How Nomadica is Making Wine Less Pretentious
Before we get into this episode, I want to take a moment to acknowledge something more important.
After filming, Kristin’s home was impacted by the LA wildfires. She’s safe, but so many people in the community have lost their homes, and the need for support is huge. Kristin’s only ask? Support Nomadica if you can—and, more importantly, donate to the people who need it most. If you want more information, check out our resources for the wildfires, and if you’d like to donate, refer to this list of vetted fundraising campaigns.
My heart goes out to everyone affected. If you’re in a position to help, please do. And if you’re someone going through this firsthand, I’m sending you love and strength.
With that, let me tell you about Kristin Olszewski.
Kristin did what most people would never dare—she walked away from Harvard Med School to pursue wine. Not just drinking it (respect), but fully immersing herself in the world of Michelin-starred restaurants, fine wine, and eventually, shaking up the industry with her own brand, Nomadica.
She saw the problem firsthand: wine had lost its cool factor with younger consumers. Too pretentious, too complicated, and let’s be real, kind of out of touch. Instead of complaining about it, she did something about it. Now, she’s making fine wine fun, accessible, and actually desirable again.
In this episode, we talk about why wine brands are in panic mode, what it takes to start and scale a beverage company, and how she’s proving every investor who doubted her completely wrong. Plus, we get into what it really means to be “rich” as a founder (spoiler: it’s not just about money). Let’s get into it.
From Harvard Med to Michelin Star Restaurants: Kristin’s Unexpected Journey
Kristin Olszewski was deep into her Harvard Med School journey when she realized something huge—she didn’t actually want to be a doctor. The reality of modern medicine didn’t sit right with her, and watching decisions get influenced by pharmaceutical reps instead of patient needs made her question everything.
At the same time, she was dating a pastry chef who was obsessed with his craft. He’d work crazy hours, come home, and still spend his free time geeking out over cookbooks and techniques. Kristin wanted that level of passion for herself. And the thing that had always sparked that kind of excitement for her? Wine.
She had spent years waitressing, getting exposure to some of the best wine programs in the country. Eventually, she walked away from medicine and went all in, working in Michelin-starred restaurants, training as a sommelier, and developing an obsession with wine that never felt like work.
But the deeper she got into the industry, the more she saw the problems. The wine world was outdated, gatekept, and mostly catering to the same demographic.
Nomadica was born out of the idea that wine could be better—less pretentious, more fun, and actually designed for today’s consumer.
Reinventing Wine: Making It Fun, Accessible, and Sexy Again
For years, wine has had a problem. It just hasn’t kept up. Younger consumers aren’t reaching for it the way previous generations did, and the industry is scrambling to figure out why.
Kristin already knew the answer—wine got too serious, too complicated, and way too out of touch.
She saw it firsthand while working in restaurants. A new wave of diners was coming in and they weren’t ordering wine. Not because they didn’t like it, but because the whole experience felt uninviting.
The wine list was intimidating. The terminology was pretentious. And the idea that you had to know wine to enjoy it? Completely unnecessary.
So she flipped the script. With Nomadica, Kristin wanted to bring fine wine to people in a way that actually felt fun again.
No gatekeeping, no outdated rules—just really good wine in a format that makes sense for how people drink today. Every can features a work of art, tasting notes are actually useful, and there’s even a playlist to set the mood.
The result? A wine brand that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still delivers on quality. Because at the end of the day, wine is just fermented grape juice. The only thing that really matters is whether or not you like it.
The Founder Hustle: Lessons from Launching an RTD Wine Brand
Starting an RTD wine brand wasn’t exactly met with open arms. When Kristin first pitched the idea of putting fine wine in a can, the industry laughed. Literally.
Winemakers dismissed it. Investors didn’t get it. Even other sommeliers—people who knew firsthand how the wine world needed a shake-up—told her it would never work.
But Kristin knew better. She had spent years working in restaurants, selling wine directly to consumers, and understanding what actually made people want to drink it. So instead of trying to win over skeptics, she leaned into what she did best: relationships.
Her first big breakthrough came when a well-respected Wine Director at the NoMad Hotel in LA took a chance on Nomadica. That validation gave her the credibility to land more restaurant and hotel partners, and soon, the brand was showing up in places where canned wine had never been before.
But Nomadica was never just about the wine. From day one, Kristin built it like an experience—thoughtfully designed cans featuring artwork, tasting notes that actually made sense, and even a QR code linking to a curated playlist for each wine.
She wasn’t just selling a product. She was creating a vibe, a feeling, a moment. And that’s exactly why Nomadica has stuck.
The Reality of Being a Female Founder in Beverage
Being a female founder comes with a whole different set of challenges, especially when it comes to raising capital. Kristin has seen it all.
Investors questioning her expertise even though she spent over a decade as a sommelier. Being told they’d need to “ask their wife” if her wine was any good. Getting lower valuations than male founders with less experience. The list goes on.
But instead of letting it stop her, she used it as fuel. Kristin knew she wasn’t in this for a quick exit or a flashy funding round, she was building something real. She focused on proving her product in the market, securing accounts with top-tier restaurants, and building a brand people actually cared about.
And here’s the thing: having a chip on your shoulder can be a superpower. When you know you have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, you do. You become relentless. You outlast the skeptics. You keep showing up until they can’t ignore you anymore. That’s exactly what Kristin did, and now, the same industry that doubted her is watching Nomadica win.
Being Rich in More Than Just Money
Success in business is usually measured in dollars. How much you raise, how fast you scale, how big your exit is. But for Kristin Olszewski, real wealth has nothing to do with money.
She’s rich in passion. Wine isn’t just a product for her, it’s an obsession. She wakes up thinking about it, talks about it nonstop, and genuinely loves what she does. That’s the kind of energy you can’t fake.
At the end of the day, fulfillment beats fast wins. And when you love what you do, no competitor can outwork you—because for them, it’s just business. For you, it’s something more.
What’s Next for Nomadica?
Nomadica isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Kristin is all about playing the long game—building something real, something sustainable, and doing it her way.
First up: new products. Nomadica just dropped boxed wine (yes, boxed wine, but make it premium) and a rosé yuzu spritz that’s already making waves.
And because Kristin doesn’t believe in staying in one lane, she’s also opening a restaurant in Silver Lake. More wine, more community, more of what makes Nomadica different.
On the retail side, things are leveling up. Nomadica is already in Whole Foods and Total Wine, and now, Target is on the horizon.
The expansion is happening, but always with intention, slow, steady, and making sure the product lands in the right places, not just every place.
Through it all, the vision stays the same: wine should be fun, high-quality, and accessible. No gatekeeping, no pretentiousness—just really good wine, made for real people.
What I Learnt From This Episode
Kristin’s advice for anyone trying to build something? Just start. Don’t wait for permission, don’t overthink every step—just execute. The people who succeed aren’t always the ones with the perfect plan. They’re the ones who keep going, even when things don’t go as expected.
The real key? Stay authentic. Stay consistent. Stay obsessed with your craft. When you truly love what you’re building, it shows. And no competitor, setback, or rejection can outlast someone who is fully committed to what they’re creating.
If you want to support Kristin and everything she’s building, check out Nomadica. And more importantly, if you’re able, please consider donating to those affected by the LA wildfires. Every bit of help makes a difference.
Huge thanks to Kristin for sharing her story—and to you for being here. Let’s keep building things that actually mean something.
🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Kristin Olszewski here.
