Finally, a wine brand Millennials and Gen-Z actually want to drink
April 29, 2026 (Santa Cruz, CA) — Today, Wonderwerk, a California wine company crafting great-tasting, accessible natural wine for a new generation of drinkers, has re-launched nationally with bold new bottles and even bigger taste.
Founded in 2017, Wonderwerk was created by high school friends and wine enthusiasts Issamu Kamide (CEO) and Andrew Lardy (Winemaker) who felt like the traditional wine industry wasn’t speaking to their peers and their tastes. Channeling years of winemaking expertise for California heavyweights and experience marketing for major CPG brands such as Nestlé and Health-Ade Kombucha, Lardy and Kamide wanted to approach wine from a new perspective and create a label that put their consumers’ tastes first.
Redefining Wine for a New Generation
Millennials have finally overtaken the Boomer generation as the core wine purchasing demographic (31% vs 26% according to the Wine Market Council). Yet until now, no brand has emerged as a clear choice for this coveted demographic, whose tastes have continued to evolve since they came of legal drinking age. Wonderwerk is bringing innovation to the industry from the way their wines are designed, developed and marketed – shedding much of the old way of doing things in the process.
“When we launched Wonderwerk it was clear to us that there was a dissonance between Millennial and Gen-Z wine consumers and the traditional wine industry. The industry’s old-school approach is not resonating with younger consumers,” said Kamide. “Instead of waiting to be discovered, we went to where our customers are spending their time to find out what they actually wanted. We found they were consistently confused by or simply didn’t care about the traditional signifiers that many wine consumers were trained on – varietals, AVAs, and vintages. They just want consistently delicious, high quality, flavor-forward wine at an accessible price point that is fun to drink and share with friends.”
Natural Wine Done Well, At Scale
Wonderwerk wines are as notable for what is in them as what isn’t. Sourcing grapes from California vineyards with a rich history of sustainable and organic farming practices, Lardy relies on native fermentation and minimal intervention to create vibrant flavors without using chemical additives or fining agents.
“The term ‘natural wine’ can be a polarizing one in the wine world with a lot of opinions about what it should or shouldn’t be. While there is no true definition of what makes a wine natural, to Wonderwerk, it means setting certain standards that we won’t deviate from,” said Lardy. “To make natural wine at scale that is low-intervention but high innovation, and we’ve had to think differently about winemaking, be very intentional in the cellar and use technology to our advantage.”
The result? Flavor-forward wines that feel fresh, approachable and easy to drink. These wines include:
- The 1 liter BIG wines are designed to share with friends. They are available in BIG ORANGE (a fan-favorite orange wine), BIG JUICY (a chillable red) and BIG CRISPY (a clean, refreshing white).
- The Italifornia line is flavorful and food-pairing ready, taking the question mark out of what to bring to dinner. Marinara is a classic blend of Italian grapes, Al Fresco is a graceful, silky white wine, and the glamorous Riviera rosé rounds out the trio.
- Club Music is a hybrid sparkling rosé-orange designed as the perfect party pour, no matter the occasion.
Wonderwerk’s new SKUs are all available for $23 a bottle in select Whole Foods and bottle shops nationwide, or online at www.wonderwerkwine.com.
About Wonderwerk
Wonderwerk is a California natural wine brand that makes great tasting, affordable natural wine for the masses. Founded by lifelong friends Issamu Kamide (CEO) and Andrew Lardy (Winemaker), the duo combined their CPG marketing and winemaking expertise to create delicious natural wine designed to reach the next generation of wine drinkers. Their 1 liter BIG wines and easy-sipping Italifornia wines are designed to share and can be found wherever fun is had. For more information, visit www.wonderwerkwine.com.
