Blaine Ashley

Blaine, who goes by the name “Champagne Blaine”, launched New York Champagne Week in 2013, a week of tastings, pairings, brand launches and parties to spotlight the Champagne lifestyle. In 2016, Wine Enthusiast named her a 40 under 40 Tastemaker and dubbed her ‘The Champagne Queen’.

Whatever you call her, she is a dynamo when it comes to her enthusiasm and promotion of Champagne and sparkling wine. In 2018 she launched a new platform, The Fizz is Female, which shines a spotlight on leading ladies in the bubbly wine biz and celebrates sparkling wine made, owned and/or led by female powerhouses from around the world.

What sparkling wines are you loving right now?

Naturally, my go-to is always Champagne. One of my favorites is Champagne Alexandre Bonnet Le Riceys Rosé. It comes from a tiny terroir named Les Riceys which is made up of three villages: Ricey-Haut, Ricey-Haute-Rive and Ricey-Bas – in the Aube region of Champagne. Made of 100% Pinot Noir, this wine is only produced if there’s NO rain at harvest time! It’s absolutely superb with food. 

On the non-Champagne side of the sparkling spectrum, my dear friend, sommelier Maria Rust and I host a monthly event called ‘Monday Bubbly Monday’ here in NYC. We aim to spotlight various sparkling wines from around the world. One of the highlights was a Cava, Parés Baltà Blanca Cusiné 2012. This Spanish sparkler is made by women winemakers (sisters!), a blend of Xarello, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Penedas, Spain. On the British Bubbly front, Gusbourne is a huge front runner for me. Their Brut Reserve is exemplary. Armenia also produces some stellar sparkling wine. The brand we featured was Keusch sparkling.

What does sparkling wine symbolize for you?

Happiness and that life is worth celebrating. In my eyes, everyday that we live and breathe is cause for popping open a bottle of bubbly. Why not! My moniker is ‘Champagne Blaine’ and it’s a motto I live by.