Girl Code: Unlocking the Secrets to Success, Sanity, and Happiness for the Female Entrepreneur

Tell us a bit about yourself
I was born in a three-street town and I credit that tiny village for my
insatiable curiosity, wanderlust and my passion for traveling the world. My
background is design and real estate development, but six years ago, I took
a leap, gave up my career as a designer/real estate developer in California,
and moved to Nuits-Saint-Georges, in Burgundy, France with my then
boyfriend, to follow my second passion: travel, food and wine. This journey
resulted in me creating Le Grand Courtâge, a new gold-medal winning
French sparkling wine that’s now available in thirty-five states.
I’m a seeker and a dreamer, who believes variety is indeed the spice of life,
but I’m grounded in reality and am a consummate Type A perfectionist who
geeks out on details. I love to entertain and I love beautiful surroundings
and little details which elevate the everyday.
I like negative space in design and blank space in my life as without the
‘voids’ there is not much room for new ideas, creative thoughts and truly
experiencing that which is around us. Serendipity is one of my favorite
words and concepts as it is where surprise, random meetings, happenstance
and spontaneous connections with strangers occur.
I’ve loved big and lived large, I’ve had more than a few major curveballs in
life, and I’ve had my heart broken in pieces. Yet, through it all, I am
appreciative for every experience because it is part of the journey and
without the good and bad, I wouldn’t have this exact life and the
perspective I’ve gained.

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What inspired you to start Le Grand Courtâge?
Food and wine are the great common denominator and it’s what brings
people together in all cultures. For me, Le Grand Courtâge it is about
reminding people to take a few moments to recharge and find the joy in
life’s simple pleasures; like a meal shared with friends, a relaxing bubble
bath, reading a book in a hammock, watching your favorite Thursday night
show with girlfriends or a romantic picnic in the park...all while enjoying a
glass of bubbles of course.
As a female consumer I was constantly surprised by the lack of innovation
and level of traditionalism in French wines and I saw a gap in the category
on price, palate and packaging standpoint and I saw the growth in the
category both domestically and globally. As most French wine is
traditionally branded, packaged and styled, I saw an opportunity to create
an affordable French sparkling wine that appeals to the consumer: a
memorable name, an elegant bottle, and a balanced, fruit forward wine that
delights the palate.
As champagne is expensive, I wanted to create a product that offers an
exceptional price-to-value ratio and offers an affordable luxury in order to
celebrate the every day.