If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably come across the “trad wife” trend. At its core, it’s a romanticized view of traditional roles. Everyone has a clearly defined job. The responsibilities are straightforward. Things just work the way they always have.
It got me thinking. The wine industry has its own version. I call it the “trad distro.” It’s the belief that once you sign a distributor, your work is done. Find a distributor. Ship the wine. Wait for the purchase orders.
For a long time, that was the expectation. Wineries believed distributors would educate the sales team, build relationships with buyers, create demand and grow the brand. The winery’s job was to make great wine and stay out of the way.
That model is disappearing. Not because distributors have stopped caring. Because the job has fundamentally changed. Distributor portfolios are larger than ever. Sales reps carry more brands. Buyers have more choices. Every supplier is competing for the same attention. The reality is that no distributor has unlimited time or resources, no matter how good they are. The wineries that continue to expect a distributor to do all the heavy lifting are often the same wineries wondering six months later why sales haven’t materialized. That isn’t a distributor problem, it’s a partnership problem.
One of the questions I get asked most often is how I choose distributors for my winery clients. People expect me to start with geography, market share or portfolio size. Those things matter. But they aren’t what I’m looking for first.
I’m looking for people who actually want to build something together. Will they answer the phone when we have an idea? Will they tell us the truth when something isn’t working? Will they brainstorm opportunities instead of simply sending depletion reports? Will they let us jump in and help train the sales team? Will they introduce us to buyers we can support together? Will they collaborate? Because that is what the best distributor relationships look like today.
The days of dropping off a stack of sell sheets, visiting once a year and hoping for the best are over. Today, the strongest suppliers are creating account lists alongside their distributors. They’re joining ride withs. They’re hosting trainings. They’re creating marketing assets distributors can actually use. They’re supporting key placements and sharing market intelligence from across the country. Most importantly, they’re showing up.
The distributors I love working with don’t expect us to disappear after the first shipment. They expect us to be part of the team and that’s exactly how I want it.
When I recommend a distributor to one of my wineries, I’m not looking for someone to sell the wine for us. I’m looking for someone who wants to build the business with us. That mindset changes everything. It creates better communication. It creates more accountability. It creates stronger execution. And ultimately, it creates better results for everyone involved.
The “trad distro” makes sense in a different era. Today’s market demands something different.
Not transactions.
Partnerships.
Wine loves company 🍷
