Details You'll Want To Know About Shark Tank's Pie Wine

With the cheeky tagline "Pizza's New Side Piece," Pie Wine's debut on "Shark Tank" promises to be entertaining, regardless of the final outcome. Scheduled to air on ABC and to stream on Hulu on Friday, September 29, the duo behind the Pie Wine brand is aiming to tap into a younger demographic. Using edgy marketing and a growing social media presence, the company seeks to establish its wine as the "official drink" of pizza.

According to the company's website, entrepreneurs Joshua Green and Kevin Klein have been friends for over 30 years. Obsessed with finding the perfect pizza pairing, the two created a line of slightly sweet, sparkling canned wines. These wines are designed to elevate your typical Friday night pizza delivery into a classier affair that's sure to impress.

Headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, Pie Wine currently employs fewer than 10 people, but offers three sparkling blends made from California grapes: red, rosé, and white.

Launched in 2022, Pie Wine offers three types of wine: World Famous Red, Sweet Za White, and Classic Crisp White. While the choice ultimately rests with the drinker, the brand recommends its OG blend, World Famous Red Wine, for pairing with red meat and heavier pizzas like barbecue and meat lovers. Described on the company's website as "bold, bubbly, big," this is the wine that launched the business.

Sweet Za White is a sparkling rosé wine that the company describes as a "modern twist on traditional sparkling red." With notes of peach, Pie Wine suggests pairing this sweet blend with classic margherita pizzas, veggie-loaded pies, or spicy hot honey pies.

For a traditional white wine that is "not your mother's," Pie Wine offers Classic Crisp Dry White. This subtly sweet blend features a slightly acidic sip and is designed for "people who love flavor with a matted finish." The wine is recommended for white pizzas, salads, and carbohydrates in general, especially during the spring and summer months.

Each variety is sold in four-packs for $20 or in 12-packs for $60, with free shipping on orders over $60.

Joshua Green splits his attention between Pie Wine, the brand he co-founded, and a few other businesses. Since 2020, Green has served as a senior advisor to Trivium Global, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in the gaming and health-tech industries. One of the companies that worked with Trivium Global is Survios, a virtual reality games company where Green serves as the CFO and EVP of Corporate Development. 

Green is a board member of the nonprofit organization Present Now (stylized in all uppercase), which supports children who have experienced domestic violence. He is also a founding member of an invitation-only peer community for chief financial officers to share their knowledge and best practices, The F Suite. It's notable that Green follows Shark Mark Cuban on LinkedIn, leaving us to speculate if Cuban made a deal with Pie Wines.

Green's co-founder Kevin Klein's resume is slightly different. Klein is part of the "Klein/Ally Show," a morning radio show that also streams a podcast. As a comedic writer, Klein has written jokes for "The Howard Stern Show" and roasts on Comedy Central.

With a modest social media presence, some of Pie Wine's channels, like Pinterest, have no followers, while Facebook has 25 as of September 28, 2023. Alongside the usual platforms — Instagram, LinkedIn, X (formerly known as Twitter), and YouTube — which all feature the same content, Pie Wine's blog contains roughly 30 articles aimed at millennials who are passionate about pizza and canned wine.

The blog is where Pie Wine shines. It offers how-to articles on hosting a pizza party and pairing pizza with wine for a romantic date. It also provides educational content that explains the differences between old and new world wines, as well as the benefits of BYOB restaurants. Accessible on its website, the blog aims to be interactive, collaborating with customers to identify the best pizza restaurants in the U.S. and their favorite pizza and wine pairings. Some articles seek to establish deeper connections, exploring topics like the effects of wine on your state of mind and its impact on our diet-conscious culture. Although the brand itself is frequently mentioned, the articles are informative and extend beyond Pie Wine's product line.

Though Pie Wine is currently in limited supply, customers who wish to support the brand can purchase merchandise from its website. Trucker hats and short-sleeved T-shirts retail for $25, while hoodies are priced at $50.

Debuting on Season 15, Episode 1 of "Shark Tank," Green and Klein pitched Pie Wine to Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and guest Shark Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes. Asking for an investment of $200,000 for 7½% percent equity, Green and Klein hoped a Shark would agree that Pie Wine is "The greatest thing to happen to pizza since pepperoni," (via YouTube). 

Despite the 50/50 partners having other jobs, they proved they were all in, investing $300,000 into the brand, liquidating Klein's 401k, and selling Green's home. As of the show airing, Pie Wine launched two weeks earlier in eight states, securing $300,000 to $400,000 wholesale revenue, forecasting $6.5 million for 2023. Costing $1.50 per can to manufacture, the company plans to shrink cost to $1.25 with increased production. Selling wholesale for $3.25, retailers are asking between $5 and $5.50 per can, with inventory currently available on its website. 

O'Leary is the first to pass, revealing he's launching a sparkling wine brand. Similarly, Cuban is out, referencing his investment in a competitor, Beatbox Beverages. John follows, citing that he's unprepared to take on his fellow Sharks already in the market. Greiner believes the company is too new to invest in, leaving Nelson as their last chance. Despite Green telling her that he proposed to his wife with a ring in a Sprinkles cupcake, Nelson called the brand "too kitschy" for her taste, so she passes, forcing Pie Wine to exit without a deal.