Raise a Glass for Diversity
By: Kelley Freund (Photography by Ron Hill) | Categories: Alumni Interest
“But when I learned it was French rosé, I fell in love with it,” he says. “It became this nostalgic thing that takes me back to the South of France.”
Burston, IE 98, has spent more than 15 years working in the wine and spirits industry. But his career didn’t begin there. After earning a degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, he took a job in information technology consulting, where he found himself working in the basement of a hospital. He wasn’t loving it. Then a friend who did promotions for a liquor brand asked Burston to help out at an event, handing out drink tickets. The perk? He’d get into the club for free.
From there, Burston began moonlighting for different companies and brands, helping out at events. He eventually got a job as an ambassador for a liquor brand, and went on to work with companies like Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Moët & Chandon, and Hennessy. Throughout those 15 years, he noticed that the industry seemed to be alienating people of color because it lacked insight into what those consumers wanted.
“There just wasn’t a brand speaking to me as a man, or to multicultural consumers,” Burston says. “Everything was about flowers and pink. Every brand was talking to white women.”
Burston had a goal: to create a rosé that would appeal to a multicultural audience. While in France for a work event, he met the owner of a vineyard, and when Burston mentioned his idea, the two decided to collaborate. The result was La Fête du Rosé, which launched officially in 2019. Today, it’s available for purchase nationwide and at big retailers like Target, Whole Foods, and Costco in select markets. Burston marketed the wine as a lifestyle brand and focused on its universal appeal. He organized theme parties and festivals to reach different demographics, then posted on social media.
Eventually, La Fête du Rosé gained some high-profile fans, like Michael Strahan.
“We want to be the No. 1 luxury rosé brand in the U.S., and possibly the world,” Burston says. “But more importantly, we want to change the idea of rosé.”
Burston also wants to help change the wine industry as a whole. It’s estimated that of the 8,000 wineries in the United States, only 0.1 percent of winemakers and brand owners are Black. Last year, La Fête du Rosé gave $25,000 to The Roots Fund, an organization that is working to diversify the wine industry by providing funding and opportunities to people of color. Burston’s brand also donated $10,000 to AllAbroad.org, an Atlanta-based organization that provides local high school kids with travel experiences. Burston’s donations helped pay for some of the trips, as well as passports.
“Travel was so important to me as a postgraduate and made me who I am today.” Burston says. “But many minority kids don’t have those opportunities. I wanted to give those experiences back to underserved and underprivileged kids. If they have those experiences early on, it will broaden their horizons and make them see there’s something beyond their block."
