Luc Belaire, a wine brand from the heart of France, has built a loyal following pairing French refinement with hip-hop swagger. The brand’s latest release, Luc Belaire Alcohol-Removed Rare Rosé, brings that verve to the growing non-alcoholic category.
To discuss the new release, I sat down with Luc Belaire’s brand ambassador, none other than Rick Ross, the Biggest Boss. I’m not much of a hip-hop fan, but funny enough, this wasn’t my first brush with Ross. In 2023, I spotted him holding court at Kiki on the River, a glitzy Miami nightclub, when I was in town covering the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix.
The interview took place at Sovereign Brands’ Manhattan headquarters, where Ross was finishing a photoshoot with a bottle of Belaire in one hand and a copy of Renaissance of a Boss in the other. The launch of Alcohol-Removed Rare Rosé coincided with the release of his autobiography.
After the shoot, he sauntered over to the bar and poured himself a glass. I don’t think he realized I was there to interview him, but he struck up a conversation anyway. His warmth and humor were immediately palpable.
“What’s your favorite type of whiskey, Johnny?”
“I’d have to say Scotch.”
“Too easy!”
“Where do you live in New York?”
“I’m in Brooklyn, near Bushwick.”
“Too easy!”
He reached for a bottle of The Deacon, a blended Scotch, from the bar’s shelf.
“We taking shots?” he asked.
It was barely past noon, but why not? I once bartended with a fella who partied with Keith Richards in the ’80s. This felt close enough.
With a nice midday whiskey buzz, we sat down for the interview. I’m not used to hanging out with celebrities—much less with a platoon of cameras pointed in my direction—but Ross’s affability put me at ease.
I had a few questions written down, but the conversation soon flowed organically. He has the gift of gab, which is perhaps unsurprising for a man who built a career on rhymes. I confessed that I was poorly versed in hip-hop but considered rock ‘n’ roll my religion. Elvis Presley, he said, was one of his greatest artistic influences and personal heroes.
I asked where he found the time and energy to juggle so many ventures—producing bangers in the studio, opening restaurants, and writing books.
“I get up at 6 a.m. and take a walk on the beach to collect my thoughts and plan out the day,” he told me.
His most moving words were about the importance of gratitude. Before his career took off, he weathered his share of financial and medical vicissitudes. Today, he’s shopping for $100 million homes and collecting supercars. It’s a rags-to-riches story as impressive as those of Andrew Carnegie or Howard Schultz. Waxing almost mystical, he reflected on the importance of stepping back, counting one’s blessings, and appreciating the sublimity of the human journey.
On Rick Rozay and Rosé
Rick Ross has rare musical and verbal gifts, innate abilities that could fairly be called genius. But I gathered it’s his Herculean work ethic—that quintessentially American hustle about which he raps—that truly propelled him to stardom. I probably wouldn’t play his music at my wedding, but I admire him for his humility, humor, and warmth. He’s the best kind of celebrity.
Before I left, he handed me a bottle of Luc Belaire Alcohol-Removed Rare Rosé to take home. I chilled it in the fridge and popped it open with my girlfriend later that night. Dressed in Belaire’s signature black bottle with hot-pink accents, it looks tailor-made for a Miami nightclub. The wine itself is bright, refreshing, and not too sweet. And I’ll tell you, it’s damn nice going to bed knowing there won’t be a monstrous sparkling wine hangover waiting in the morning.
After the interview, Rick Ross and I decided to take one more shot of the Deacon for the road.
We clinked glasses and he said, “You a cool motherf*cker, Johnny.” It’s going on my headstone.
