Two friends walk into a bar…and don’t know what to order. “Nikki [Huganir] and I have been lifelong friends – we met in middle school,” YesWay Rosé co-founder Erica Blumenthal tells GRAZIA USA. “I was a fashion editor and writer, and Nikki worked as a graphic designer and art director. Living and working in New York the two of us would always go out together, but we never knew what drink to order. I would get the house red and Nikki the house white.”
The duo discovered French rosé (“most likely at a fashion party,” says Blumenthal), and it changed everything. “We became obsessed with the light peachy-pink color and refreshing taste and wanted to learn everything we could about the wine,” explains Blumenthal. “At the time, I wasn’t seeing a real future in my career and there was something very powerful about our newfound passion that I knew we had to pursue.”
In August 2013, Blumenthal and cofounder Huganir started @yeswayrose and shared the brand’s very first Instagram post. “The day of our first Instagram post was the day we became entrepreneurs,” says Blumenthal. “Now we have one of the top rosé brands in the country.”
So how did a magazine editor and a graphic designer find such success in the wine industry? “How does the saying go? Just do it!” says Huganir. “When we first had the idea for Yes Way Rosé, we knew nothing about how to start a wine company so we started with lifestyle products like tote bags, T-shirts and sweatshirts.We were able to build our brand that way, while taking the time to learn as much as possible about the wine business.”
While taking the jump into becoming rosé entrepreneurs was a leap of faith, things have been methodically planned and brought to market. “We like to map out where we’re going, to have goals and lead with a vision and purpose,” explains Huganir. “That said, we always say we need to leave room for some magic to happen.”
To escape the day-to-day grind of running a successful brand, both Blumenthal and Huganir have their own go-to outlets. “Generally, I unwind with a glass or can of crisp, chilled YesWay Rosé!” says Blumenthal. “But also, I like to take hikes in the morning, play tennis, read a novel, and listen to music. Anything where I get to be without my computer or phone is very helpful for unwinding.”
Huganir, who recently became a mom, says she makes sure to “find time to ‘turn off’ my work brain and be present with her. It’s been a new challenge, but a super fun one.”
But having a top-selling rosé takes a lot of effort and hard work—a task that Blumenthal and Huganir are certainly up for. “Our rosé is currently the number six rosé in the country, and our ultimate goal is to work our way to the top spot,” Blumenthal shares. “Everything is in service of that so we’re very focused on our core products: our signature dry rosé, the rosé cans, and our sparkling brut rosé, all of which are made in the South of France. First up, we have an exciting packaging refresh in the works for early next year.”
As for what’s next: “We hope the journey always leads us back to the South of France, our happy place where we make the wine,” says Blumenthal. “We’ve worked very hard for the past 10 years to get to this place and now we want to focus on what we’ve grown with as few distractions as possible to make it even better.”
