Cru Podcast | Stories From The People Behind Wine

Josh Phelps is the founder and winemaker of Grounded Wine Co. making delicious, all-American, and approachable wines across the west coast while based in St. Helena, California. Josh’s roots run deep in Napa, raised in a winemaking family, he was exposed to the industry from a young age, starting his very first endeavor in the wine world, “Napa Valet”, at age 15. He continued to build his knowledge of the business through college, selling wine, working the harvest and creating wine for friends with his father, Chris Phelps (of Dominus Estate). As a Napa local, his philosophies on winemaking and business are advised from luminaries of the wine world he calls his mentors and friends like Joel Gott, Kimberly Jones and Leslie Rudd, and of course, his own father. With Grounded Wine Co., Josh hopes to build on this legacy and make his own splash in the wine world while exposing wine drinkers of his own generation to his hometown in wine country. As a part of his incredible résumé, Josh has been named to Forbes’s 30

Valley Bar & Bottle is a neighborhood restaurant, wine bar, and wine retail establishment that simultaneously reveres and revitalizes Sonoma cuisine and hospitality. Launching as a dinnertime restaurant, Valley will gradually incorporate daytime services. Valley aims for a sustainable approach to all aspects of its business, from waste-reducing and eliminating practices to radical intentionality behind the economy and environment they will create for their employees. As Sonoma locals, they’re looking for creative ways to support and promote the community. They are dedicated to making sure those that work alongside them are able to live fully in the place they serve.  Lauren Feldman and Tanner Walle, two of the co-founders, manage the small front-of-house team, while co-founders Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor helm the back-of-house. The beverage program includes local producers as well as imports, with an emphasis paid to organic & biodynamic agriculture practices. The menu is driven by the availabilit

Jeff Meisel is the Vice President of Brand Development for Long Meadow Ranch based in St. Helena, California. Jeff oversees all things marketing and development across Long Meadow Ranch, Farmstead Restaurant, Hunt & Harvest, and Stony Hill. We chat about Jeff’s story and career in the wine industry thus far, his learnings, and dig into how the Long Meadow Ranch umbrella brand works to engage with customers across marketing channels, platforms, and in real life, along with the specific strategies and tools that they implement do grow the brand across its many product offerings. Learn more about Jeff and Long Meadow Ranch with the show notes at https://crupodcast.com/show

As online wine sales continue to increase in the U.S., the wine purchasing experience inevitably changes. How do you convey the texture, length, intensity, aromas, and balance of a wine through the internet? How do you sell a visceral product like wine with words and pictures? If the consumer cannot taste the wine themselves before purchase, they need to trust that a team of experts has. Wine Access, one of the original online retailers in wine, began as a web hosting service for wine shops and other wine businesses in 1997. Over time, the company has evolved into the robust direct to consumer wine retailer that it is today, with a carefully vetted selection of both ephemeral daily offers and a more permanent inventory of wines from the industry’s top regions and producers. They sell their wines by telling the stories around each of the producers and wineries they work with. They are a leader in direct to consumer wine sales; an area of tremendous growth in the wine industry. Wine Access has an unprecedented

Dan Petroski is the winemaker of Larkmead Vineyards and the founder & winemaker of Massican. Recently, Dan spoke on a panel regarding climate change and sustainability in relation to the global wine industry. Leaving me with more questions, we sat down to chat about the effects of climate change on Napa Valley specifically, with a focus on the benchmarking and data gathering that Larkmead has been doing to assess things like growing degree days in detail, and how Napa Valley is evolving into Zone 5 climatic conditions. We also discuss the affects of alternative packing and how that crosses over in the marketing & customer perception. Then we dig into how Dan is preparing for the potential major effects of climate change with a 21 year plan for testing other grape varietals that might possibly be more viable in the long-term. For those who do not know Dan, I encourage you to go back and list to my original interview with him where we discussed being the winemaker of Larkmead Vineyards in Calistoga, Cal

Founders, Jake Stover and Gina Schober, met in 2013 and started Sans Wine Co. in late 2015. Their preference for fresh, vibrant and approachable “wines of place” paved the way for what is now Sans Wine Co. The philosophy behind Sans Wine Co. is sourcing premium wine grapes from organically farmed vineyards and environmentally conscience growers in order to craft natural wines. Jake Stover, originally from Kansas and University of Kansas alum, on the advice of his older brother, postponed applying to law school in order to intern at a Napa winery for the 2008 harvest. After working in winemaking and production for 8 years, Jake shifted his focus to the farming side of wine growing, and started his own farming company in 2014, Stover Vineyard Management, which specializes in “beyond organic” wine growing. Gina Schober is a Bay Area, California native and UC Davis alum. You could say that wine is in her blood - her maternal Grandfather was a grape grower in Lake County for 30 years and her paternal Grandfather w

Both being artists, Scott a musician and Allison a photographer & textile based visual artist, this husband and wife duo have an approach to making wine that is greater than the sum of its parts. With constraints of knowing the farmer by name and them living on their vineyard, organically farming, and obviously the varietal having to be Petite Sirah, the couple is crafting a new style of wine that appeals to both a higher-acid palette and a richer & riper style. In their own words, “The Mountain Tides wines, each made from the Petite Sirah grape, embody specific nooks and tucked-back places throughout California. With a gentle hands-off approach and an emphasis on aromatic complexity and fresh energy, our wines almost work as a travel diary of sorts; monuments made to our favorite vineyards and the people who farm them.” In this episode we mention… Mountain Tides Allison’s artwork Rye Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky Forlorn Hope & Matthew Rorick’s vineyard Eleven Eleven Winery Bay Grape wine sh

Santa Barbara-bred Tyler and Napa Valley-native Kim launched Halcyon Wines in 2013 after Tyler discovered an intriguing Cabernet Franc vineyard along the Central Coast—a varietal he always dreamed of working with. In his 15 years of winemaking experience, Tyler has produced some of the most critically acclaimed wine as Assistant Winemaker at world-renowned Tablas Creek Vineyard and Provenance in Napa Valley. Tyler recently graduated with an Executive MBA in Wine Business through Sonoma State and is helping to develop new brands and reinvigorate legacy brands. Kim Elwell is a PR and marketing expert with nearly a decade of experience serving celebrity, hospitality, and food/wine clients throughout the Bay Area and beyond—most notably managing Bob Weir's (Grateful Dead) recording studio, TRI Studios in Marin, California. Kim works full-time as Account Director for The James Collective, a boutique PR and marketing agency based in wine country and New York City. Together the Elwells combine their deep-rooted lo

Contributing Editor Virginie Boone has been with Wine Enthusiast since 2010, and reviews the wines of Napa and Sonoma. Boone began her writing career with Lonely Planet travel guides, which eventually led to California-focused wine coverage. In this episode with Virginie, she and I dig into the life of a wine reviewer and how Wine Enthusiast works to be as non-biased and democratic with scores. We chat about the future role of the wine reviewer within the market and how the wine experience could use some adjusting and what millennials expect when they go wine tasting. Then we discuss some of the biggest global challenges that the industry is facing. In this episode we mention… Wine Enthusiast Magazine Wine Enthusiast Podcast The Press Democrat Dan Petroski, Massican Follow Virginie on… INSTAGRAM TWITTER WEBSITE PODCAST PARTNER   In 2012, Sonoma State University launched the first Executive MBA Programs in Wine Business in the United States. This program was developed in response to the needs of wine industr

After 17 years of doing literally everything in the wine industry from farming coastal vineyards and washing barrels to running national sales and curating wine lists, Matt & Audra have ventured on to a delicious new journey called Newfound. Find the full show notes here.  Having a proclivity for the tactile and tangible work of farming a vineyard, the couple purchased property in the Sierra Foothills of El Dorado County near the town of Placerville to plant their 40-acre ranch to vines. Matt fell in love with farming after Ehren Jordan, of Failla Wines, presented him with the opportunity to take over the farming of his Cazadero vineyard on the extreme Sonoma Coast. Ever since, Matt has been yearning to get back to that sort of lifestyle on his own terms. Matt’s winemaking approach is minimalistic. He’s moved by wines that contain a naturally rugged edge and is in a constant pursuit of pushing his winemaking limits. As it relates to his own wines, he’s firmly guided by the belief that less is always more.

Having found fermentation at an early age, starting with brewing beer in a fuel can under the stairs, Jim Duane has not ceased in the pursuit of learning more and more. He’s worked in New Zealand, Washington, and finally settled down in Napa Valley in 2004 having worked at Robert Mondavi and Stags Leap Cellars. Today, he grows the wines on the steep slopes that the Seavey Vineyards are planted on overlooking the northern part of Lake Hennessey. As a part of of his unrelenting thirst for knowing all he can about wine, he no longer brews beer in fuel cans (that we know of), Jim hosts the Inside Winemaking Podcast on which he digs into the nitty gritty details with wine industry professionals. They chat about the technical details and specifics of enology, viticulture, chemistry, biology, essentially how to be a winemaker. If you love to geek on the science and practicality of winemaking, give Jim’s long-form interviews a listen. It’s one of may favorite wine podcasts.   In this episode we mention… Inside Winema

Having made a career out of producing wines for companies across California, Bob decided a few years ago to make wines for himself with a focus on experimentation and having fun. For those who don’t know Bob, he cut his teeth working on his family’s vineyards in the Central Valley, graduated with an enology degree from Fresno State, worked for Bronco Wine Company, DeLoach, Kunde, Alderbrook, Hartford Court, led the charge at Williams-Selyem as winemaker for 17 years after Burt Williams stepped down, and now is the Director of Winemaking for Three Sticks in Sonoma and makes Bob Cabral Wines on the side. In this episode, Bob takes us through is long history in the industry working with some great folks, business dealings with John Dyson (owner of Williams-Selyem) and Howard Schultz (CEO of Starbucks), his passion for music like Petty & Zeppelin, his friendship with Sammy Hagar, and we taste through the wines that he’s crafting right now. In this episode we mention… Williams-Selyem John Dyson Rochioli Vineya

With a dream to buy a ranch in order to reconnect with nature, work with their hands, and raise a family, Sophie & James Gray started searching for the perfect piece of land in Northern California. Wine wasn’t even a forethought. They eventually settled on a little slice of heaven perched atop the volcanic ash rich, Sonoma Mountain with 360 views high above the fog line. Spending a decade fixing up the home, grooming the land, getting married, having two girls, they found an opportunity sticking out of the earth. One that combined their passion for the community together with the yearning to share the magic of their mountain-top home—and Sophie James Wine Co. was born. In this episode we mention… Sophie James Wine Co. Sophie James Instagram Sophie James House Joining the Tribe The Vineyard Scribe Winery Phil Coturri, Viticultralist Eric Neil, Viticultralist Dr. Kristen Lowe, Viticultralist Flowers Winery Adam & Andrew Mariani Viticultralist, Jason Ruppert Scott Schulz, winemaker Follow Sophie James W

Having previously worked as a sommelier in New York City, Amanda moved to the west coast in July 2015 where she joined the wine team at PRESS restaurant in St. Helena.  Known as the "sommvivant" to her Instagram followers and YouTube subscribers for being a "Sommelier" with a "Bon Vivant" lifestyle, Amanda documents her life as a somm in the Napa Valley on a daily basis.  By showcasing events like excursions around northern California in her splashy red Mini Cooper convertible, tastings at Napa Valley wineries, rare bottles of vintage Napa Cab at PRESS and daily adventures around the Valley, Amanda has become "an advocate for indulgence and the wine lifestyle." In this episode Amanda and I dig into her story of being a sommelier, how to hone one’s voice and story telling ability, strategies for being a successful sommelier, and define how to be authentic to one’s self when it comes to building a personal brand with a purpose. In this episode we mention… PRESS Restaurant Napa Amanda’s YouTube Channel Amanada’s

Under the guidance of philosophies like, “Great winemaking is doing the right thing when no one is looking,” and “if it tastes perfect, you’ve missed it,” Bob, Ryan, and the Three Sticks team are crafting elegant wines with a focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They source fruit from some of the top vineyards in Sonoma County including Gaps Crown, Durell, Walala, One Sky, and various other Price Family Estates. Subsribe at CruPodcast.com In this episode, Bob, Ryan, and I sat down to taste through a large portion of the Three Sticks lineup. We delve into the details of each wine, the soils, farming, ecology, everything. Mixed in between we chat about Bob & Ryan’s histories in the wine industry, life & work philosophies, and the practical & technical sides of winemaking in Sonoma County. In this episode we mention… Three Sticks The Adobe Tonnellerie Ô Rudolf Steiner, Biodynamics Bronco Wine Company Lutum Wines Russian River Brewery Barndiva Domaine Marcel Deiss Wines we tasted… 2017 Russian River Pi

Francoise Peschon is the head winemaker for Cornell Vineyards. She has always had an affinity for estate properties – for those places that are “about the land and the wines, not necessarily the winemaker.” In her thirty-year career, she’s worked at some of the best—including Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Araujo Estate Wines, Viader Vineyards and Vine Hill Ranch—quietly crafting some of Napa Valley’s most acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignons of the last three decades. She is quick to credit her mentors, wine industry luminaries like Michel Roland, Warren Winiarski and Tony Soter, whose sensitivity, intellect and sense of aesthetics have clearly inspired her. Early in her winemaking career, Francoise spent a year in Bordeaux working at Chateau Haut Brion. The first job always makes the greatest impression, and It was there that she knew she wanted to work with Bordeaux varieties at an estate property. Two concepts that have resonated with Francoise for more than 30 years. She holds a degree in Enology from the University

Born in Spain, Laura grew up sharing sips of wine with her father while watching the fishing boats during their family vacations in the North of Spain. Her first sip of Albariño solidified her love of wines and her first winemaking internship solidified her future as a winemaker. After completing her post graduate degree in enology at the Polytechnic University of Madrid Laura started her career in La Mancha and worked in different wine regions in Spain. A few years later, Laura left Spain and traveled to New Zealand and Chile learning as much as she could about winemaking and the influence of terroir in different wine regions. Finally, Laura took a job in the Napa Valley. For over a decade Laura has been making wine in the Napa Valley as the Associate Winemaker for Cardinale, Lokoya, Mt Brave, La Jota and Galerie. She joined Ehlers Estate in July of 2018 and is excited to continue the legacy of this special property. Learn more about Laura with the show notes here. In this episode we mention… Ehlers Estate D

With the 2016 harvest, Mike, Steve, and their sister Mia, decided to take the family business to a new level by hiring winemaker James Macphail to bring their vision of estate Pinot Noir & Chardonnay under the Sangiacomo Wines label to life. The goal? Create legacy for past, present, and future generations of Sangiacomos. Fast forward two years, the newly released Sangiacomo Wines are available via allocation through their mailing list, which you can signup on their website, SangiacomoWines.com In this episode, Mike, Steve, and I sat down to share the stories of the past, the difficult decisions made to strive toward the future, and taste through the inaugural 2016 vintage. Learn more with the show notes at CruPodcast.com

Before opening their doors in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco, Chris spent 15 years in wine and spirits sales in the Bay Area, working mostly with wineries in California, Oregon or Washington. He met a number of winemakers and proprietors who shared his passion for wine and for being good stewards of the land. These relationships reinforced Chris’ belief that wines from the West Coast are just as good, if not better, than wines from anywhere else in the world. Back at home in San Francisco, Chris noticed the lack of support for West Coast wineries on many wine lists. Despite the high quality wines produced in the area, most local places were (and still are) pouring imported wines. So, along with wife Lindsey, he decided to do something about it. Four years, and four Wine Spectator 'Award of Excellence' honors later, West Coast Wine • Cheese continues to showcase regional wines by serving up premium experiences in a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere, now in two locations; their original San Franci

Remi directs the winemaking process from vineyard to bottle and is responsible for top quality, small-lot winemaking expressive of appellation and vineyard site. In addition, she oversees the sale of all wines through the hospitality experience and the wine club programs direct to consumer, and throughout the domestic and international markets. Learn more about Remi with the show notes here.