Podcast Summary: "Beyond the Bottle with the CEO of B. Stuyvesant Champagne"

Podcast: Bloomberg Businessweek
Episode: Beyond the Bottle with the CEO of B. Stuyvesant Champagne
Date: February 18, 2026
Hosts: Carol Massar & Tim Stenovec
Guest: Marvina S. Robinson, Founder & CEO of B. Stuyvesant Champagne

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the modern champagne business as seen through the lens of Marvina S. Robinson, founder of the Brooklyn-based B. Stuyvesant Champagne. In a candid, wide-ranging conversation, Robinson shares the challenges her small, bootstrapped brand faces today—ranging from tariffs and business uncertainty to consumer trends and the importance of food and wine pairing. The discussion provides unique insights into entrepreneurship, resilience in luxury goods, and the evolving role of alcohol amid cultural and regulatory shifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Changing Alcohol Consumption Trends

• Alcohol’s shifting role: The hosts open by referencing Kate Crater’s Bloomberg Pursuits article on declines in alcohol consumption, rising interest in no/low-alcohol drinks, and alternate vices like THC gummies (01:46–02:15).
• Champagne at events: Carol notes, “People are ordering…a glass of champagne…more and more.” (02:15)

2. Seasonality & “Dry January”

• Business seasonality: January is slow for B. Stuyvesant and the industry at large, but February & March see an uptick, especially in tastings and activations. (02:53–03:17)
• Dry January’s impact: “It's a big thing. You know, a lot of our customers say, hey, it's dry January, but I'm just stocking up for February.” – Marvina S. Robinson (03:27)

3. The Tariff Struggle: Lawsuit & Small Business Impact

• $78,000 in tariffs (2025): Robinson explains joining a lawsuit to recoup heavy losses. The tariffs forced her to import fewer bottles, hire fewer employees, and raise prices. (03:49–04:18)
• Small SKUs affected: Production of half-bottles (375ml) was cut—impacting gifting and customer experience. (04:18–04:32)
• Unpredictability: “You're planning in a season of uncertainty and it doesn't operate well like that.” – Marvina S. Robinson (05:34–06:14)
• Lack of small business support: Robinson feels current administration hasn’t listened to small businesses, with tariffs applied “as a blanket” lacking consideration for small operations. “We can't afford to send an airplane over to get stuff over before tariffs go into effect, which a lot of the corporations had that advantage. We couldn't afford to do that.” (06:31–07:21)

4. Champagne Pairings & the Tasting Experience (07:21–08:27)

• Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay): “It pairs well with seafood...mussels, oysters, caviar, baked fish.” – Marvina S. Robinson (07:42)
• Importance of food and wine pairing: “Try a wine on its own, try with a piece of food, and then try it together, and you'll see how it totally enhances one another.” (08:15)

5. Building a Bootstrapped Brand

• No outside investments: B. Stuyvesant was launched in a “tough time" (2020, during COVID-19) with Robinson’s own savings. (08:49–08:56)
• Pivot from bar to product: Initially meant as a house brand for a now-shelved champagne bar concept, the product took off in retail, with Happy Cork in Brooklyn as their first location. (08:56–09:35)
• Growth journey: Celebrating 6 years, Robinson scaled from her apartment to a dedicated tasting room at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. (09:35–09:59)

6. Product Lineup Explainer (10:12–10:29)

• Blanc de Blanc: 100% Chardonnay
• Reserve: 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Meunier
• All Day: 58% Pinot Noir, 22% Meunier, 20% Chardonnay

7. Business Outlook & Hopes for 2026

• Retailer mindset: “I worry about...retailers thinking outside the box and not just always headed over to the traditional big houses, because there’s some amazing grower champagne out there.” (10:53)
• Advocacy for small brands: Robinson wants both retailers and consumers to discover and support smaller grower brands, not just established names. (10:45–11:24)

8. Market Presence

• Available in D.C.: B. Stuyvesant is offered in D.C., including exclusive placement in the Thompson Hotel. (11:24–11:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On tariffs and uncertainty:
  “As a person who’s a small business owner...it affects what you do and how your business grows, and it’s not consistency...You’re planning in a season of uncertainty...”
  – Marvina S. Robinson (05:34–06:14)

• On policy and small business:
  “Everything, especially with the tariffs, was blanket tariffs, not incorporating how smaller operations, smaller businesses own...and it really hurts because small business are important for this country.”
  – Marvina S. Robinson (06:31–07:21)

• On food and wine pairing:
  “Try a wine on its own, try with a piece of food, and then try it together, and you’ll see how it totally enhances one another.”
  – Marvina S. Robinson (08:15)

• On bootstrapping:
  “I just don’t want to take on investors or people’s money and not know what it’s going to do. So I did five full years...it’s been, let me tell you, I’ve had a lot of, like, roller coasters. But I’m really happy to see where we’ve landed.”
  – Marvina S. Robinson (09:35)

• On the future:
  “I worry about consumers, I worry about retailers thinking outside the box and not just always headed over to the traditional big houses...us growers do have a space at the table and I would love for them to expand more out of the typical big house box.”
  – Marvina S. Robinson (10:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Alcohol Culture & Trends: 01:46–02:15
• Seasonality/Dry January: 02:53–03:27
• Tariffs Lawsuit & Impact: 03:49–06:14
• Small Biz Policy Discussion: 06:14–07:21
• Champagne Tasting Talk & Pairings: 07:21–08:27
• Brand Building Journey: 08:49–09:59
• Product Line Overview: 10:12–10:29
• Small Houses vs. Big Names: 10:45–11:24

Summary

This episode offers a revealing window into the challenges and triumphs faced by modern champagne entrepreneurs. Marvina S. Robinson’s journey with B. Stuyvesant is marked by grit through turbulent economic policies, creative adaptation in a changing market, and passionate advocacy for small producers. Her story is both a business case study and a celebration of persistence—and, of course, of champagne.