Here's What Happened To Zipz Wine After Shark Tank
Having many years of experience in the wine business, Zipz Wine co-founder Andrew McMurray must have had a special hunch that single-serve wine might be the wave of the future. He proved to be right on the money as canned wine sales grew 61% in 2020, per a Nielsen report. Evidently, McMurray was ahead of his time.
McMurray was no novice when it came to the wine business. When he pitched his company Zipz Wine to the Sharks in 2014 on Episode 11 of Season 6 of "Shark Tank," he already had wine experience as the vice president of Zachys Wine & Liquor. His confidence in the demand for single-serve wine was so high that he would partner with J. Henry Scott to start Zipz Wine, according to Westchester Magazine.
It came in a plastic package shaped like a wine glass with patented shrink-wrap that helped shield the wine from UV rays and would ultimately extend its shelf life. The product was named after the zipper-like pull tab on the cling-wrap label that consumers would "unzip" to open the package. Inside wine drinkers would find Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot wines from Fetzer Vineyards.
Zipz Wine premiered on 'Shark Tank'
On the "Shark Tank" episode, Zipz Wine co-founder Andrew McMurray asked for a $2.5 million dollar investment for a 10% stake in his company. He fielded many inquiries about his business, including questions from "Mr. Wonderful" Kevin O'Leary, who thought McMurray's selling price of $2.99 was too high, suggesting instead a better price would be $1.49. O'Leary promised success for Zipz Wine if he could lower the price per unit and get it into Costco, where he thought it would be a perfect fit.
O'Leary presented McMurray with a unique offer, meeting his desired $2.5 million investment with 10% equity, but adding that should McMurray and his partners sell the company, he would have the option to buy another $2.5 million worth of equity at a $25 million valuation. McMurray accepted the offer, stating, "Going into this we know that Kevin was the wine guy. To have Kevin O'Leary 'Mr. Wonderful' part of our wine project that we're doing [is] pretty exciting." O'Leary, a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur and vineyard owner, was so excited about the deal that he tweeted about it, writing, "I've never been so excited about a #SharkTank deal!"
After 'Shark Tank' Zipz Wine reshaped its business
Zipz Wine garnered about $2 million in sales following its appearance on "Shark Tank," a significant increase from the $600,000 it had when it premiered on the show. The company co-founder Andrew McMurray met with the Sharks again in 2016 on "Beyond the Tank" for an update. At that time, sales were up, but there were issues with production and profit. "Things are happening at a snail's pace at Zipz," investor Kevin O'Leary said, but the pair went on to discuss a new co-packaging deal in which O'Leary was impressed. "Failure's not an option for me," McMurray said.
Eventually, Zipz shifted to being a business-to-business packaging company focused on its patented glass design, rather than a business-to-consumer company that sold wine. This meant Zipz Wine could partner with restaurateurs and others in the beverage service industry. Starting in 2019, Zipz Wine operated as a licensed packaging business selling its sealed "glass" products to other companies. "You've done well, Grasshopper," O'Leary told McMurray.
Zipz Wine eventually shattered
Just how successful the packaging approach turned out to be is unclear, but it appears Zipz Wine didn't last. It is reportedly out of business. The Zipz Wine website is dormant as of 2023, and the company hasn't posted on its Instagram account since 2016. Perhaps the demand for the Zipz Wine packaging wasn't quite enough to keep the business afloat, even after co-founder Andrew McMurray and investor Kevin O'Leary decided to switch the company's focus. Unfortunately for Zipz Wine, that wasn't enough to keep the money (or booze) flowing. It's also unclear how much if any, money was lost.
Another possibility as to why the Zipz Wine business apparently went under is that it perhaps could not keep up with one of its competitors, Copa Di Vino, which also sells wine by the glass and is still in business, according to its website. Copa Di Vino also appeared on "Shark Tank." When initially asked how the two wine companies were different, McMurray told the Sharks it was all about shelf life and that Zipz Wine portions would last one year. Apparently, however, it seems as in terms of longevity, Copa Di Vino has outlasted Zipz Wine.
What's next for Zipz Wine co-founder Andrew McMurray?
When it comes to being an entrepreneur, we doubt Zipz Wine co-founder Andrew McMurray will be giving up anytime soon. Per LinkedIn, McMurray is still vice president at Zachys Wine & Liquor located in Scarsdale, New York where he partners with other companies including a food and beverage business and a company specializing in private jets. He's always full of unique ideas, noting he often presents them to his father-in-law, Zachys' CEO Don Zacharia.
"Probably eight out of 10 of the marketing ideas I come up with make [Zacharia] cringe. But I'm usually pretty good at spinning out new concepts," McMurray told Westchester Magazine. With imagination and entrepreneurial spirit like that, who knows what he might invent next, wine-related or not. Perhaps, McMurray's newest idea for a business will be sports-based, as he has trained for and participated in triathlons, including the Iron Man. He also told the outlet, "I have all my best business ideas when I'm out on the bike, swimming, or running."