Wine Enthusiast Q&A
I was quite excited when Wine Enthusiast magazine chose me as a 'Future 40 Tastemaker.' (And not just because it used to be '40 under 40' and I'm 43 :))
For the article, the editors sent everyone an Intamax Polaroid camera and two rolls of film. They also sent us a Q&A that we had like one day to complete. So I opened a bottle of Delphinium, drank most of it, and got real honest. I thought it would be fun to run my answers here. Enjoy :)
Wine Enthusiast Future 40 Questionnaire & Survey
submitted by Courtney Humiston, June 27, 2024
How would you describe your work and role?
I started my wine company with a simple idea: to make one wine. I was a sommelier and sparkling wine fanatic for many years and just really wanted there to be a version of 'Crémant' from California modelled after the wonderful and value oriented Crémants of France. Not PetNat, not Champagne, just clean, delicious, relatively affordable bubs.
Oh and make it organically farmed and minimal intervention. So I started Delphinium and now I do all the things! It's rewarding, overwhelming, daunting and joyous. If I'm ever feeling discouraged, I just open a bottle of my wine and I'm like 'yep, that's good. It makes me happy. I hope it makes other people happy too.'
To me, sparkling wine isn't the most important thing in life, it's just the thing that gets us through all the other things.
What are some accomplishments of which you are proud?
I'm proud of all the f*ing forms I had to complete to start a wine business. I hate
forms sooo much and there are so many forms in starting a wine company... TTB,
ABC, who even knows. The bureaucracy is infinite. But I did it and they send me more forms all the time but I'm like 'okay, I can do this. I can handle forms. I can fill out a form.'
I'm also proud of myself for taking the chance and putting a physical product into the world. As a somm, it's easy to be like 'this wine is good, this wine sucks,' but it's really scary to be on the other side and say 'I made this. Do you like it? Do you like it enough to buy it? '
Making wine is beautiful and creative but it's also commerce, unfortunately. I think I'd prefer a bartering system if that were an option. Like, 'I'll give you a bottle of wine for a dozen eggs and a bouquet of flowers,' for example. But we're not there, so in the mean time, people have to give me money and sometimes they say 'no, thank you,' and that has to be okay too.
Add any biographical info you like us to know about?
Delphinium as an idea was born concurrently with the birth of my niece, whose name is Delphine. My sister did most of the hard work, of course, on that particular day, but I also wanted to create something. Originally, I thought Delphinium would be a Champagne bar but then after Covid, I was like no absolutely not that's a terrible idea why would you do that, and I started working for a really great winery in Sonoma County.
The owner there presented me with the resources and opportunity to make the wine of my dreams, which was a $45 bottle of Loire-inspired sparkling wine. I learned a lot about winemaking in that position - the importance of native fermentation among many other things - and I was also living on the Sonoma Coast and feeling the sea and the redwoods in my lungs and my soul every day.
It sounds a bit crazy but I wanted to make a wine that felt like the coast.... salty air, tiny flowers, a sense of wildness and playfulness. And I think Delphinium really captures that.
Terroir has always fascinated me and maybe manifestation can be terroir??? Why not.
What are the biggest strides you've seen the industry take in the last five
years?
I think everyone has chilled out, which is a good thing. Staying sane, staying healthy and caring for our loved ones has been in the front of our minds for the last five years. Everyone just wants to drink and sell the wine that brings them the most joy. And that is a wonderful thing.
If you could snap your fingers and change one thing in the space tomorrow,
what would it be?
No more White Claw.
"Sustainability" can be an overused buzzword and it can mean different things
to different people. What does being sustainable mean to you?
Nourishment is the word that comes to mind. It means taking care of yourself and the people in your space; building a business that can continue to nurture the owners, the employees, the farmers, the suppliers, every single person that your business depends on. Be kind, compassionate. Show grace to yourself and others.
Nature is the ultimate teacher. You don't have to explain sustainability to the forest or the ocean. Lay on the beach or the floor of the forest and then go do that.
What's a trend in the industry you've had enough of?
Trends are trends. Just ignore them. They will pass. Except for White Claw. I've had
enough of that.
What ignited your passion for the work you do?
I have to credit a couple of really inspiring female Grower Champagne producers:
Clemence from Lelarge-Pugeot, whom I am fortunate to consider a friend, and
Delphine from Jean-Veselle, whom I met once but mainly worship from afar. I love their wines and their gracefulness and graciousness in life. Grower Champagne has been been a consistent source of joy and intellectual intrigue for me and I just feel really cool and grateful to get to play around in this space.
What advice do you wish you'd gotten when you were starting out?
Don't do it! Just kidding. I received so much great advice but the reality is that it is
really hard to make a living in this industry. And that's just the truth. As much as
I am passionate about building my wine brand, there are also practical
considerations. Like, I hustled in the restaurant industry for 14 years and I have no
savings because it pays so poorly. So this is my retirement plan. This industry isn't always sexy, but we drink a lot of good wine!