Cara, Poppy and Chloe Delevingne On The Joys Of Sisterhood And Their Love For Hosting

Ever since their childhood days, growing up in Belgravia, Cara, Poppy and Chloe Delevingne have always been close. But in 2020, they brought their sisterly bond to new territory, launching a business together, Prosecco brand Della Vite. Before this, the trio had all achieved significant successes in different careers: Cara (33) and Poppy (39) rose to fame as models and actors, while Chloe (40) trained in biomedical science and co-founded gynecological health charity Lady Garden Foundation.

But the sisters were keen to create something together – and one day, that light bulb idea came (over a glass of fizz, naturally). ‘We knew we all had quite different skillsets and personalities that we could bring to the table,’ Chloe tells us. ‘Nothing ever felt quite right business-wise until we were sitting drinking Prosecco together and were suddenly like, “this is it!” We all have such a shared love of Italy and Italian food and drink and thought, “yes, this is something we can make work.”’

After a pandemic-induced delay, the suitably chic Della Vite launched in late 2020 with two wines, growing to include a rosé as well as a non-alcoholic blend, Zero. And now, the brand has expanded its range further with new spritzes, tapping into the ever-growing trend for canned cocktails. Here, the Delevingne sisters reflect on five years of Della Vite.

The Delevingne Sisters On Their Prosecco Brand, Della Vita

Why did you decide to launch a prosecco brand?

Poppy: Prosecco has always been part of our lives since we came of age – occasions big and small, out pops a bottle of Prosecco. It just makes any moment feel that little bit more special, but isn’t rooted in the formality of champagne. The main reason it’s often overlooked for champagne is that it doesn’t have the best reputation in the UK as a result of over-production and poor quality. In launching Della Vite, we were on a mission to change that perception with a liquid that not only looks the part, but most importantly, tastes the part. So we decided to try to get the good Prosecco out of Italy and share it with the rest of the world.

How do you find working together as sisters?

Chloe: It’s been a learning curve for sure, but we’ve always had an incredibly close bond, despite sometimes living on other sides of the world. The amazing thing about going into business together has been how much we’ve learnt about each other as well. For example, Poppy has always been creative, but it turns out that she’s actually a lot better with numbers than we’d ever given her credit for! So, it’s been a real learning experience about each other as well, which has been a pretty amazing thing to share.

Have you always had a close bond?

Cara: Yes, always. There’s no one as similar to you as your sisters, and we’ve shared so many special moments together – from Spice Girls dance routines to now being business partners.

What do each of you bring to the Della Vite business?

Poppy: I was very involved in the design process, and it’s actually my handwriting on the bottle. It was quite a lengthy process to find the designers and makers we wanted to work with to create the bottle, but we are super proud of the end result. It’s chic but also understated, which is just like the liquid inside. I also do a lot of hosting and shake up a mean cocktail, so I’ve been quite involved in the recipe development side of things.

Chloe: I’m self-proclaimed Chief Taster, I love the restaurant and bar scene so take my role of ‘mystery-shopper’ very seriously, visiting the bars and restaurants that have decided to stock us. I’d say that generally, though, what we thought we would bring to the table hasn’t necessarily transpired, and it’s actually been different elements of setting up a business that have interested us.

Cara: DV Zero is my baby, so I was very involved with that – I’d tried a lot of non-alc products on the market, and just knew we could create something better and with less sugar than all the other options. So, when we found the vineyard in Beziers that produces DV Zero and started working with the team there, it was just so exciting. When it came to our new spritzes, it was obviously very important to us to have a range that is inclusive and has something for everyone – enter our Aperiti-No spritz.

Tell us more about the new spritzes. What drew you to the canned cocktail world, and which are your favourites?

Poppy: The new Spritz range is inspired by our travels around Italy. We’ve always loved aperitivo hour – it’s a moment that’s baked into our days on every trip. The more we sipped our way around Italy, the more we realised that each region or city has its own iconic spritz. With our Spritz range, we’re trying to recreate a little taste of those regions, but in a super convenient and dangerously sippable can! We’re so obsessed with them, and are so proud that we have been able to produce them using a wine base from the Della Vite winery in Italy. My favourite is the Hugo for sure – floral and fresh, but not too sweet, it’s sunshine in a can.

Cara: For me, it has to be our alcohol-free Aperiti-No Spritz. Bold, punchy and delicious straight from the can – or poured over ice into a big glass with a slice of orange! We made this so everyone can join in the fun and sip with us.

Chloe: Our Bellini Spritz is the true Italian icon; it tastes exactly like the bellinis you’d find in Harry’s Bar in Venice. One sip and I’m straight back to Italy. We wanted people to be able to access this sophisticated cocktail in a super sippable format, so we made it happen. Our spritzes are the true taste of an Italian summer.

How would you describe your ethos surrounding food and drink?

Poppy: We all love to host, which I think is something we learnt growing up, where long, lazy lunches (ideally in Italy!) were always on the menu.

Chloe: The London restaurant scene is so exciting, we’re super lucky to have such a diverse range of cuisines literally on our doorstep. As I said, one of my favourite parts (and perks!) of the job is to visit some of the accounts that stock Della Vite, so as foodies, that’s been a massive bonus and something we’ve all really enjoyed.

Who is the best host?

Poppy: We all think we are! I’d say I probably do it more than the other two though… I get a real kick out of it, but it’s always very relaxed – shoes off by the door and dancing on the tables kind of vibes.

You all grew up in London. What’s your favourite restaurant in the city?

Cara: Sea Containers for their weekend brunch and free-flowing DV zero.

Poppy: The newly revamped Roof Gardens for a sun-soaked, DV fuelled lunch outside in their beautiful Spanish gardens.

Chloe: Langans for a true British experience and DV on tap.

How would you spend the ultimate sister day together?

Cara: We love activities, so there’s always a game involved, which generally becomes over-competitive!

Poppy: Eating lots of delicious food, preferably in cosy clothes and talking – a lot. We don’t have the chance to all be in the same place at the same time very often so when we do, the main priority is having a good catch up.

Chloe: Yep, definitely. Good food, good chats, DV on repeat. And the Spice Girls, always the Spice Girls.

What’s the best holiday you’ve had all together?

Cara: I had everyone to New York last Christmas which was very special to all be together at one of our favourite times of the year. Other than that, I think some of the family holidays we’ve had in Italy were pretty unbeatable, and even more so now they’ve been the inspiration for Della Vite.

What’s one piece of advice you’ve been given that’s always stuck with you?

Poppy: Live life to love and laugh. And always be kind to others.

What do you do to relax?

Poppy: Baths! We’re all obsessed with baths. Bubbles – of the bath and Prosecco kind. And friends and family.

How do you live a life in balance?

Poppy: To be honest, our lives are normally slightly all over the place! No day is ever the same and truly I enjoy the chaos. I never know what a new day will bring.

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