Dawine names wine industry veteran CEO

Dean Blake

30th Aug 2018

Dean Taylor has been named chief executive of Dawine, an Australian start-up targeting the appetite for premium wine in China, and will take a major stake in the company as it enters the B2B wine distribution market.

The start-up veteran has previously worked with seven successful wine ventures including Cracka Wines, Wine Ark and My Wine Guy.

“Over the last 10 years there has been an enormous shift in the way that consumers buy wine. The online and direct-to-consumer segment is the fastest growing part of the market,” Taylor said.

“However, the wine supply chain hasn’t kept up with the changing landscape and is still as inefficient, fragmented and lacking in technology as it was 10 years ago.”

Taylor noted that, with modern consumers demanding free and same-day delivery, the industry had to catch up.

“Having built several wine retail businesses over the last 15 years, I’m acutely aware of the limitations of the existing supply chain. While demand for Australian wines is booming in Asia and USA it’s incredibly challenging for producers here to sell directly to consumers in those markets,” Taylor said.

Dawine chairman Piers Lewis said the team was very excited to work with Taylor, and to roll out a solution the wine industry sorely needs.

“Dean’s experience is impressive and his track record is as good as it gets in the wine industry. Dean’s passion for improving the wine industry and belief that Asia is a key market mirrors that of Dawine,” Lewis said.

“We are very lucky to have him onboard.”