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Sep 25, 2023

What Happened To Blendtique Wine Company After Shark Tank?

Blendtique Wine Company is the brainchild of central California sommelier Billy

Blendtique Wine Company is the brainchild of central California sommelier Billy Dim. Dim noticed that many wine fans visited the region to tour vineyards and partake in wine tastings, but that actual participation in the winemaking process could only go so far. "Somehow, as an enthusiast, it didn't seem fair; I expected more," Dim says on Blendtique's website.

According to a segment on Coffee With America airing on YouTube, Blendtique Wine Company allows wine drinkers to blend their own custom wines from various base varietals. Home wine blenders follow the instruction manual and use the flask and measuring pipette to mix the wines until they find the blend that tastes most like perfection to their particular taste buds. After finding the ideal blend, you can head to Blendtique's website and enter the amounts of each wine varietal used and order a bottle of your own wine to be shipped to you — complete with a custom uploaded label.

Once Billy Dim had this fabulous idea for a custom wine company, he apparently got financial backing from First Choice Beverage, which assists new entrepreneurs in the alcohol industry. But Dim soon realized he needed more money and more mentoring, so he headed to the "Shark Tank" stage on Season 8 of the hit show asking for a $250,000 investment for 10% equity in the business (via Shark Tank Success).

Per Gazette Review, the Sharks had plenty of laughs and got into some shenanigans while tasting and practicing mixing Blendtique's wines, but not many of them ended up sinking their teeth into the idea. Lori Greiner was the only Shark willing to take a bite, and after a few back-and-forth negotiations, Dim agreed on a $250,000 investment at 8% interest with 10% equity in the company (via Shark Tank Blog).

While Shark Tank Blog reports the deal with Greiner didn't end up going through, Blendtique Wine Company has since partnered with Celebrity Cruise Lines and conducts wine blending on board while making $4 million every year.

Today, Blendtique Wine Company sells a variety of differently sized kits to suit your wine blending wants and needs, including the Blendtique Wooden Kit shown on "Shark Tank," which features four bottles of red wine: one merlot, one cabernet sauvignon, one syrah, and one grenache, the flask, and pipette, all in a wooden wine-case box, sold for $149.95. Per Gazette Review, sales have been so high at times that the website has been known to crash.

Beyond the wine blending events held on Celebrity Cruise Lines ships, according to Instagram, Blendtique Wine Company also hosts private events for just you, your friends, and/or your family. The Blendtique website states the company works with vineyards and winemakers from throughout central California to source its wines and that its kits have been used to make custom wines for couples for their weddings and for restaurants to have their own unique wine. Sounds like success certainly worthy of cheers!