About Zelda 

Every bottle has a story. So does every person.

People often assume my journey began with Champagne.

It didn't.

It began thousands of kilometres away in South Africa.

Looking back now, I can see that every chapter of my life was quietly preparing me for The 7:00 Salon.

I just didn't know it yet.

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Some journeys begin with a choice. Mine began with a closed door.

Growing up in South Africa during apartheid, I dreamt of becoming a medical laboratory technologist.

It was a career I wanted deeply.

But because of the colour of my skin, that path wasn't open to me.

At the time, it felt like a dream had been taken away.

Life, however, has a remarkable way of redirecting us.

The door that closed all those years ago eventually led me somewhere I could never have imagined.

Into vineyards.

Into historic Champagne houses.

Into conversations with some of the world's most remarkable winemakers.

Looking back, I realise that what felt like an ending was quietly becoming the beginning of a completely different life.

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Learning to understand people.

My career took me into the corporate world, where I built a successful career in business strategy.

For many years, I worked with organisations to solve complex business challenges, helping businesses think differently about growth, people and long-term strategy.

Eventually, I founded my own recruitment company, helping businesses find exceptional people and helping people discover opportunities that could change their lives.

People often ask what that has to do with Champagne.

To me, everything.

Business taught me to slow down.

To observe.

To listen carefully.

To ask better questions.

To understand that behind every business, every decision and every process is a person.

Those skills never left me.

Today, I simply use them around a dining table instead of a boardroom.

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Then Champagne found me.

At first, I was captivated by what was in the glass.

The elegance.

The craftsmanship.

The centuries of tradition.

But the deeper I travelled into the world of Champagne, the more I realised the wine itself was only part of the story.

My curiosity became impossible to ignore.

I immersed myself in the study of wine, viticulture and Champagne because I wanted to understand it properly.

That curiosity took me to France, where I walked through vineyards, visited historic Champagne houses and stood inside ancient chalk cellars that had witnessed generations of history.

I met producers whose families had devoted their lives to a single craft.

I listened to stories of patience.

Resilience.

Failure.

Courage.

Hope.

Those conversations changed me.

I realised that every remarkable bottle begins long before the cork is released.

It begins with people.

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Then I came home.

As I continued my journey, I discovered that extraordinary stories weren't found only in Champagne.

Back home, I met Australian producers whose passion and dedication were every bit as inspiring.

People like Ed Carr, Natalie Fryar and Andrew Pirie reminded me that greatness isn't defined by geography.

It's defined by vision, patience and the courage to create something meaningful.

Every visit.

Every conversation.

Every vineyard.

Every shared meal.

Added another chapter to my own journey.

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I noticed something.

Whether I was sitting in Champagne, Tasmania or around my own dining table, the same thing happened every time a bottle was opened.

People slowed down.

Conversations became more honest.

Laughter came more easily.

For a little while, the outside world disappeared.

It wasn't really about the Champagne.

It was about what Champagne made possible.

That simple observation stayed with me for years.

Until one day, it became an idea.

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The birth of The 7:00 Salon.

When I began hosting my own evenings, I noticed something else.

Guests rarely spoke about dosage.

They didn't remember technical tasting notes.

They remembered the conversations.

The friendships.

The atmosphere.

The feeling of walking into a home where everything had already been taken care of.

That's when I understood my purpose.

I wasn't simply introducing people to exceptional Champagne.

I was creating a place where Champagne could do what it has always done best.

Bring people together.

That place became The 7:00 Salon.

A private Champagne Salon where every bottle is chosen with intention, every detail is thoughtfully considered and every member is welcomed as a guest in my home.

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My journey continues.

I still travel.

I still seek out remarkable producers.

I still walk vineyards whenever I can.

Because every journey teaches me something new.

Every bottle has another story waiting to be shared.

And every Salon gives me the privilege of passing those stories on.

Not simply to talk about Champagne.

But to share the stories of the people behind every bottle.

Because those stories have a remarkable way of helping us better understand our own.

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My Philosophy

People often ask me why I created The 7:00 Salon.

The answer has never changed.

I believe exceptional Champagne deserves exceptional hospitality.

But even more than that...

I believe people deserve evenings that remind them to slow down.

To connect.

To laugh.

To feel seen.

To leave lighter than when they arrived.

Because after everything my own journey has taught me, I've come to believe one simple truth.

People arrive for the Champagne.
They return because of how they felt.