Gen Z Wine Startup Whiny Baby Is Now Part of Gallo

Read enough about generational drinking habits in the U.S. in 2025 and you’re likely to come across some variation on the idea that Gen Z is drinking less than its Millennial and Gen X counterparts. There’s been a lot written on this subject, as well as copious research — along with efforts to create alcohol that might better appeal to a younger generation. Included in this category is the memorably named Whiny Baby.

In a recent interview with Insight Out, Whiny Baby founder Jess Druey addressed her reeasons for starting the company. She described shopping for wine and feeling alienated by what she saw. “Nothing was speaking to me — and I knew I couldn’t be the only one feeling that way,” she told Insight Out. What began as a direct to consumer brand in California has spread to most of the states in the U.S., with bottles available in shops across the nation.

That also means that Whiny Baby has reached the stage where larger players in the wine space take notice. In this case, it means that Gallo has purchased Whiny Baby. Last week, the former shared news of the acquisition on Instagram, declaring that “[t]ogether, we’re on a mission to welcome the next generation of wine lovers.”

In the interview with Insight Out, Druey spoke of her interest in “[making] wine fun, accessible, and part of people’s lives,” and suggested that a tasting room might be in Whiny Baby’s future. According to reporting by Olivia White at VinePair, Druey will continue to run Whiny Baby and will also be involved in what White described as “emerging consumer innovation” at the parent company.

Sazerac is Having a Ball With Their Latest Acquisition

We mean that very literally

This isn’t the only case of a larger liquor company purchasing an upstart that’s sought to demystify drinking for the younger set. Last year, if you’ll recall, Sazerac purchased the evocatively named BuzzBallz, which also (one assumes) appeals to a Gen Z audience. It’s an understandable shift: if twentysomethings aren’t gravitating to wine, beer and spirits as much as their older counterparts, it behooves big players in the industry to link up with the companies that have managed to crack that code.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…