Brown Family Wine Group announces new strategic direction for Innocent Bystander

Brown Family Wine Group has announced a new strategic direction for its Innocent Bystander wine brand. As part of this shift, Innocent Bystander will increase its focus on delivering urban wine experiences nationwide, thus expanding the brand’s roots to outside its Yarra Valley homeland, allowing it to connect with its core target consumer more directly.

To facilitate this change, Brown Family Wine Group has announced it will be selling Innocent Bystander’s Healesville cellar door. A media release issued by the Group says this decision reflects the brand’s evolution from a Yarra Valley-focused winery to a dynamic, urban wine brand with limitless growth potential.

“We're not your typical wine brand, we know how to have fun, and lean in to Aussie culture, or at least we like to think so.” said Georgia Bruton, Chief Marketing Officer.

Part of the new direction involves Innocent Bystander’s ongoing series of urban cellar door pop-ups, which have successfully been launched in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. The most recent pop-up at Sydney’s Babylon ended yesterday 27 October and incorporated unique experiences such as a pop-up tattoo studio, vinyl DJ performances, and bottomless brunches.

“We’re thrilled to bring Innocent Bystander to Babylon and offer Sydney the chance to experience our brand first-hand,” said Georgia Bruton.

“Our aim is to create incredible shared experiences that transcend convention and spark joy.”

The new strategic direction also involves the brand’s entry into the spritz category with the launch of Innocent Bystander Watermelon, which, according to Bruton, “is a perfect example of a new and exciting wine that fits with the brand’s new strategic direction and growth plans.

“It’s been hugely popular and is currently available to taste at our cellar door pop-up, alongside the full range of Innocent Bystander wines," she continued.

Last week, Drinks Trade tasted Innocent Bystander Watermelon Spritz alongside seven other spritzes as part of this Tasted by Drinks Trade article. The team described it as “very refreshing, and definitely a unique spritz option to have on offer… The colour as well also makes it stand out on the shelf and in the glass, perhaps tailoring it slightly more towards wine consumers.”

Moving forwards, Brown Family Wine Group is also looking to expand Innocent Bystander’s footprint both nationally and into key export markets.