When France tried to tell Marvina Robinson, founder and owner of Stuyvesant Champagne, “no” she decided to keep going.
“Looking back, I was an outsider. I don’t speak the language, I’m a woman, and I am Black. I am not the mold that people think champagne is in,” said Robinson. “I had to figure out my own path.”
That mindset and determination is why Robinson said “goodbye” to her long-time career on Wall Street. She officially launched her champagne brand in February 2020— a time of grave uncertainty as the pandemic wreaked havoc worldwide, as Travel Noire previously reported.
“When we launched during COVID-19, France was completely shut down. We only could rely on the inventory we had in stock,” she said.
But despite these hiccups, Robinson said the brand is expanding just one year after launching.
“When we first launched, we just had the Grand Reserve and Rosé. Now, we have half bottles of Rosé. We’re going to ship them by the end of March. We’ve expanded out to include a Demi Sec. The Demi Sec will be available in 750 milliliters, which is the standard size bottles and also the half pack bottles,” said Robinson. “In late summer and fall of 2021, we plan to have 187 milliliters, which is considered ‘the one glass.'”
Robinson’s brand pays homage to Brooklyn, particularly Bedford-Stuyvesant: a neighborhood that’s near and dear to her heart. To know Bed-Stuy is to love it. It’s a unique area in Brooklyn known for its arts-scene, diverse culture, and overall great experience. It’s an experience that Robinson hopes consumers feel when sipping her champagne brand.
Speaking of sipping, she tells Travel Noire that while she loves all of her products, she uses her Grand Reserve when she’s trying to impress.
“I am a Grand Reserve person. If I want to take it up a notch, I have this cocktail called a ‘Brooklyn Banger.’ I use Italian-based multi gin, grapefruit, and then top it off with the Grand Reserve,” she added.
Purchase Stuyvesant Champagne on the company website: www.stuyvesantchampagne.com. You can also follow the brand on social media at @stuyvesantchampagne.