For more than a decade, Ellison Wofford built her career in the Napa Valley wine industry, working alongside some of California's most respected wine brands and learning firsthand how place, craftsmanship, and agricultural heritage shape what ends up in the glass.

Yet the idea that would eventually become Susurrus Sparkling Teas did not emerge from a vineyard.

It emerged from a simple observation: tea and wine have far more in common than most people realise.

Founded by Wofford after more than two years of development, Susurrus Sparkling Teas was created to bring the same respect for origin, terroir, and craftsmanship that defines fine wine into the world of tea. The company officially launched in 2026, introducing a collection of sparkling, non-alcoholic teas sourced and presented with a level of specificity more commonly associated with wine than with traditional tea beverages.

The name itself offers an insight into the brand's philosophy.

"Susurrus" refers to a soft whispering, rustling, or murmuring sound, often associated with nature and quiet conversation. For Wofford, it became the perfect expression of what she hoped the brand would represent: a moment of calm, connection, and attentiveness in an increasingly noisy world. According to the company, each bottle is intended as "a celebration of Nature" and an invitation to slow down, listen, and engage more deeply with what is being consumed.

The journey to founding Susurrus was anything but accidental.

Originally from South Carolina, Wofford relocated to Napa in 2013 and built a career that spanned multiple facets of the wine industry. She worked first as a commercial lender before moving into winery leadership roles, including General Manager of RAEN Winery and later Director of Business Development and Trade Sales at Bella Oaks. Alongside her professional work in wine, she pursued a growing interest in wellness, earning a 500-hour yoga teacher certification in 2020.

Over time, tea emerged as the bridge connecting those two worlds.

The more Wofford explored tea, the more she recognised parallels with wine. Both are agricultural products shaped by geography, climate, seasonality, and human skill. Both express the character of a specific place. Both contain remarkable aromatic complexity and reward thoughtful consumption. Yet while wine has long benefited from a vocabulary that celebrates terroir and provenance, tea has often been viewed through a very different lens.

Image: Ellison Wofford. Source: Susurrus Sparkling Tea (Credit to Emma Kruch / @emmakcreative)

Susurrus was created to challenge that perception.

At the heart of the brand are organic, single-origin teas sourced with the same attention a winemaker might devote to selecting a vineyard site. Each tea is chosen not only for quality but also for its ability to communicate a distinct sense of origin. Rather than blending away differences, Susurrus seeks to preserve them, allowing consumers to experience the unique characteristics of each tea and its place of production.

The inaugural collection reflects this philosophy.

Among the first releases is Osmanthus Golden Tip, produced from organic black tea buds harvested from old-tree Big Leaf Black cultivars in Yunnan, China, before being scented with osmanthus flowers from Zhejiang. Another expression, Magnolia Oolong, combines a Jinxuan "Golden Lily" oolong from Fujian with magnolia blossoms from Guangxi. Both teas showcase the influence of origin, cultivar, harvest timing, and traditional production methods in much the same way a vineyard-focused wine might express its site and vintage.

Image Source: Susurrus Sparkling Tea

For Wofford, however, the objective extends beyond flavour alone.

Tea occupies a unique space between enjoyment and wellness. Its natural combination of caffeine and L-theanine has long been valued for promoting calm focus, offering an experience distinct from both alcohol and coffee. This makes sparkling tea particularly relevant at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking moderation without sacrificing complexity, ritual, or occasion. Wofford often describes tea as wine's "sober sister" - not a substitute for wine, but a companion category capable of standing confidently on its own merits.

The environmental dimension of the business is equally important.

Susurrus is a member of 1% for the Planet, committing one per cent of annual sales to environmental causes. The company's belief that "preservation begins with appreciation" is woven throughout its identity, reflecting a broader commitment to protecting the agricultural landscapes and ecosystems that make tea production possible.

In many ways, Susurrus arrives at a moment when the beverage industry is undergoing a significant shift. Consumers increasingly seek products that offer authenticity, provenance, craftsmanship, and transparency, regardless of whether alcohol is involved. The rise of premium non-alcoholic beverages has created opportunities for new categories, but few brands approach the space through the lens of terroir as directly as Susurrus.

Image:  The three key distinctions awarded to Susurrus by the 2026 Sommeliers Choice Awards:⁠ "Non Alcoholic Producer Of The Year", "Non Alcoholic Of The Year", and  "Best Non Alcoholic White".

That perspective may ultimately be its greatest differentiator.

Rather than positioning tea as an alternative to wine, Wofford has chosen to elevate tea on its own terms. By applying the disciplines of wine appreciation to one of the world's oldest agricultural beverages, she is inviting consumers to look at tea differently: not as a commodity, but as a product of place, culture, and craftsmanship.

For a founder who spent years immersed in the language of vineyards and vintages, the transition may seem unexpected. Yet the underlying philosophy remains remarkably consistent.

Great beverages begin with great agricultural products. They reflect where they come from. They reward curiosity. And they bring people together around a shared table.

Susurrus Sparkling Teas was built on that belief. In doing so, it is helping create a new conversation around what premium tea can be.

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