Imbibe 75 Person to Watch: Donae Burston

“In the rest of the world, rosé is a wine consumed by men and people from all different backgrounds,” says Donae Burston. “But for some reason, in the U.S., it was marketed as this trivial pink wine for women of certain social-economic status.”

Rosé’s one-dimensional image ignored superfans like Burston. Coming from a 15-year career with luxury goods company LVMH where he managed accounts including Dom Pérignon, Burston, who splits his time between Atlanta and Miami, sought to create a year-round rosé that spoke to a broad, multicultural consumer base. His sustainably farmed La Fête du Rosé—a medium-bodied Grenache-Mourvèdre-Syrah blend made in collaboration with Saint-Tropez’s Domaine Bertaud Belieu—hit shelves in 2019.

The label includes a philanthropic focus, giving $25,000 to The Roots Fund and Color of Change last year, and supporting causes that provide travel experiences to underserved kids. “I do hope that other wine brands, distributors, and wine retailers will join us in championing these causes,” says Burston, who has two new releases planned for 2021. “I think we all have an obligation to do our part to improve the world and society as a whole.”