51: How NON Became a Globally Recognized Wine Alternative with Aaron Trotman - Business of Drinks

This is an essential episode for any drinks brand founder looking to break through the noise and build something truly disruptive. Contributor Caroline Lamb sits down with Aaron Trotman, founder of NON, who has not only pioneered the non-alcoholic wine alternative category — he’s redefining what premium non-alcoholic beverages can be. With a chef-driven approach, meticulous ingredient sourcing, and a relentless focus on quality, NON has earned a place on the menus of the world’s top restaurants and is now scaling globally.

In this episode, Aaron shares:

• Creating a new category – How NON was inspired by fine dining NA pairings and built with a culinary mindset, not as a wine mimic but as an entirely new premium experience.

• How to win over sommeliers – The strategy behind launching NON directly into top-tier restaurants before expanding into retail.

• Breaking into the U.S. market – The challenges and advantages of setting up NON as its own importer and signing a major distribution deal with Southern Glazer’s.

• Why transparency matters – Aaron’s commitment to using real, traceable ingredients, and how this transparency has helped build credibility in the natural wine space.

• Bootstrapping, then scaling – NON started as a self-funded project before raising investment capital to scale production to more than 500,000 bottles a year.

• Staying premium in a crowded category – NON refuses to chase volume at the expense of brand integrity, avoiding mass retail and instead focusing on independent and regional chains.

Last Call:

In this week’s Last Call segment, co-hosts Scott Rosenbaum and Erica Duecy discuss new products on their radar, from non-alcoholic innovators like Van Sha and Winderton Citrus Aperitivo to unexpected entrants like Sango African Agave, an Tequila-like spirit from South Africa and Cheramie Rum, a new agricole-style cane spirit made in Louisiana.

Don’t miss our next episode, dropping on 2/19.

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Erica Duecy, co-host:Erica Duecy is founder and co-host ofBusiness of Drinks and one of the drinks industry’s most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm ofBusiness of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.

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Scott Rosenbaum, co-host:Scott Rosenbaum is co-host ofBusiness of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as North America Search Manager at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.

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Caroline Lamb, contributor:Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor atBusiness of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.