Dorothy Munholland and Catherine Diao Know Together Is Better
Plus a new audio feature!
Going into business with family or friends can be a fraught proposition—just look at HBO’s Succession. But Null Wines co-founders Catherine Diao and Dorothy Munholland say friendship makes their business partnership stronger. “I’m the Little Engine That Could, pushing the train from behind, and Catherine is the Energizer Bunny saying ‘We can do this,’” says Dorothy, with whom Catherine agrees wholeheartedly. “It’s so fun to do it with a close friend,” she says. “Even when you’re going through hell, it’s still somehow a good time… I don’t know how single founders do it.” Together, they describe how Studio Null wines came to be, why working as a team makes sense for them, how they plan to carve a niche in the burgeoning NA space, and why they’re totally cool with it if it’s not for you.
“Non-alcoholic wine is more popular than ever,” says virtually everyone, including NPR, Forbes, The Washington Post, Nielsen, and many more. One needn’t be an industry expert to notice the obvious proliferation of non-alcoholic products in every category. Personally, as a bonafide low-to-no ABV imbiber, I couldn’t be happier about having more options.
The vast majority of people buying non-alcoholic beverages also drink alcohol, suggesting that NA alternatives are simply an extension of choice rather than trying to act as strict replacements to their boozy counterparts. Dorothy and Catherine say giving consumers more high-quality options was the driving force of launching their business rather than chasing a trend. “One of our internal guideposts for ourselves is ‘Don’t add more crap to the world,’” says Catherine.
In today’s hugely connected world dictated by algorithms and mass consumerism, she says imagining a world where “less is more” is more difficult than ever. That’s led the pair to implement an ethos where anything they make can’t simply be a good idea. Business needs to be profitable, certainly, but products must also meet one very specific and crucial criteria.
“It has to be something that is net positive in the world,” says Dorothy.
After seeing consumers thirsty for options that embrace moderation, they pursued the opportunity to create something that people wanted and they believed in. The pair shies away from answering with a definitive “yes” or “no” when asked if they personally drink alcohol. It’s not about these categorizing oneself into black-and-white definitions of “drinker” or “non-drinker”, they insist. It’s about living a less prescriptive life to the very fullest. Plus, they say, no one should ever have to explain why they do or do not drink at any given time.
“This is something that's meant to invite you to the table and allow you to enjoy this moment, with or without alcohol, no questions asked,” explains Dorothy. Catherine adds, “One of the things we wanted to incorporate was ‘Never explain, never complain,’” describing Studio Null’s vision of simply being there if and when someone decides to opt for an alcohol-free wine, whether it be due to health or curiosity. As long as there is desire, Null Wines will be waiting.
The pair seems remarkably comfortable being found by people rather than pursuing them directly. “We’re not here to convince people,” says Catherine. “We hope you'll try it and we hope you'll like it, but we get that we're not going to be for everyone and that's okay.”
“We trust our customers to choose our brand if it's right for them, and we respect it if it's not,” says Dorothy. “[But] we do have a goal in the near future that everyone will have at least heard of non-alcoholic wine… and if they’ve heard of non-alcoholic wine, hopefully they’ve heard of Studio Null.”
To establish a business built with the consumers’ best interest in mind can be tricky in today’s crowded, capitalistic landscape. But the duo believes in their products, their vision, values, and each other (even curating a Spotify playlist together for the brand).
“Catherine is just frankly the smartest person I know,” says Dorothy. She describes the positive impact they’ve had on one another, both personally and professionally, highlighting the ways Catherine has helped her embrace confidence and find her potential. “I expect to be treated with respect, and I get that from Catherine for sure.”
The feeling is definitely mutual, with Catherine appreciating Dorothy’s more even-keeled nature that balances against her own personality. “Dorothy has uniquely excellent taste, an amazing palate, and great judgment,” she says. “It’s amazing to watch her think and work, and she also has an unbelievable sense of humor. I think almost every single day we laugh to the point of crying on the phone… that’s just the tip of the iceberg of some of the things I love about working with Dorothy.”
Studio Null’s non-alcoholic wines already have rave reviews from outlets like Forbes, VICE, and so on. Part of it is a testament to taste, but it’s clear that there’s more than just delicious liquid in each bottle. There’s plenty of respect, love, and care as well.
Keep up with Studio Null news, hear about product releases, and check out behind-the-scenes content on Instagram at @nullwines.
What I’m Reading
I just finished Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, and I’m a little torn. It was timely, raw, heartbreaking, hopeful, and hard to put down. I related at least in part to every character, which is quite an achievement when you look at the range of people portrayed within and the consistency of readability from a book with two authors! But while I do think that Lily’s “secret” in the book (no spoilers) was presented in a really honest way, neither author personally claim the identity described, so it opens a necessary conversation about who can (and should) write about who, as well as the importance of visibility and allies in positions of influence who have established histories of advocating for human rights. Maybe we should talk about it in the Subscriber Chat?
What I’m Writing
I have a few pitches languishing in the void, so it would be very cool if a couple of those got commissioned so I can pitch less and write more.
What I’m Doing
Celebrating my birthday this week! I hit the desert with some girlfriends, ate a lot of soft cheeses, soaked in some mineral hot springs, saw most of Desert X, marveled at the super bloom, and took a selfie with the Cabazon Dinosaurs. Here’s what 38 and 38 million* look like in gusty conditions. #bigTaurusvibes
Do you know of a woman or non-binary person working in beverage alcohol who hasn’t seen the spotlight—and should? Nominate them for a future feature!
*It’s more like 90-66 million, but who’s counting?
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