It’s not hard to believe that immersing yourself in Sonoma California’s wine country might inspire you to launch a wine beverage company. Having spent the last three years in Sonoma, Josh Rombach and team are doing just that.
While exploring the many wineries in the region, Josh realized that his millennial peers were not consuming wine like prior generations, and that the wine industry was struggling with innovation. With these keen observations in hand and opportunity knocking on his door, Josh assembled a team to launch Piiq, an alcoholic beverage brand producing a piquette-based wine seltzer that combines the perfect amount of fizz with wine—for the millennial consumer.
Piiq leverages an ancient style of winemaking called piquette, once the preferred drink of French farmhands and vineyard workers, which utilizes a second pressing of the grape skins leftover from traditional winemaking, upcycling what would otherwise be discarded. Aiming to reduce waste in the wine industry—a mission that resonates with many environmentally conscious consumers—Piiq offers a delicious, lower calorie and lower ABV entry point into wine, an appealing alternative for the wine curious hard seltzer or craft beer drinker.
Today you can order Piiq directly from www.drinkpiiq.com, but stay tuned as Josh and team look to expand into larger retail markets.
About the Team:
The Piiq Team, consisting of Josh Rombach, Pierson Krass, and Alex Westerberg all share a love for consumer products and brands, and are thrilled to be partnering on a product they hope will make the wine world more accessible and fun to a broader audience.
Josh Rombach spent the last 7 years in private equity at BlackRock and Sonoma Brands and is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business while working on Piiq.
High school friend and Piiq co-founder, Pierson Krass, is an experienced entrepreneur who also serves as the founder & CEO of Lunar Solar Group, a full-service digital marketing firm focused on consumer products.
Co-Founder Alex Westerberg, who will be focusing on operations at Piiq, spent much of his career in winemaking at several prominent Sonoma County wineries. He has since run operations for several emerging consumer brands and recently acquired a business as a search fund entrepreneur.
To follow the Piiq journey, check out their Instagram. To stay informed about the latest news on Piiq, you can sign up for the mailing list on their website, https://drinkpiiq.com/.