It’s a classic story of the little business that could.
Canada’s first non-alcoholic winery landed a $1M investment deal on the television show Dragons’ Den in January.
ONES is the passion project of Tyler Harlton from Pense, Sask., and Chris Pagliocchini, a scientist for Agriculture Canada. Harlton is no stranger to the agriculture industry himself, having grown up surrounded by Prairie farms.
The ONES owners said their experience on Dragons’ Den is an important piece of their success in creating wines that taste and have the texture consumers expect from alcoholic wines. ONES’s products contain only 0.5 per cent alcohol and zero sugar.
Since launching in 2022, ONES’s wines went from selling in small boutique shops to lining shelves in nearly 600 stores across Canada.
Saskatchewan-born winemaker lands $1M Dragons Den investment deal for non-alcoholic winery
Harlton told CBC Saskatchewan that going on Dragons’ Den was a big step for him, and ultimately validated what he and Pagliocchini have been working hard at for just under four years.
“They said, ‘Yep, it’s a great business.’ The business has value and [they] think there’s potential,” Harlton said from his business in Summerland, B.C.
“So for people that started, you know, kind of making batches in the kitchen and hand delivering … just to see the validation of that kind of stage, it was really rewarding. And also as a growing business, we are looking for resources, for money, for expertise.”
The four Dragons were surprised at ONES’s consistent growth and revenue over a short period of time — especially when Harlton and Pagliocchini told them they can not only pay themselves and their communications coordinator, but pour the rest of the profits into marketing.
While the Dragons said there’s a lot of work ahead to take the business to the next level, all were impressed. Harlton said longtime Dragon, businesswoman and investor Arlene Dickinson gave the ONES team an especially useful critique.
“Arlene said to us, ‘You’re a Canadian brand using Canadian wine. You really should be putting that front and centre,'” Harlton said, adding that’s great advice for an up-and-coming business during the current economic push for products made in Canada.
ONES’s merlot bottles now have a Canadian maple leaf on them, and more changes are on the way.
ONES’s success means more to its owners than expanding its reach and advancing the science behind alcohol-free wines.
Harlton said it means more people who don’t or can’t drink alcoholic beverages can still enjoy quality wine, and they can do so with less risk of people pressing them on why they’re not drinking booze.
“There still is a stigma that if you’re drinking non-alc wine you’re a loser, or there’s something wrong with you. And the more people are drinking non-alc, that stigma is removed.”
Katherine Herback of Regina has faced that stigma ever since she was diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease nearly two years ago, among other health issues.
“I [needed] to, like, buckle up, so to speak, and quit drinking and eat better. Hopefully my condition will improve. That’s where I really started looking into different non-alcoholic options,” Herback said.
When people learned she wasn’t drinking, they would press her for reasons, or ask if she was pregnant. Herback said she felt these questions were invasive.
Meanwhile, the 37-year-old mother wanted drinks that weren’t pop or juice. She wanted to enjoy something special at dinner tables, restaurants and beaches.
Harlton said that’s why he sees the demand for a non-alcoholic premium B.C. wine.
Herback said ONES’s success on Dragons’ Den as a great sign. She said it shows the non-alcoholic beverage industry is growing, and the stigma is shrinking.
“I think it’s truly incredible that that is out there for people who are recovering alcoholics or, like me, who have a health condition where alcohol is not an option anymore.”
Back at the Dragons’ Den, it was ultimately beverage industry leader Manjit Minhas who offered the ONES winemakers a $1M investment deal in exchange for 15 per cent equity.
That has Harlton and Pagliocchini saying “Cheers!”
