{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Field Guide by BizMarketing","title":"How fatcork Built a Direct-to-Consumer Champagne Business","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2526,"description":"In this episode of The Field Guide, Peter Wilson sits down with Brian Maletis, founder of fatcork, a Seattle-based company that imports small-producer champagne directly from France and sells it to customers across the United States.\nBrian shares the story behind fatcork and how a career that started in the family wine distribution business eventually led him to launch his own company focused entirely on grower champagne. From harvesting grapes in Italy to working in the wine industry in New York City and ultimately starting fatcork in Seattle, Brian explains the path that led him to build a direct-to-consumer champagne business. \nPeter and Brian discuss the challenges of starting and sustaining a niche business, how the traditional wine distribution system works, and why fatcork takes a different approach by controlling the process from the grower’s cave in France to the customer’s doorstep.\nThey also talk about the realities of entrepreneurship, the long timeline required to build a business, and why Brian believes champagne should be opened not just for celebrations—but to create them.\nShow Notes\nGuest\nBrian Maletis\nFounder, fatcork\nWhat fatcork Does\nImports small-production champagne from growers in the Champagne region of France\nStores and distributes it from a temperature-controlled champagne cave in Seattle\nShips directly to consumers across the United States \nfatcork\nTopics Covered\nThe fatcork Business Model\nImporting champagne directly from small producers\nOperating as importer, distributor, and retailer\nShipping champagne directly to consumers across the U.S.\nBrian’s Path Into the Wine Business\nGrowing up in a family wine distribution business in Portland\nEarly experience delivering beer and wine to stores and restaurants\nA formative harvest experience in Italy\nLearning the wine industry while working in New York\nDiscovering Grower Champagne\nMoving to Seattle and entering the world of small-producer champagne\nUnderstanding the difference between major...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/JNxw_RmSpfT8AjbXt7ZyviwCfSlmYIjTMRr1LM6yMlY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9kYWIw/MWVmYjZlNjkyZmYz/ZTNmYzI1NDBjN2I4/N2E4OS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}