How Moa Gürbüzer's, Oddbird, Makes Dealcoholized Wine Feel Luxurious and Intentional
Moa Gürbüzer is changing drinking culture for women and everyone who values presence over pressure.
- By: Julianne Elise Beffa
The bubbles are bright, the vibes are electric, and the celebration feels real. Only this time there’s no hangover looming. That’s the spirit behind Oddbird, the dealcoholized wine brand shaking up tradition with bottles that are just as thoughtful, beautiful, and intentional as any classic cuvée on the shelf.
Oddbird didn’t start in a boardroom or a vineyard. It began in the heart and hands of Moa Gürbüzer, a therapist and social worker who spent more than 20 years witnessing firsthand how alcohol shows up in our lives. She saw birthdays, office mixers, family dinners, and spontaneous nights out where a glass of wine was not simply a choice. It was often the invisible default.
“As a therapist and social worker I met people in the middle of their everyday rituals, birthdays, work mixers, family dinners, spontaneous nights out,” Moa told LOOP Mag in an interview. “Alcohol was an invisible default. It pained me to see how often choosing differently felt impossible: saying no could mean stepping out of belonging. And when harm happened, responsibility landed on the individual, not the systems that made those situations likely. Oddbird was born from that sorrow and from a desire to create a different kind of space, where choice brings dignity, not shame.”
Her career gave her a front row seat to alcohol’s ripple effects across families and communities. “My years in therapy taught me the profound ripple effects of alcohol, not just on the person drinking, but on families, children, and communities,” she explains. “I often saw the same silent patterns, children tiptoeing, partners covering up, families pretending everything was fine, with alcohol woven into the silence. I realized I could spend my career helping people rebuild after the damage, or I could try to stop it before it happened. Oddbird is my attempt at prevention.”
That mission continues to guide the brand today. “Oddbird is prevention made tangible and beautiful, empathy translated into product,” Moa says. “At our core is destigmatizing choice, so fear of exclusion no longer directs people’s lives.”
And people are listening. Oddbird has grown rapidly since launching, selling 8.7 million bottles globally and generating $39 million in lifetime revenue. The brand is now available in more than 20 countries, with distribution in the United States across retailers including Erewhon, Trader Joe’s, and Total Wine, as well as direct to consumer through The Zero Proof.
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At a time when drinking culture is shifting everywhere, Moa’s timing couldn’t be better. The global alcohol‑free wine market is booming, poised to reach nearly $2.22 billion by next year and expand even further in the years ahead as more people seek taste without the booze. Nearly half of adults now choose alcohol‑free options at social occasions, and health‑minded drinkers make up a rapidly growing share of that group. (Global Growth Insights)
What’s exciting about this moment is that it’s not about avoiding alcohol as a punishment. It’s about choice. According to recent industry research, non‑alcoholic beverages are no longer a niche category but a mainstream movement with nearly $925 million in U.S. sales last year and +22% growth. (NIQ) That means more people, including women across generations, are thinking differently about alcohol not just during Dry January but every month of the year.
We are here to change drinking culture, and every market we enter is an extension of that purpose.
That shift is especially meaningful for women. On one hand, cultural norms have historically tied drinking to social inclusion and even professional success. On the other hand, rising awareness of the unique health risks women face when they drink- risks that can show up at lower consumption levels than for men- is turning heads and opening eyes. Women metabolize alcohol differently than men and are more vulnerable to certain alcohol‑related harms, which makes mindful consumption a powerful part of personal and collective wellbeing. (niaaa.nih.gov)
Oddbird’s philosophy taps into every part of this change. The wines are crafted with care: partnering with small vineyards in France, Spain, and Italy, following traditional methods, and then using a gentle vacuum‑distillation process to remove alcohol while preserving texture, aroma, and complexity. The result is wine that tastes like wine, not like a compromise.
But Oddbird’s bigger accomplishment isn’t technological. It’s cultural.
Alcohol has long acted as a social default. If you want to fit in, grab a drink. If you want to celebrate, pour a glass. But what if celebration didn’t require a prescription? What if ritual didn’t come with an invisible test? These are exactly the questions Oddbird is asking.
“When options without alcohol are visible, served in the same glass, and recommended by staff without comment, the choice becomes routine, not a conversation or an apology,” Moa says. “Our work is to remove shame by making the option without alcohol part of the ritual.” Few things accelerate change more than normalizing choice. When a dealcoholized wine is just another bottle on the table next to champagne or cabernet, it rewires expectation- without judgment, without apology.
This is where Oddbird’s work connects deeply with International Women’s Day. Women have fought for autonomy and inclusion across every realm of life. From boardrooms to boulevards, from nightlife to neighborhood kitchens, women have claimed space and redefined what success and joy look like. Redefining our relationship with alcohol fits perfectly into that story. It’s about owning our choices—what we consume, how we connect, who we become in community.
Normalization can be as simple as asking “wine with or without alcohol?”
Whether that means sipping a dry Blanc de Blancs under a sunset, enjoying a Rosé with friends after work, or toasting Presence at a celebration of community, Oddbird proves women don’t need alcohol to participate fully in life’s best moments. They just need the freedom to choose without pressure or stereotype.
And the numbers back it up: non‑alcoholic and low‑alcohol beverages are increasing their share of global consumption, forecast to continue year‑over‑year growth across major markets. (IWSR) Whether driven by wellness trends, shifting norms, or a desire to feel present, people from all walks of life are opting for alternatives that let them savor moments without the morning after.
Oddbird’s lineup reflects this new mindset. “C,” a rare sparkling cuvée from France’s Grand Est, sits on waitlists because people are clamoring for dealcoholized wines that feel premium and intentional. Other crowd favorites include a dry Rosé, an organic French white called Presence, and a robust Spanish GSM that stands up to any conversation around the dinner table.
For women breaking mold after mold, Oddbird offers a toast without caveat. It says you can be fully here, fully you, and fully part of the celebration. That’s a message that resonates far beyond any glass.
On International Women’s Day, Moa shares her wish for women everywhere: “I want to remind women of the strength that exists in standing in our own truth, and standing together. There is real power in community.” In a world where culture is changing, where alcohol norms are shifting, and where women are choosing presence over pressure, Oddbird is more than a brand- it’s a moment, a movement, and a new kind of ritual worth raising a glass to.
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