Kelsey Phelps vividly remembers her grandfather’s wine cellar: a giant underground maze where endless rows of bottles created the perfect childhood playground.
For the adults in the family, a massive binder served as a roadmap to the collection, which they’d scour to find the perfect wine for supper. The harder task went to the children, who had to locate the physical bottle.
“As a kid, I looked at that cellar with a combination of fear, awe and reverence,” said Phelps, founder of Seppi Wines in Healdsburg. “Finding a specific wine in the matrix was like using the Dewey Decimal System to find a book at the library.”
Much to her chagrin, she’d occasionally disrupt the sediment at the bottom of an aging bottle, raising her grandfather’s blood pressure.
“I had no idea how to carry an older bottle of wine, so I was probably holding it like a banana,” said Phelps, laughing. “At the time, I didn’t understand how special that time was. But now, it’s one of my most meaningful memories.”
A Napa Valley icon
In 1973, Joseph Phelps moved to Napa Valley, where he founded Joseph Phelps Vineyards in St. Helena.
Formerly in commercial construction, Phelps had no wine industry experience — only a passion for collecting wine and experience as a home winemaker. But that didn’t stop him from creating one of Napa Valley’s most influential Bordeaux-style blends with winemaker Walter Schug.
Launched in 1974, Insignia became a benchmark for premium Cabernet Sauvignon-based blends, earning multiple 100-point scores and high praise among critics.
During the summers, Kelsey and her family visited her grandfather in Napa Valley, where the scent of sun-warmed grapes, oak barrels and Northern California chaparral was “magical.”
“Napa has this amazing aroma, and that made a big impression on me as a kid,” she said. “I still get nostalgic every time I smell it. So many of my childhood memories are sensory — the scent of the cellar, open wine bottles or family gatherings over food.”
The good life
Raised in Greeley, Colorado, Phelps had fallen hard for Northern California.
After high school, she earned a degree in Urban Studies from Stanford University, which helped her secure a fellowship at San Francisco City Hall under Gavin Newsom. Then she received her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, eventually landing a junior attorney position at a high-powered law firm in Palo Alto.
“At that time, I thought ‘the good life’ meant having an extremely successful career, earning lots of money and being respected in my field — that’s how I defined success,” said Phelps. “That’s how I had positioned myself and how I wanted my life to go.”
Living in San Francisco, Phelps commuted to Palo Alto daily, leaving her apartment before sunrise, working long days and returning after dark. Sometimes, she didn’t see the sun for days.
On weekends, she’d visit her grandfather in Napa Valley, and their relationship soon deepened. She’d talk business, he’d talk wine, and together they connected over the bottles in his cellar.
“He would share the history of the wines, where he got them, what was happening in his life — all the stuff that goes over your head as a kid,” said Phelps. “Spending time with my grandfather helped me understand and appreciate those wines. That’s when I realized what ‘the good life’ really means.”
A passion for California terroir
Phelps spent two years in law before making the leap to wine. But rather than work for the family business, she decided to forge her own path.
“I asked myself what I like to drink and what I find exciting, and the answer was sparkling wine,” said Phelps, who lives in Healdsburg. “California can produce exceptional sparkling wines, and there is a lot of room in the market for growth. So that’s what I decided to focus on.”
In 2017, Phelps launched Seppi, a sparkling wine brand focused on vintage releases and single-vineyard expressions. Sourcing fruit from 14 vineyards across Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties and one in Sta. Rita Hills, the label is a testament to Phelps’ passion for terroir.
Produced by winemaker Matt Iaconis of Brick & Mortar Wines in Healdsburg, the wines are made using méthode traditionelle, a time-intensive process that yields complexity.
“I believe in expressing California terroir, so our wines have a little bit more richness than Champagne,” Phelps said. “But we still pick early so they finish racy, crisp and clean. A tiny bit of dosage (three to four grams per liter) makes everything sing and meld together.”
Currently, Seppi produces between 500 and 1,000 cases a year, including a Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noir and Brut Rosé. Last fall, the brand released its first non-vintage wines and plans to debut its first single-vineyard releases this fall.
As for the name “Seppi,” it was Joseph Phelps’ nickname, bestowed by his grandchildren.
“My grandfather built an amazing legacy, and it’s a privilege and blessing to be a part of it,” said Phelps. “I smile at his memory and hope I carry his spirit of excitement. I think he would be very proud.”
Seppi wines can be purchased at DrinkSeppi.com, Bottle Barn, Oliver’s Market and by the glass at Lo & Behold in Healdsburg, Healdsburg’s Asahi Sushi and Healdsburg Bubble Bar.
Sarah Doyle is the wine and beverage reporter at The Press Democrat. She can be reached at sarah.doyle@pressdemocrat.com, where she also welcomes story ideas.