year.

So is Empathy Wine the greatest Rose you have tasted? would love to hear your thoughts. Will close by saying this is a case worthy purchase!

Empathy does a seasonal wine club where you get rosé in the spring, white in the summer, and reds in the fall. All of the grapes that go into Empathy wine are cultivated by farmers from Lake County and Geyserville, California. If three bottles isn't enough for you in one shipment per season, you can bump up to a gold club membership, which gets you six bottles in each seasonal shipment. To get even more, a platinum membership ships double that and you'll have 12 bottles on your doorstep each season.

Digital marketing mogul Gary Vaynerchuk alongside fellow marketing veterans, Nate Scherotter and Jon Troutman, have created Empathy Wines. The direct-to-consumer winery, which first launched on social media, is on a mission to offer consumers exceptional wines at lower prices. Co-founders Scherotter and Troutman joined Cheddar to discuss how Empathy Wines is disrupting the wine industry.

“I’m not in the mood to start businesses to sell, especially this quickly,” he said. ”[But] you couldn’t even really comprehend the delta difference between their (Constellation’s) capabilities and what we did at Empathy. That was too attractive to pass up, and this is a little bit of a romance play for me. I grew up admiring Simi and Robert Mondavi. This is absolutely childhood dream stuff.”

Most people are buying $12 to $14 wines, but getting an $8 value. Vaynerchuk, along with business partners Jon Troutman and Nate Scherotter, wanted to work directly with farmers, cut out wholesalers and retailers, and sell consumers a $40 bottle of wine for $20. 

“If I can get a big chunk of $12 to $15 wine drinkers to just try me, and realize they are getting a 3x better wine, then I can probably get them to go from $14 - $20 consistently,” Vaynerchuk said. 

"What Gary and John and Nate have built is a highly distinctive brand," Robert Hanson, Constellation's president of the wine & spirits division, told Wine Spectator. Hanson added that Constellation was drawn to Empathy by its quality and price, but it was also interested in its consumer-engagement model and direct-to-consumer strategy. "It tucks quite nicely into the focus that we have on more bold, more innovative, more agile high-end wine and spirits brands."