Champagne has always carried weight beyond the glass. It signals access, celebration, and prestige. It appears in album lyrics, milestone moments, and polished lifestyle campaigns. For a long time, the world surrounding champagne has followed the same script: exclusive, buttoned-up, and rarely reflective of the people who helped shape global culture.
That is changing. A growing number of Black wine professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs are stepping into this space to expand the culture around the bottle. They are learning the craft, owning it, shaping it, and reintroducing champagne as a symbol of both joy and identity, not just status.
The shift is steady and happening at the intersection of winemaking, music, art, and travel. It lives in the details, on labels, in tasting rooms, and in who gets to lead the conversation. Black tastemakers are making champagne feel more inclusive and changing what the drink represents and who it reaches.
Champagne With A Different Vision
Michael Goode and Levi Daniels are the founders of Hedon State Wines, a brand that represents much more than wine. Goode and Daniels both attended Virginia Tech, and after graduation, the pair built careers in strategic business analysis, specializing in cybersecurity governance and information security for corporate and government clients.
Coming to wine from other industries, what started as an interest grew into something deeper. Their early work focused on wine education. They wanted to help others, especially Black people, feel confident around wine. Not just how to drink it, but how to talk about it and understand it. That foundation eventually led to their label, which focuses on small-batch Virginia wines. What makes their approach stand out is its intentional nature. They focus on quality, accessibility, and culture.
Meeting them at Pop et HiP Hop, an event that merges Champagne and hip-hop culture, made that clear. They were there to be present and to contribute to a bigger conversation about who belongs in wine spaces. Their confidence is quiet and earned. Their work speaks to a generation that values substance over status.
The Power Of Heritage
Not far from the classic houses of Épernay, France, the Durand brothers are creating their own imprint on Champagne with Champagne Lejeune Bourgeois. Drawing on decades of winemaking tradition, they partnered with an experienced grower in Bouzy, one of Champagne’s Grand Cru villages, to launch their brand.
There, among distinguished Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines, they have crafted a line of champagnes that combines meticulous technique with a modern perspective. Their vineyard sits entirely within Grand Cru terroir on the Montagne de Reims. They craft two main cuvées: Oracle, a Brut composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, with elegant, citrus-tinged effervescence, and Ladouce, their Demi-Sec offering, with lush flavors of honey and ripe fruit.
What the Durand brothers are building is more than a champagne label. They are carving out a place in an industry and a region that rarely sees Black ownership at this level.
Redefining Prestige
Black-owned champagne brands are transforming the perception of prestige. For many of these entrepreneurs, the goal isn’t to mimic the institutions that came before. It’s to bring something new, something that feels honest and aligned.
Goode, Daniels, and the Durand brothers each bring a different approach to this. What they share is control over their own narrative. That changes how people engage with the product. The glass no longer represents something distant, but it becomes a symbol of something familiar and reachable.
For Black travelers and champagne lovers around the world, this shift adds new meaning to every pour. It opens space for a kind of connection that goes beyond taste and makes room for ownership, memory, and pride.
What The Future Holds For The Champagne Industry
The Champagne industry still moves at its own pace. Most major labels remain in the hands of a few legacy families. However, the presence of Black-owned brands and events is beginning to generate a distinct kind of momentum. The stories behind the bottles will shape the future of champagne culture.
As more Black entrepreneurs and creatives enter the space, the drink itself begins to carry new layers of meaning. It becomes less about status and more about identity, creativity, and care. Goode, Daniels, and the Durand brothers are building a foundation for others to step in, take part, and feel seen.
