🔬 Reinventing Wine: Richard Schatzberger on Sobriety, Technology, and Flavor-First Innovation

03/10/2025 1h 36min
🔬 Reinventing Wine: Richard Schatzberger on Sobriety, Technology, and Flavor-First Innovation

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Episode Synopsis

Send us a textPrecision ethanol reduction, low-alcohol wine, tech-driven beverage innovation, and AI insights collide in this epic chat with Altr CEO Richard Schatzberger! 🍷💡🔥  ⁨@ThirstyThursdaysat3PMEST⁩  🍷 Can wine still be wine without the ethanol? That’s the question Richard Schatzberger, CEO & Founder of Altr, set out to answer — and the answer just might flip the $1.7T global alcohol industry on its head.In this week’s episode of Thirsty Thursdays @3PM EST, I sat down with Richard to explore:🚀 His incredible journey from building Motorola’s first camera phone to co-founding Siri and Viv (acquired by Apple and Samsung)🍇 His personal path to sobriety and the realization that alcohol-free doesn’t mean experience-free🧪 How Altr’s membrane technology differs radically from traditional ethanol reduction like spinning cone and reverse osmosis🧠 The human-centered, flavor-first mindset behind "The Velvet Blade" tech🛠️ Why Altr's first customers are winemakers — and how the tech is designed to retain terroir, mouthfeel, and aroma💡 How a dream (yes, literally) became a global beverage startup backed by Beam Suntory and FTW Ventures💬 "We're not here to kill ethanol," Richard explains, "we’re here to give people choice. Whether you want 14%, 4%, or 0% — it should still taste like wine."🎯 Key Takeaways:Altr’s tech is already outperforming other low-alc products on taste with early testers preferring Altr-processed wines over originalsConsumer behavior is changing fast — “zebra striping” and sober social rituals are rising, but the quality gap remainsTech isn’t the enemy of craft — It’s a tool to preserve it🔗 Learn more or join their beta program at: altrfilter.com🧠 If you’re a heritage-forward winemaker or innovative brand looking for the next chapter in premium beverage — this episode is for you.👉 Follow me for more beverage innovation, brand spotlights, and industry disruption from farm to shelf.#ThirstyThursdays #BeverageTech #WineInnovation #LowAlcohol #SoberCurious #MembraneTech #BeverageFounders #FutureOfWineMentors Dag KittlausKen Grossman, the founder of Sierra Nevada.Brian Frank,fantastic lead investor FTW VenturesNOW ON YOUTUBE!!! Thank you for Listening! Join us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter! Host Jessie Ott's Profile on LinkedIn

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