For those who don't know La Fête Wine Company can you give us some background to yourself and the business?
I majored in mathematics and industrial engineering at university and began my career as an information technology consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. However, after a few years, I found myself feeling unfulfilled and decided to pivot to the wine and spirits industry.
Over the past 20 years, I've had the privilege of working with prestigious brands like Heineken and various LVMH names, including Hennessy, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Belvedere Vodka, and Armand de Brignac.
In 2019, I launched La Fête after noticing a gap in the US market for a rosé brand that avoided clichéd stereotypes. My goal was to create a lifestyle-driven brand that wasn't limited by seasons, reflecting how rosé is enjoyed in Europe, especially in the South of France.
Your objective and business strategy reaches far beyond making wine but also about changing the perception of wine and who it is for? Can you explain this in more detail?
Donae Burston brings big brand experience into running his own wine business. Picture John Walker
Wine has long been seen as an intimidating choice for the average consumer. Unfortunately, the industry hasn’t done much to attract and appeal to new drinkers. At La Fête, we’re changing that with three key principles:
Show Up Differently: We're not just thinking about wine when creating our sales and marketing plans. We look beyond the traditional wine category to truly stand out.
Engage Authentically: We make a genuine effort to connect with audiences and communities often overlooked by the wine industry. Our approach is both authentic and intentional.
Be Everywhere & Be Relevant: From sporting events to fine dining, we ensure wine is a part of every occasion, turning every moment into an opportunity for enjoyment.
With these principles, La Fête is making wine more accessible, enjoyable, and inclusive for everyone.
You are also doing a lot of work for diversity in wine - how are you looking to do that?
We proudly collaborate with The Roots Fund, a nonprofit co-founded by Master Sommelier Carlton McCoy. The Roots Fund is dedicated to empowering BIPOC individuals through education, mentorship, and job placement in the wine industry. Our initiatives include:
- Scholarships to the Burgundy School of Wine & Spirits Business.
- Harvest opportunities in France, South Africa, and the United States.
- Access to wines and mentors for those preparing for WSET and Court of Master Sommeliers exams.
Additionally, I personally mentor black-owned wine brand founders, guiding them through the complexities of wine sales, marketing, and distribution.
Why did you want to make wine in St Tropez and the south of France?
Rosé is where Donae Burston's first interest in wine came from - hence its own rosé-focused wine brand
St Tropez is close to my heart. I celebrated my 30th birthday there and had my first glass of rosé. Making wine from this region felt like a natural choice. The South of France is to rosé what Champagne is to sparkling wine. If I was going to produce rosé, it had to be in the birthplace of this exceptional wine, crafted by master winemakers.
What styles of wine are you looking to make?
Initially, our rosé was crafted to be low in acidity and incredibly easy to drink—a reflection of my personal preferences at the time. However, as my palate evolved and I gained a deeper appreciation for the art of winemaking, our approach also matured. Today, we produce well-balanced wines with excellent structure, acidity, and salinity, each sip transporting you to the south of France. Despite these enhancements, we believe our wines are best enjoyed now, rather than cellared for a distant special occasion.
Take our rosé, for example. It spends five months in steel tanks before bottling, allowing it to harmonise beautifully. In contrast, many others blend, bottle, and export their wines within just three months.
Who is your target audience?
If you're passionate about travel, discovery, adventure, and diverse music, then you are a La Fête enthusiast. At La Fête, we believe in celebrating life’s adventures with everyone. As we say “La Fête is a party, and everyone is invited".
How and why did you get to work with Château Saint-Maur?
Château Saint-Maur - the winery that is helping bring La Fête to life
I first met Roger Zannier and his team through a mutual friend during a visit to St. Tropez in 2021. Over lunch at their winery, we discussed our respective brands—my vision for La Fête and their ambitions for St Maur. We quickly realised we shared a common vision for the wines of Provence, and from that moment on, we knew a collaboration was inevitable.
How do you decide on the blends and what style of wine to make together?
Before our partnership with St Maur, we were already producing rosé and a Blanc. However, it wasn't until we started collaborating (with St Maur) that my team and I became deeply involved in the entire wine selection and blending process and truly defined our house style. Now, we have the final say in the blends and wines we produce each vintage.
This meticulous process involves tasting over 60 different varietals before we begin simulated blending sessions to create our final vintage. It's a delicate balance of both chemistry and artistry.
The image, the wine, the south of France. Picture by Nathan Lefebvre
You are working with Top Selection in the UK - why did you want to work with them?
Top Selection, founded by Akos Forczek, immediately caught my attention. Like me, Akos is a former LVMH employee, which reassured me that Top Selection truly understands luxury, premium positioning, brand building, and the vital importance of account selection.
How are you looking to grow your sales and profile in the UK?
We are building on our strong relationships with key hotels and restaurants in the US to secure placements in the UK. Additionally, we’re targeting popular spots recommended by our loyal La Fête customers who frequently travel between the US and the UK. Their enthusiasm for our wines has been a major driving force in our expansion, and the UK, being the hub of the wine world, is a very important market. Our dedicated followers want to enjoy our wines no matter where they are in the world.
Tell us about the specific La Fete Wines and what wines you have in the range?
The range of La Fête wines
Rosé: Our flagship rosé is a classic Provencal-style blend of Grenache, Cinsault, and Syrah. Unlike our competitors, our rosé boasts more body and structure, making it versatile enough to pair with a wide range of dishes. Whether you prefer it chilled in summer or at room temperature in winter, this rosé adapts beautifully to any season.
Blanc: Meet our Blanc, a white blend primarily composed of Rolle. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, this wine is untouched by oak, allowing its crisp, mineral-rich flavours to shine. If you're looking to elevate your usual Sauvignon Blanc experience, our Blanc offers a delightful alternative.
Rouge:Finally, our Rouge is a lush and juicy GSM blend. Like our other wines, it undergoes steel tank fermentation, with a final touch in concrete tanks for micro-oxygenation. This process enhances the wine's texture without introducing the tannins typical of wood-barrel aging.
Are you looking to grow the range in future years?
We’re currently focusing on our existing varietals—Rosé, Blanc, and Rouge. Each one holds immense potential, and we've only just begun to explore their global reach.
* If you want to know more about La Fête wines go to its website here.
