Nicole Hughes and Anne Siegel founded Olive and Poppy in 2014, creating stylish gifts and accessories using materials locally sourced and inspired by California wine areas. We love sharing a bit of their wine country design in our Tasting Room and recently sat down with them to find out more about this local company and the inspiration behind their most popular offerings.
Where did the inspiration for the name Olive & Poppy come from?
We were searching for a name that was a subtle nod to wine country and that also captured the natural elements of this area. At the time, we were both commuting up and down Highway 29 for our old day jobs and we passed all the gorgeous wineries each day. Suddenly, it came to us on that drive, as we passed by all the driveways lined with olive trees and poppy flowers…. olive and poppy: two natural elements found throughout wine country! – Nicole
What are your favorite Olive & Poppy products?
I love our new Barrel Bead Bracelets: the howlite, labradorite and rose quartz are my favorites! You can imagine that we go through quite a few old wine barrels, and we only use the top layer of wood for our signature Barrel Bracelets, so there was a lot of waste. That was getting us down, as one of our goals is to utilize reclaimed elements. So, we started trying to dream up different ways to use the ENTIRE barrel, instead of just the red stained part. We decided to create hand-carved beads from the excess wine barrel wood, and then we sourced all the semi-precious stones on a trip to India. They are colorful and just beautiful, and the addition of the wood beads make them uniquely reminiscent of wine country. – Nicole
I’m a hug fan of our Poppy Earrings. I wear them every day. They are a little reminder of spring (my favorite season in Napa Valley) because the hillsides are still green from the winter rain and dotted with pops of bright orange poppies. I love that they are delicate and yet people always notice them! – Anne
Where do you gather inspiration when creating new products?
We look for inspiration everywhere around us in wine country! There are cultural elements of the wine country lifestyle that we like to incorporate into our designs, like the simple act of saying “cheers”. And, then there are natural elements, like the yellow color of the mustard flower as inspiration for a new Barrel Bracelet color. Or, more esoteric, but we use hexagons in many of our designs as a nod to the importance of honey bees in agricultural areas. Every decision that we make about the creation of a new product is informed by observations from our lives here and our love of good wine! – Nicole
How would you spend a day exploring in Wine Country?
I love to start any day exploring wine country with a coffee and pastry from Bouchon, and while I’m there, a quick stroll around the French Laundry Gardens. Then, I love the hiking trails around the northern part of Lake Hennessey, especially if it’s spring/early summer and it’s still green! After a good hike, I’d head immediately for a late lunch and a glass of rosé on the patio at Clif…the Firecracker Salad is my favorite!! A wander around town, checking out the shops, and it’s probably cocktail hour. Cocktails on the patio at Farmstead, along with some of their grilled artichokes, and my day is complete! – Nicole
I’d start off at the Napa Farmer’s Market and get some tasty treats to snack on throughout the day. When I head up-valley (as we locals like to say) I tend to fall back on old favorites like Frog’s Leap and Mumm and then I’d end with a cold glass of my favorite rosé from Clif and a big bowl of arancini and a seasonal bruschetta from the Clif food truck. – Anne
What’s your favorite Clif Family wine?
It won’t come as any surprise that we pine for the Clif Family Rosé! It is our absolute favorite rosé to enjoy over the summer. So crisp and delicious!
Clif Family proudly carries Olive and Poppy products in our Tasting Room and a few select pieces on our online shop.