Photo: Getty Images
Armand de Brignac was born in October 2006. The champagne, better known as Ace of Spades, debuted in the video for Jay Z’s single, "Show Me What You Got," a gold-colored bottle decorated with a large ace and ensconced in a silver case. Moet, Cristal, and other champagnes had previously been hallmarks of rap videos and VIP rooms, but those other bottles became little more than nostalgic props after Ace of Spades dropped. The brand has transformed during the past decade into the ultimate indicator of luxury and status. It now retails for more than $200 per bottle.
Rick Ross, though, is trying to switch up the rap world’s bubbly game. Over the weekend, the Miami rapper and
self-professed 401(k) sent 200 bottles— worth about $10,000— of Luc Belaire to Floyd Mayweather’s Las Vegas-area mansion, a pre-victory gift from the Maybach Music Group founder. But what is Luc Belaire, you ask?
Located in southern France, Luc Belaire is a brand of sparkling wine, and there are just two varieties: a Rare Rosé, made from a combination of three grapes, that launched in 2011, and then a Rare Brut, which was released a year or so after. Since Luc Belaire isn’t champagne, the bottles are priced much lower (between $30 to $50), but the bottle’s design is key to its allure. Black with highlight-pink lettering, the look emits an aura of sophistication. Class. How Luc Belaire tasted has never really been important; the right rapper’s blessing would be enough to move plenty of Nebuchadnezzars.
Yet it wasn’t until 2013, when Ross became essentially the brand’s ambassador, that Luc Belaire skyrocketed in the rap game. It was a perfect pairing: Rozay is tailor-made to hock the pink-hued wine, and his Rabelaisian lyrics already featured women and cocaine, so why not add rosé to the roster?
Belaire on my table, I talk it then I live it
Walking around in my motherfukking Belaire Rosé
Cartier frames, Belaire on my breath
Sippin’ rosé with Rozay and it’s Belaire
Ross’ embrace of Luc Belaire has extended beyond his wordplay. His social media accounts are essentially native advertising for Belaire, and he even created an "exclusive club" for rappers co-signing the rosé. Called the Black Bottle Boys, this group includes Lil Durk and DJ Khaled, among others, often spotted sporting Varsity jackets with a pink-framed BBB logo.
#empire #blackbottleboys
A photo posted by Ricky Rozay (
@RichForever) on Apr 11, 2015 at 4:32am PDT
Ross’ endorsement has worked wonders. According to
Wine-Searcher.com, Luc Belaire was a search term on just sixteen occasions in 2012. Fast-forward two years, and the bubbly is one of the website’s top 100 most-searched for beverages.
It also helps that rosé is in the midst of renaissance. Previously the white jeans of alcohol—
best consumed during the summer months— rosé has since transformed into
a year-round beverage.
Like Ace of Spades, Luc Belaire is primed for a crossover to the masses. A limited edition bottle was released with a battery-powered, lit-up pink logo, and when the New England Patriots celebrated their Super Bowl victory in February, several players enjoyed drinking and spraying more than 50 bottles of the rosé at a Boston-area nightclub.
@djsamsneak
A photo posted by Ricky Rozay (
@RichForever) on Apr 5, 2015 at 5:30pm PDT
And there you have it. The next time Meek Mill or French Montana drop a Luc Belaire reference in a verse, you won’t need Rap Genius or whatever to tip you off. Next time you’re at the club flushed with cash, live like the Illuminati, order a black bottle, and get ready to party like a boss.
