Ceci is my ideal drinking buddy—curious yet playful; admires the funky stuff while respecting tradition; doesn’t shy away from a dance floor. In addition to being one of my nearest and dearest friends, she was one of the first friends I made in wine, so she had no choice but to oblige when I asked her to be our first GRAPEVINE subject.
Grapevine is something that I’ve wanted to write as soon as I started writing1—a chance to pick the brains of those around me and make good use of their answers. The chance has finally presented itself through the lens of wine (and drinking in general), and I am suuuupes excited.
Grapevine encapsulates what I love most about wine: the ability to foster community and spark conversation while exploring personal TASTE! Everyone’s got their own, and I want to know who and what shaped it and when! So please, welcome Grapevine and our first guest, Ceci, to Juice.
Introduce yourself.
My name is Cecilia Mae Larson. I am a Scorpio sun, Cancer moon, Capricorn rising, and my best friend/star-crossed lover is the all-talented and fabulous Claudia Langella. Lol. I am a writer, wine drinker, cheese enthusiast, and most of all—I am alive!
How and when did wine show up in your life?
My junior year of college began with a bottle of Barefoot Muscadet (vomit emoji) and ended with my first job at a wine bar—much can change in nine months. I entered the wine world the same way I did the real one, naked and screaming! I soon (and underaged-ly) fell in love with wine the way I do with people, slowly at first—with a crisp Loire Chenin (La Dilettante, oh the affair we had!)—and then all at once with bottles and bottles of funky natty weird shit (think Oregon Gamay and natty Beaujolais [drool emoji]).
YOU & WINE
Do you have any advice for people who are just starting to take wine seriously?
Try everything and as often as possible. When I was getting serious in the industry, I treated my job like school. There were hours of studying varietals, terroir, regions… More than anything though, actually tasting a wine (and nosing, nerds) will paint a clearer picture of its story for you than any fact sheet could.
If you’re not in the industry, have wine nights with your pals! Have everyone bring a bottle and tell them to leave their frowns at the door. Get good ol’ fashioned drunk and silly together! The first few bottles will be memorable, but more than anything, you’ll strengthen your friendships and make some of your best memories over a shared bottle. Hell, some of my best lack of memories have been over two or three!
What about wine inspires or excites you?
Wine inspires me to be creative; the story behind a bottle reminds me that, at times, there are years in the making of a piece of art before you ever lay your eyes (or fingers) on it. [Editor’s note: For context you should know that Ceci is a brilliant painter and ceramicist.] Making art or enjoying a bottle is like a meditation for me—truly good things take time. Don’t rush through life like you’re racing to some early deadline. Sit, let it macerate, babe. Nothing in life is that serious. Unless you’re a brain surgeon or something—in that case you probably should be a little anxious to be on time and other things.
YOUR TASTE
Which types of wines are you gravitating towards right now?
Right now, I am SOBER. Only for a month (#springcleaning). But I have been stacking bottles on the shelf for when I come out of this March madness (ha). I look forward to returning to a funky pet-nat, perhaps a bottle of Oyster River’s “Morphos” shared between me and Claude on April 1. Who knows! April fools!
What are you drinking on a weeknight?
At this very moment, it has been a mug of detox tea or even some lavender and honey for bedtime. Mostly water. Lots and lots of water.2 In the morning it’s a big cup o’ iced joe with a splash of whole milk. Gasp! I know.
How about to impress friends?
If I put the wine helmet for a moment, I’ll tap into the elevated crowdpleasers. Perhaps a GSM3 blend for a cozy winter night and some lambchops? Don’t mind if I do! But naturally (ha) of course, I come packing with some weird funky unfiltered shit to say, ‘Hey! Not all wine has to be so serious! This one tastes like a Friday night under warm lights with disco-house playing in the background, have a glass, have two! What do I care!’
YOUR COMMUNITY
Which wine-adjacent places in your community—bars, shops, restaurants—do you look forward to going to the most?
I most look forward to the places with the faces I know and love. I will not dox anyone in this instance—you know who you are. However, I am always looking to expand my network of spots to love—there’s only so many hours in the day…
What’s wine culture like in your community?
I think defining my community would be the best way to answer this question and to that end: it’s complicated! There are so many people I know and love who I don’t see on a daily basis and some that I see each day that I’d rather opt out of. Community is nuanced, but my chosen family typically enjoys trying new things with me, and that’s why I keep ‘em around! I could grow more serious into the wine community again, as this part of my life has taken a bit of a backseat in the last few months. But again, life is busy! Things get in the way.
Can you share a special moment that was facilitated or punctuated by a bottle, maker, bartender…?
Last February I took a much snowy, very romantic trip up to Maine with my brand-new boyfriend. After a bottle of Martha Stoumen’s “Post Flirtation,” smelling of smoke from a bonfire, fingers thawing under crocheted blankets, he confessed for the first time that he had fallen in love with me. A weekend I will literally never forget. Thanks, Martha!
As told to Claudia Langella, March 2026. Edited and condensed for clarity.
You can find Ceci’s writing on “from the air.” Thanks for playing, Cecilia!!!!!
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Which is weird considering I was in seventh grade when the editorial bug hit
Taking notes ✍
short for Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre, a Rhône blend
claudia i love you! i am so honored!
Claudiaaa this is wonderful! Yay!