Delphinium Wine Co.: A Sparkling Sonoma Reawakening
Some wines shimmer before they’re even poured.
Before the cork sighs. Before the glass sings. Before the bubbles begin their dance…some wines already carry poetry.
Delphinium Wine Co. is one of them.
Founded by Courtney Humiston, a seasoned sommelier and wine writer turned vintner, Delphinium is more than a new sparkling label. It’s a love letter to Sonoma’s coast, and to the quiet, bone-dry elegance of French crémant, brought west with precision, patience, and reverence.
This is not your average California sparkler.
This is sea spray and citrus.
Mineral tension and memory.
A bottle as graceful as the flower it’s named for.
Let’s walk through the vineyard, and the vision.
Who Is Courtney Humiston?
If you’ve followed the California wine scene for more than a moment, you’ve likely read something by Courtney Humiston.
Once a rising sommelier at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen and a writer for Wine & Spirits Magazine, Humiston has long held a deep understanding of what wine means, not just how it tastes.
In 2023, she made a quiet pivot. Away from writing. Toward the vines. Toward making something she couldn’t only describe, but pour.
And now, in 2025, we have the first vintage of Delphinium Wine Co.
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Inspired by Crémant, Rooted in Sonoma
Crémant, for the unfamiliar, is the gentle cousin of Champagne…sparkling wines made using the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle) but outside the Champagne region.
They tend to be:
Drier
Lower in pressure
Often more expressive of terroir
Delphinium embraces that ethos.
The first release blends:
Sauvignon Blanc → crisp, aromatic, nervy
Chardonnay → structured, elegant, subtle toast
Fermented with native yeast, aged on lees, and bottled without aggressive dosage, this sparkling wine tastes like coastal air caught in glass.
A Sparkling Love Letter to Sonoma Coast
Humiston sources grapes from cool-climate sites close to the ocean, where fog rolls in like a silk scarf and mornings begin with salt on the skin.
She isn’t interested in overt fruit. She’s interested in texture, lift, and salinity.
This is sparkling wine made for:
Oysters, sea urchin, and quiet reflection
A windy picnic at Bodega Head
A pause in a world moving too fast
The wine is named for the delphinium flower…a bloom that is both hardy and delicate, a symbol of joy and remembrance.
Just like the wine.
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Why This Matters Right Now
The sparkling wine world is in flux.
Champagne prices are surging
Prosecco is over-sweetened and over-exposed
Cava is caught between luxury and discount
And then…there’s this.
Delphinium, like a breeze.
It asks:
What if sparkling wine was quiet again?
What if it spoke in minerals and florals, not marketing campaigns?
What if wine could be both elegant and elemental?
Schott Zwiesel Crystal Champagne Flutes
For a wine this delicate, glassware matters. These flutes preserve the structure, mousse, and aromatics of any méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine.
A sommelier such as myself might recommend a wider glass such as these Sauvignon Blanc glasses. It might dissipate the bubbles faster, but you can enjoy the aromatics of the wine easier.
Small Batches, Big Intentions
Delphinium isn’t trying to take over the market.
It’s not trying to be the next Veuve or even the next Roederer Estate.
It’s trying to say:
There is room for grace.
There is still time for craftsmanship.
There is still an audience for wines that don’t shout, but sing.
Only a few hundred cases exist. Each is hand-labeled, hand-riddled, hand-loved.
This is not wine made for scale.
It’s wine made for memory.
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A Return to the Table
Humiston has said her goal with Delphinium is simple:
“To make wine for food. For joy. For California.”
And that’s what it is.
A sparkling wine that belongs on the table, next to grilled peaches or Dungeness crab (if your husband isn’t allergic to them, unlike mine!) or a wedge of sheep’s milk cheese.
A wine you open not to impress…but to unwind, unfold, and remember.
This is the kind of wine that doesn't ask for attention.
It earns it.
Why We Still Need Wines Like This
Not every bottle needs to be loud.
Not every vintage needs to be viral.
Some wines just need to be true.
Delphinium is that.
It’s the kind of wine that brings wine lovers back to the beginning:
To land. To texture. To soul.
To why we drink in the first place.
If you find a bottle, hold it like a secret.
Pop it like a promise. (Gently, so you don’t loose all the carbon dioxide!)
And toast to the coast that made it possible.
