High-profile sisters Cara, Poppy and Chloe Delevingne are the physical incarnation of the “good life,” so it comes as no surprise that their next exciting endeavor is in wine.
Della Vite, their new Prosecco brand, blends their individual tastes and personalities into a cohesive whole. Here, we learn about the catalyst behind their foray into wine, details about their winemaking process and partners, and a little more about the sisters themselves.
Why a Prosecco and why is now the right time to launch it?
Poppy: Firstly, it’s what we love to drink. No matter where we are in the world or how big or small the celebration is, Prosecco is what’s on the table when the three of us get together. It has become a bit of a ritual for us.
We also think we must have been Italian in a past life—there’s an integral connection there. We love the food, the culture, the history… and we can’t wait to go back.
Cara: We’ve talked about starting a business together for a long time now but wanted it to be something meaningful to all three of us, that represented us as sisters. We also noticed that there weren’t a lot of other Prosecco brands out there. People can’t name brands off the top of their heads in the same way they can with Champagne or Tequila, so we saw an opportunity to change things.
Chloe: We wanted to launch a brand that makes people think differently about the Prosecco category. A lot of the available Prosecco isn’t great quality, particularly in the U.K., where we’re from, even though it’s so popular. We’ve had some incredible Proseccos in Italy, so we wanted to help share those and the story of Prosecco with the rest of the world.
Poppy: Della Vite launched in the U.K. in August last year during the pandemic, and we were so proud of the feedback on the wine from bars, restaurants, sommeliers, wine shops and wine writers. We always knew we wanted to bring it to the U.S. We’ve all lived there at some point in our lives, so it felt like a natural next step.
Where did the name Della Vite come from?
Poppy: While we were in Italy tasting samples and searching for a winery, we spotted a stone sign with Della Vite carved into it.
Chloe: Della Vite means ‘from the vine’ in Italian, and Delevingne means ‘of the vine’ in French, so, we truly believe it was meant to be.
How does Della Vite combine all three of your personalities into one wine?
Poppy: We’d say that Della Vite has the dry sense of humor of Chloe. It’s a bit drier and less sweet than other Prosecco you might have tried.
Cara: The creamy bubbles are definitely the bubbly personality of Poppy.
Chloe: Cara’s personality comes into it because we want this brand to be for everyone—there are no rules, no rigor and tradition, like we think you find with Champagne. We want it to be inclusive and people who drink DV to feel like they are part of our sisterhood.
Was wine a staple around the table in your household?
Cara: Yes, especially Prosecco. It’s been there for the big moments and the small—birthdays, weddings, hen parties, family get-togethers, holidays, or even just the three of us finally getting an hour or two alone one evening.
Chloe: We probably discovered Italian wines in a little more detail in our 20s. When we’re looking for a delicious red, we will usually go for a Barolo or a wine from Montepulciano.
Tell me about your winemaker. How did the collaboration come to pass?
Poppy: Our winemakers are a family business just like us, which we loved. They’ve been making wine for three generations in Valdobbiadene, in Northeastern Italy. Our business partner and cofounder Numa, who is a close family friend, helped us find them after a few trips to the region. We’ve been working with them for a couple of years now, so they definitely feel like extended family.
Cara: It was really important to us that we found someone that shared our values. Our winery was able to work with us on a 100% vegan wine, and we loved that they used solar power throughout the winery. The production methods used also avoid intensive farming and our wines are made within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means that sustainability is monitored and guaranteed.
Chloe: Our Prosecco has a secondary fermentation process that lasts 60 days; usually this only lasts 30 days in most other Prosecco. This gives our wines a smoother, creamier and more sophisticated bubble.
Our winery has a laboratory on site where they cultivate their own yeasts and is one of the only wineries in Italy to do this. This means we don’t have to use chemical, homogenized yeasts from an industrial-grade supplier, so we have more control over what we are creating.
Have you ever thought about winemaking yourselves?
Chloe: We’ve seen firsthand how much goes into it, the passion, and the history behind it all is incredible. I think for us, it’s beyond our wildest dreams to ever be able to take on being winemakers, and we respect the experts too much.
Cara: We’re always keen to learn more about it, though, and lend a hand with squishing grapes.
Why was it important to you to create a vegan wine brand?
Cara: We really wanted to create something inclusive, that as many people as possible could taste and drink, so making sure it was vegan was something we knew we had to do.
I saw Cara’s home featured in an Architectural Digest tour, and it was perhaps my fave AD tour ever. Poppy and Chloe, you both have a distinct aesthetic as well. Are there any plans to build or create an Italian estate to showcase your range of Proseccos, incorporating your unique senses of styles?
Cara: Ah, thank you.
Poppy: This hadn’t crossed our minds but what a fabulous idea—can we steal it?
How do you want people to feel after drinking your Prosecco? What emotions would you like to convey through your wine?
Chloe: Joy! We want to spread a little bit of joy with Della Vite. With everything going on in the world at the moment, we think everyone could use some extra joy, in bucket loads.
Last Updated: May 8, 2023
