For Luxury winemaker Duckhorn, supermarkets and tailored launches are a winning pairing

Sounds like a hunting tool… actually a wine. Duckhorn Portfolio is Napa Valley’s first publicly traded winemaker in decades, and the stock (perfect ticker: NAPA) is up 20% since its $2B March IPO. Its 10 luxury wine brands include Decoy, Duckhorn Vineyards, and Kosta Browne, with bottles ranging from $20 to $200. Last quarter, the supplier swung a profit and beat pre-pandemic levels with 36% sales growth. Behind the boon:

• Wide net: Duckhorn wines are sold in bars, restaurants, and grocery stores across the US. Last year, it sold more than 1.4M cases.
• Member fees: Duckhorn’s Wine Club sends three to four of its top bottles to your doorstep for up to $420/month.

One-stop wine shop… Empty vineyards and shuttered tasting rooms put a strain on most luxury vineyards during the pandemic. Duckhorn offset those losses by increasing its presence in grocery stores, where most consumers shopped, and by launching new products and features:

• Wine seltzer: Duckhorn unveiled a line of canned Decoy wine seltzers this year, like “Chardonnay with Clementine Orange.”
• Tastings with Alexa: Its new Alexa assistant means its 55K club members don’t have to sip alone. Think: virtual tasting rooms and wine-pairing suggestions.