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The Black woman shaking up France’s champagne scene

Location: Reims, France

"Hello, I'm Marie-Ines Romelle. I'm the founder of Marie Cesaire Champagnes. // I come from Guadeloupe. People from the Antilles, from Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana, and Reunion Island as well, we consume a great deal of champagne. When I decided to create this brand, it's really saying, well, we consume a lot of champagne, but as of today, there's no one who looks like me who is capable or who dares to be a champagne maker.”

Romelle’s brand is a nod to her Caribbean culture

The drink is sweetened with raw cane sugar

She hopes to see more people who look like her in the sector

(SOUNDBITE) (French) FIRST BLACK CHAMPAGNE MAKER, MARIE-INES ROMELLE, SAYING:

"I hope that tomorrow, someone will identify with me and that I will make an impact on them. Maybe it will encourage them to do things they didn't dare to do before. The word "to dare" is really important, we have to stop building barriers and telling ourselves that, "I can't do this or that because I'm from here, or there, or because I'm like this." One has to dare. When we dare, we manage to push open doors, this is very important."