NBA star Isiah Thomas slam dunks with two kosher Champagnes

The former Detroit Pistons point guard and basketball pundit is launching the first celebrity-backed kosher Champagnes in the US as an extension of the Cheurlin Champagne brand.

National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas, who played his entire professional career (1981 to 1994) for the Detroit Pistons, has entered the exclusive arena of kosher Champagne.

Thomas has released Cheurlin Brut Spéciale (a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay), priced at US $75, and Cheurlin Thomas Célébrité, a zero dosage Blanc de Blanc (60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Blanc), priced at US$100 in the US market. Both wines are described as “mevushal”, meaning they have been flash-pasteurised, so they remain kosher even if handled or served by non-Jewish people.

The former Pistons point guard hopes that “by introducing the kosher certification, we aren’t just adding a label, we are introducing more people into the Cheurlin family.”

According to USD Analytics, the kosher food and drink market is anticipated to grow to around US$35 billion in 2034, so it could be a commercially smart move by Thomas. And the sparkling wines will be available for purchase in time for Passover, which this year takes place from 1-9 April.

Cheurlin Champagne

In 2016, Thomas became the exclusive US importer of the Cheurlin Champagne brand (produced in Celles-sur-Ource in the Aube department of Champagne) through his business Isiah Imports, a subsidiary of Isiah International, LLC. He reportedly debuted Cheurlin Champagne at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, and the Champagne went on to become the official Champagne of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) in 2019. The wines have also been listed at the world-famous Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas.

The Cheurlin family has been growing grapes and producing Champagne in Aube since 1788, when a Catholic priest from Landreville, France, first embarked on making wines there. Its Champagnes have become well-known for having little to no sugar added to them, and its flagship Brut Speciale expresson is aged for 24 to 36 months.

Cheurlin Champagne is just one of Thomas’ business interests. As the founding chairman and CEO of holding company Isiah International, he also has stakes in sustainable companies Gre3n Waste Removal and Re3 Recycling, as well as Eleven Capital Group, a Bulgaria-based, publicly listed company that invests in tech start-ups across Southeast Europe.

Since retiring from playing basketball, Thomas has also been a television commentator for NBC, NBA TV and Fox.

Kosher opportunity

The world of commercial kosher wine production is relatively small. Manischewitz is currently the best-known kosher still wine in the US, but as db reported last year, the brand is becoming increasingly difficult to get hold of in markets such as Canada due to ongoing tariff battles with the US.

According to online kosher wine store Areles, Champagne Drappier’s Carte d’Or Brut and Rose Brut expressions are both mevushal Champagnes, as are Laurent-Perrier’s Brut Champagne and Champagne Rose, meaning these may be natural competitors for the basketball star’s Cheurlin Champagnes.

Outside of wine, kosher certification for beer is expected to be rolled out across restaurants and catering businesses in the US this year, according to The Orthodox Union (OU). The OU said the need has arisen due to the rise of craft brewing and new production methods, which it claims “has led to a proliferation of flavoured beers, diverse additives, and shared equipment that can compromise the kosher status of even seemingly straightforward brews.”

 

 

Related news

What marks out Champagne from its southernmost sub-region?

Final call: The Champagne Masters 2026

Why Stanislas Thiénot is confident in the future for Champagne and Bordeaux