Seattle-based The Waves co-founders, and President and CEO respectively, Andy Comer and Gaurav Tiwari met as fellow wine lovers. Comer, formerly GQ’s first-ever digital editor and a marketing executive for brands such as Nordstrom, entered the hospitality industry more recently—earning Seattle restaurant Tomo a 2022 James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Wine Program as the founding Wine Director. Tiwari is an accomplished leader in tech and innovation who spent nearly a decade at Amazon, leading teams responsible for product development, technology, data science, and category management.
Three-time James Beard award winning winemaker and sommelier, Rajat Parr is a partner and advisor in The Waves, and Billy Smith serves as Chief Wine Officer: An innovative sommelier and advocate of natural wines, Smith’s work at The Four Horsemen in Brooklyn led the restaurant to win the 2022 James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program. Rounding out the team is Kat Odell as Editor-in-Chief: A celebrated journalist and author with over a decade of experience in lifestyle, food, and beverage media, and an industry-leading advocate for transparency to empower consumer choice.
All wines are hand-selected by this dream team, organically farmed, and free of 70+ additives that are currently allowed—without consumer disclosure—in the United States. “We’re like Spotify, for natural wines,” states Tiwari. “We are here to make shopping for wine more transparent, approachable, and fun.”
“We were shocked to learn that only 5% of the world’s vineyards are organic,” says Comer. “Consumers have a right to know about all these added ingredients, and they deserve a company that eliminates the noise and assures organic farming and quality product. Wines have been made naturally for 6100 years. It was only in the 20th century that these additives came into play for a variety of reasons,” he emphasizes. The additives are used to stabilize the wine, kill bacteria, sweeten the flavor, and enhance its appearance.
“Great wines are made in the vineyard, not the winery,” says Tiwari. The Waves offerings are curated to have a little something for everyone. “We created a brand where we have all the options for adventurous palates and traditionalists as well.” The Waves is fully digital and makes it fun and easy to find the perfect wine. A groundbreaking, personalized AI offers customized wine recommendations—à la Netflix. One can modify, skip a month, or cancel a subscription anytime.
“If you care about the choices you’re making, this is for you. Enlightened people who are ecologically, socially, and health-conscious, and want to make better choices” are who The Waves is for, say Comer and Tiwari.
“Wines have been made naturally for 6100 years. It was only in the 20th century that these additives came into play for a variety of reasons,”
