Dozie Osondu on Scaling The Fine Wine Series From Intimate Gatherings To Global Cities

The Fine Wine Series is a community-driven lifestyle and events platform redefining how people connect through curated wine experiences across global cities. Co-founded by Dozie Osondu, the brand brings together culture, conversation, and hospitality, creating immersive gatherings designed to foster genuine connection. What began as intimate wine-focused events in the U.S. has evolved into a growing international platform, with its recent expansion into South Africa marking a significant milestone in the brand’s global journey. At its core, the Fine Wine Series exists to build community. Wine serves as the entry point, but the deeper purpose lies in creating spaces where people feel welcomed, inspired, and engaged. Each experience moves beyond traditional tastings, blending music, atmosphere, and storytelling to create moments that linger long after the evening ends.

The concept emerged from a desire to design experiences that felt intentional rather than transactional. Early on, the team focused on understanding audience behavior - how guests interact, what draws them into conversation, and what keeps them present in the moment. These insights continue to shape every event, from venue layout to programming, ensuring each gathering feels personal and immersive. Building the brand required stepping fully into entrepreneurship, navigating uncertainty, limited resources, and the realities of scaling a hospitality-led business. Growth demanded adaptability, strong team dynamics, and a willingness to learn in real time. Behind every successful event is careful planning, aligned partnerships, and countless behind-the-scenes decisions that make the experience feel effortless to attendees.

International expansion introduced new opportunities and challenges. South Africa emerged as a strategic destination, offering a vibrant creative culture and an increasingly global-facing lifestyle scene. Rather than relying solely on market reports, much of the groundwork involved engaging directly with local communities - listening, observing, and allowing each city to shape its own expression of the brand. This approach ensured that every activation felt rooted in place while maintaining the Fine Wine Series’ core identity. Each new market brings its own learning curve, from navigating regulations to managing logistics and understanding cultural nuances. Strong relationships with local vendors and stakeholders have become essential, creating a framework that balances consistency with authenticity. Expansion is approached as adaptation, not replication, allowing the brand to evolve organically across borders.

Behind the scenes, financial discipline plays a central role. Budgeting, sponsorship acquisition, and investor conversations are ongoing realities of building a scalable lifestyle brand. Aligning with partners who understand the long-term vision has been key, as has learning how to do more with less. Every decision is measured against the company’s foundation: community first. The Fine Wine Series is also evolving beyond wine. Plans for diversification point toward a broader lifestyle ecosystem spanning hospitality, culture, and curated experiences. Technology, including AI, is being explored to improve operations, deepen audience insights, and enhance engagement, supporting growth while preserving the human-centered nature of the brand. Mental health remains an important part of the entrepreneurial journey. Building something meaningful comes with pressure, and sustainability requires balance, self-awareness, and strong support systems. Protecting wellbeing is seen as essential to maintaining creative momentum and long-term success.

Today, the Fine Wine Series stands as a reflection of modern entrepreneurship - rooted in connection, shaped by culture, and driven by resilience. With continued expansion across international markets, the brand is building a global community one experience at a time, proving that when business is centered on people, its impact travels far beyond any single city.