Inspired by the elegance and spirit of St Barth, Hayley Ferguson has built Hanikon into a wine brand that tells a rich story of family, craftsmanship, and modern innovation.

L&rsquo;OFFICIEL: You&rsquo;ve chosen St Barth as a key destination for Hanikon. What first drew you to St Barth?
HAYLEY FERGUSON: The idea of Hanikon was born on St Barth during a family holiday. We have a very large family, so getting time together is quite rare. Usually, when we do it&rsquo;s over a 3-4 hour long lunch or dinner, with lots of ros&eacute;. We were designing a whisky bottle for my father over lunch. My brother John has a company called Young Spirits that buys and sells rare casks. I saw the amount of attention that went into it and I noticed the same craftsmanship is rarely seen with wine bottles. Seeing how popular ros&eacute; is on the island, I decided to create a bottle that was both beautiful to the eye and delicious to drink. So, yes, the island has greatly influenced the whole idea of Hanikon. Even before we decided to launch the brand, we were very lucky to meet many supportive people across the island, all of their advice really helped shape the brand long before it existed. Honest advice is rare these days, and the Caribbean community gave it so generously.
L&rsquo;O: As a woman entrepreneur leading a luxury lifestyle brand rooted in wine, how would you describe your role at Hanikon while navigating being both founder and CEO?
HF: I have quite strong views on where I want to see my product and what I want for the brand. I guess one of the most important things is sticking to what you believe and voicing your opinions. I have to keep trusting my instincts, stay curious, and never compromise on quality. I&rsquo;m very lucky as I have my sister, Anna Ferguson, on the board as a co-founder. That keeps me grounded.
L&rsquo;O: The Hanikon brand emphasises blending tradition with modernity. How do you balance respect for tradition with innovation in your business decisions?
HF: Our catchphrase is that we combine the best of tradition and the best of modernity. Working with Domaine La Rouill&egrave;re, they have all the expertise and winemaking heritage. They have that understanding of the terroir, which gives us that tradition and authenticity. I absolutely love that they still use traditional methods like using horses so that they don&rsquo;t damage the vines. The modern aspect definitely comes through our design; we wanted to create an experience from the moment that you open our wine, cutting through the yellow wax, to the touch of the frosted bottle. If you hold it up in different lighting you will be able to see the name glisten (the brand is all my siblings&rsquo; names put together, it&rsquo;s there if people want to find it). So from the sommelier to the end consumer, there&rsquo;s something to remember. We are also moving away from traditional labels, because, over time, when you see the yellow top wax, you know what you are drinking. If you know, you know.

St Barth DIDN&rsquo;T just inspire HANIKON &mdash; it GAVE US the CONFIDENCE, THE community, and THE HONEST ADVICE that shaped the brand...

L&rsquo;O: Living between St Barth and the South of France (Monaco) must bring a dynamic lifestyle. How do you divide your time?
HF: I&rsquo;m super lucky. I spend around seven months of the year in Monaco, where my residency is, and it&rsquo;s the perfect base. Travelling around Europe is so easy and because it&rsquo;s small, much like St Barth, you really get to know people and build genuine relationships. Monaco is also practical for the business. I&rsquo;m just an hour and a half from the vineyard, and equally close to our logistics warehouse. And because the peak seasons in Monaco and St Barth happen at different times, I get to experience both places at their best.
L&rsquo;O: Do you follow seasonal fashion trends or prefer a timeless approach?
HF: I don&rsquo;t really follow fashion trends. I prefer brands that are timeless. Take the brand 100% Capri, they have the same collection and it works all year round. Spending all year in the sun, I do miss the cold weather and chic winter clothing.
L&rsquo;O: Looking ahead, what upcoming projects do you have for Hanikon &mdash; new vintages, markets, or collaborations?
HF: We&rsquo;re expanding into new markets. The product is our baby. We make decisions carefully, staying selective about the partners we collaborate with. We just entered the Maldives, so our wine is sold in the UK, Maldives, St Barth, Monaco, India and the Swiss Alps. We&rsquo;re looking into the Hamptons and Aspen, as well as more hospitality collaborations, especially in places that share our values and clientele. We&rsquo;re growing fast, but keeping true to our roots.
L&rsquo;O: With your base in Monaco and your connection to St Barth, how do you maintain authenticity with the Caribbean community while serving a global luxury audience?
HF: The authenticity comes from relationships. This year we hosted our second annual Hanikon dinner experience. We brought together all the sommeliers on the island, alongside our distributor, La Cave du Port Franc, who have been incredible partners. Most of the sommeliers here are far away from home, so it&rsquo;s important to us that we create a community for them and appreciate what they do. Whenever we talk about Hanikon internationally, St Barth is always part of the story. In my speech at the sommelier dinner I said: &ldquo;What we love most is the shared memories, precious time spent together and the quality of the product.&rdquo; If we stay true to that, then that will naturally translate to a global audience.
L&rsquo;O: As a woman in a male-dominated industry, what challenges have you faced, and what achievements are you most proud of?
HF: One of the biggest challenges is being heard. What I am learning quite quickly is the most important thing to have is a strong team behind you. I believe that over a short time, we have already achieved respect and we have many more years to go, too. We&rsquo;re coming with fresh eyes, a lot of energy, and a vision to be the number-one sold bottle of ros&eacute; in the premium market. We have the ability to create experiences and deal with people in person, while also being able to take more risks as we don&rsquo;t have to follow a large rulebook. That&rsquo;s where our real strengths lie.

The Yellow Top Rosé

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