Isiah Thomas’s love for champagne didn’t start in a wine cellar—it started on the basketball court. “Really! My earliest experience with champagne was having it poured over my head,” Thomas once joked. But it wasn’t just about celebrations. After hanging up his sneakers, he and his wife, Lynn, went searching for something different—a cleaner, better-tasting champagne without the added sugar or the dreaded headache. That simple craving turned into something far bigger than they could’ve imagined.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, Thomas Cheurlin had a dream of his own. Deeply rooted in France’s winemaking tradition, he wanted to bring his family’s “grower champagne”—crafted sustainably from Cheurlin grapes — to U.S. shelves. So when the two Thomases met, it wasn’t just that their name matched. It was their love and obsession with champagne as well.  The vision clicked, and in 2016, they teamed up to introduce Cheurlin Champagne to American consumers.

Since that partnership kicked off, the brand has been bubbling up fast. As Thomas proudly puts it, it’s now “the fastest growing champagne in the United States.” And the numbers back him up. Cheurlin has landed a spot with Total Wine & More—the country’s biggest independent wine retailer. Even more impressive? It’s the official champagne of the Phoenix Suns, the NBA Players Association, and most recently, the $3.4 billion Detroit Pistons.

Naturally, that Pistons milestone didn’t go unnoticed. Forbes’ Jabari Young took to Instagram to share the news, writing, “Kind of a #flashback Friday… Congrats to Pro Basketball Hall of Famer, 2x NBA champion and my friend @isiahthomas … His champagne @cheurlin1788 is now the official champagne of the @detroitpistons 💯…” He also reminisced about sipping Cheurlin with Thomas back in 2023 at the Four Seasons in Atlanta, while talking about ForbesBLK.

That wasn’t just any conversation, though. As for Thomas, he didn’t hold back either. “We’re not just popping bottles,” he said. “We’re building generational wealth, honoring our roots, and pouring into communities from Detroit to Champagne, France.”

Looking back, what started as a curiosity for better champagne has grown into a powerhouse brand with real purpose. And a few years ago, Zeke leveled up the business once again.

Isiah Thomas’s rise in the world of champagne

Isiah Thomas isn’t just a Hall of Fame point guard—he’s making serious plays in the champagne world, too. Back in 2023, Thomas dropped some bubbly news when he announced that Cheurlin Champagne was now available at over 100 Total Wine & More stores. Considering the retailer is the largest independent wine seller in the country, that move wasn’t just big—it was strategic. This meant fans across the U.S. could finally get their hands on this hand-harvested, first press French champagne both in-store and online.

Naturally, the growth didn’t happen overnight. Since launching in the U.S. back in 2016, Cheurlin has been riding a wave of support from loyal fans, not just of the champagne but of Thomas himself. As Zeke explained, “So what Cheurlin Champagne has done is come in and say, ‘Okay, this is our champagne, this is the player’s champagne.’ And it’s the player’s champagne because it’s zero sugar and it’s the first press of the grapes, so you get in the best of the best. We think that America and the players should have the best of the best, and no one else in the market right now can say that they’re bringing the first press of the grape champagne into the United States. We’re the only one that’s doing it.”

Because of that clear vision, Cheurlin has quickly grown into one of the largest first press grape champagnes in the world. Thomas made it clear, “This is a significant and strategic advancement our brand has achieved by securing the account with Total Wine & More. We look forward to growing our brand even further with Total Wine & More.”

Now, with bottles stocked in stores across nearly 30 states, including California, Texas, and Florida, Cheurlin is making sure America gets a real taste of France.