Cru Podcast | Stories From The People Behind Wine

David Ramey is the owner and winemakers of Ramey Wine Cellars based in my new home of Healdsburg, California. You may have heard of Ramey, or even purchased a few bottles, as it is distributed in almost every market. David has been making wine for 40 odd years in France, Napa, Sonoma, most notably at Chateau Petrus, you’ve probably never heard of that though, Chalk Hill, Matanzas Creek, Rudd Estate, and Dominus in Napa and Sonoma. Learn more about David with the Show Notes here In this episode we chat geeky winemaking stuff like total S02 (sulfur dioxide) in wine and native fermentations then we get into how David has grown a family run wine business for decades with production at 40,000 cases from a side project making chardonnay to a multi-million dollar company. We get into the numbers of running a boutique winery, how you should sell your wines, whether direct to consumer or distribution, and what he hopes his legacy looks like. With that, there are two organizations I want to introduce you to, that are w

Melinda Kearny and Michèle Ouellet, the mother-daughter duo behind Lorenza Rosé based in Napa. Learn more about Lorenza with the show notes here. In this episode we dig into the story behind Lorenza, what it was like starting to make rosé eight years ago when the main things on the market were Charles Bieler and his pink Cadillac paving the way, and the dreaded white zin hangover that everyone has experienced at least once in their life! We also chat about making wine with intentionality from old vines, the rosé trend, what it is like for Melinda to work with wine brands such as Frogs Leap winery and how she applied that experience to Lorenza, and what growing up in Napa was like for Michèle. I really enjoyed chatting with Melinda and Michèle and look forward to see how Lorenza continues to grow as more people embrace rosé as a wine to drink for any occasion year round.

Chad Stock is the winemaker and owner of Craft Wine Co, which produces the labels Minimus Wines, Origin Wines, and Omero Cellars in Carlton, Oregon. Learn more about chat with the show notes at https://crupodcast.com/show/chadstock Chad is known for experimenting with many varietals and styles to produce truly unique wines that not only he loves and is proud of, but that push the boundaries of traditional and low intervention winemaking. From Gruner to Grenache and wines with high VA to wines with Brett, Chad embraces change and experimentation across wines. In this episode, we dig into a lot! We chat about how Chad got into wine initially from a pleasure standpoint, his experience during apprenticeships that brought to light for him the concept on constantly experimenting with wines, how there aren’t any American grape varietals that are uniquely American, and his loathing of mimicking old world styles to make wine that taste just like them. We then get into one of his favorite subjects being Syrah developin

This episode is a little different. It is a bonus episode you could say. Here's the deal! Recently, I was asked to take part in the Road to Wine Expert Summit, which is a virtual wine summit that shares interviews with 30+ wine experts sharing their stories, tips, and secrets to get you on the fast track to wine expertise and help you build a foundation for your dream career in wine.  Some of the speakers include folks who have been on Cru before, like Hillary Zio, Brian McClintic, and Shannon Westfall. It also includes people such as George M. Taber, Bianca Bosker, Mark Andrew, James Cluer, the Yes Way Rosé ladies, Master of Wine Richard Hemming, and Esquire writer-at-large, Cal Fussman. It is an honor to be apart of this amazing group of wine professionals and to flip the script and share my story with you. You can find all of the interviews at RoadtoWineExpert.com.  I want to say thank you to the host of this wine summit, Brian McCann, who runs WineBluePrint.com Enjoy!

Martha Stoumen is a winemaker and viticultralist behind Martha Stoumen wines out of Napa Valley. Learn more about Martha with the show notes here.  In this episode we dig deep into the thinking behind wine as an agricultural product, the work that Martha does in the vineyard, and how she approaches making the best wines she possibly can with inspiration from her love of Italian culture and having worked on a farm in Tuscany. We then dig into a very enlightening conversation around the ideas of how to learn about wine. Where does it stem from, how do we learn, and how Martha has approached learning about wine from both the experiential and the academic sides. Then we chat about a topic that Michael Cruse and I had a great conversation around, that being the idea of the terroir of California. What does that mean to Martha, is there even such a thing, and how both history and societal norms play a role in how we define and describe California wine. I really loved chatting with Martha and will certainly have to h

Nick Ramkowsky and Ed Lehrman are co-founders of Vine Connections, a wine import company that was the first company to import Argentine wines to the US. Learn more about Vine Connections with the show notes here. In this episode with Nick and Ed, we dig into the story of Vine Connections, how it got started with a trip to Argentina, and they paint a picture of what they found down there in the early '90's. We then get into the business side of things, like what is their process of selecting wineries to work with in their portfolio, which is very small consisting of wines and sake from Argentina, Chile, Japan, and California. Then how do they approach marketing a new wine or sake to the market, what the pillars are that set the standard of how they do business, and how they work with producers like Chad Melville, who is relatively well known in the industry, but outside of the industry, many people have never heard of him and the Santa Rita Hills. I really enjoyed chatting with Nick & Ed. I learned so much

Sofian Himeur is the assistant winemaker at Gruet Winery, the champagne method sparkling wine producer in New Mexico. Learn more about Sofian with the show notes here at CruPodcast.com  In this episode, Sofian and I dig into the story behind Gruet and how he and his family came to start making sparkling wine in New Mexico of all places. He then takes us into his story, what it was like growing up in a winemaking family, working side-by-side with his grandfather at their Champagne house, and the trials and tribulations of making delicious, value sparkling in the New Mexico desert. I really enjoyed this episode and you can really hear how passionate Sofian is not only about the wines and winery, but the legacy that his grandfather established and that he continues to shepherd along each and every day with his uncle and mother.

Clémence Lelarge-Pugeot is the marketing and export manager for her family’s grower Champagne house, Champagne Lelarge-Pugeot. Learn more about Clémence here In this episode, Clémence and I dig into her and her family’s story, how she is working to grow the company while living in Petaluma, California, one particular popular wine that they make called Les Meuniers de Clémence, and her dream of helping more grower producers in Champagne to grow their businesses by exporting to the US & Canada, which is much more difficult than you may think. SPONSOR The Grand Tour is a fresh new take on a wine club. It was created by master somm, Dustin Wilson and the team at Verve Wine.  They believe that part of the fun of wine is learning about and exploring the many regions from around the world. They also know that it can be difficult to navigate through the vast number of wineries out there. Who makes the best wines from a particular place? How do I get my hands on them? These are the reasons that they started The Gr

At 24-years old, Caleb Forlong is the Director of Marketing & Business Development for the only single estate winery in Upper Wairau Valley in Marlborough, Hillersden and spearheading the winery’s growth in the United States. Caleb originally began his studies in theatre, but after observing the creative, sustainable methods being implemented by his father in the vineyard, he decided to plant himself in the family business and sought to learn as much as he could about wine. Caleb now splits his time between a set a farm clothes at the Hillersden winery in Marlborough and a sports coat in Los Angeles where he is spearheading the brand’s U.S. operations. Learn more about Caleb at CruPodcast.com SPONSOR The Grand Tour is a fresh new take on a wine club. It was created by master somm, Dustin Wilson and the team at Verve Wine.  They believe that part of the fun of wine is learning about and exploring the many regions from around the world. They also know that it can be difficult to navigate through the vast nu

Alan Viader, second generation winemaker and Director of Operations for Viader Vineyards & Winery in Napa. Learn more about Alan at CruPodcast.com  In this episode, Alan shares with us the story behind his family’s estate on Howell Mountain, how his mother used dynamite to move rock in order to plant the vineyard all while raising three kids, and how working with winemakers in Argentina, Alan realized that he wanted to become a winemaker. We then get into the viticultural and winemaking practices used at Viader. From trellising to blending, Alan gives us some insight into the science and art into how Viader wines are made. But before we get into the episode, I want to tell you about our sponsor. The Grand Tour is a fresh new take on a wine club. It was created by master somm, Dustin Wilson and the team at Verve Wine.   They believe that part of the fun of wine is learning about and exploring the many regions from around the world. They also know that it can be difficult to navigate through the vast numbe

Rachel Silkowski is the assistant winemaker for Loring Wine Company & the founder/winemaker of Rasi Wine Company, both based in Lompoc, California. Learn more about Rachel here. pronounced rac·y 1. full of zest or vigor; having a strongly marked quality; piquant; risqué, suggestive 2. having the distinctive quality of something in its original or most characteristic form Rachel and I dig into how she initially got into wine, her curiosity of the winemaking process, and the feeling of holding a tangible finished product. She then shares with us the story of how she started Rasi Wine Company, where the name comes from, and how she intuitively approaches each aspect of how she makes her wines & markets them from place of authenticity. I can’t wait for you to hear how she came up with the labels for her first wine called One. Then, if that wasn’t enough, Rachel shares with us her plans for the future of Rasi, how her wines have been rated 93 – 95 points with only has three vintages out, we chat about urba

Shannon Westfall (@vinfluence) is the founder of Vinfluence, the wine club that is helping you drink better by sending you handpicked wines from boutique wineries every month while supporting nonprofits that are making a difference. Learn more about Shannon & get a transcript of the episode here. In this episode, Shannon share with us how Vinfluence was born out of her love of helping people and sharing wine. She tells us her story of how she broke into the wine industry with no experience from a career in wealth management. We then dig into how Vinfluence works from a business side, how it’s helping small producers reach a wider audience, and how Shannon is working to educate more people about wine through this company. And, Shannon was kind enough to offer you as a Cru Podcast listener the opportunity to get $20 off your first order from Vinfluence! I wish I were living in the US so I could take advantage of this opportunity, but alas, I live in the UK, so I can’t. But, I hope you will in my absence! Go

Palmer Emmitt (@palmnut) is the co-owner and co-winemaker behind Emmitt-Scorsone Wines, which make the labels, Judge Palmer and Domenica Amato, in Healdsburg, California. Learn more about Palmer with the show notes at crupodcast.com/show/palmeremmitt In this episode, Palmer and I dig into how he went from working in the film industry in Hollywood to owning a winery that makes Cabernet harvested from the famous To Kalon Vineyard, and that’s just one of the wines he and his partner, Michael Scorsone. We also talk about the challenges of running a small winery that produces fewer than 2,000 cases per year across 10+ different wines. Not only is that a lot to keep up with, but also selling to distribution at quantities that small has proved difficult. Palmer then shares with us the winemaking approach that they take in the winery and how it helps to express the each wine’s terroir. Before we get into the show, have you subscribed to the podcast yet and left us a review? If not, please do so. It helps other passio

Dustin Wilson (@dustinwilsonms) is a partner and owner the wine shop in Tribeca, New York City called Verve Wine. Dustin came on the podcast when the show first started and he was working at Eleven Madison Park, but in this episode he tells us about how he transitioned from being a somm on the floor of restaurants for so many years to starting and being on the floor of a retail store and what the challenges of starting a new wine shop in New York City has been like. We then dig into the story behind Verve, why Dustin wanted to start something new, and how Verve is challenging the norm of wine retail by integrating an amazing website that helps people find and learn about wine in an easier, more natural way and utilizing social media to do the same with things like visual tasting notes. Full show notes & and transcript of the interview at https://crupodcast.com/show/dustinwilson37 Dustin then shares with us one of his favorite wines he’s been excited about lately called 4 Monos, a Garnacha made just outsi

Fabio Bartolomei is the winemaker behind Vinos Ambiz in the Gredos region of Spain, just outside of Madrid. I’m super excited for this episode because it was my first in-person interview. Fabio and I met up while I was in Madrid last weekend and he took me to the only natural wine shop in the city called Wine Attack, then the next day we drove out to his winery about an hour northwest of Madrid in a small town called El Tiemblo. Learn more about Fabio with the show notes here. He took me around two of his vineyards, which are both planted with 40-year-old Garnacha bush vines. Then we went to the winery in the center of the town, which is an old co-op winery that he and another winemaker, Daniel Ramos, took over about four years ago. Fabio let me taste a bunch of his wines, both in bottle and out of the barrel, tank, and amphorae. It was a wonderful experience and I encourage you to go visit Fabio at his winery the next time you are in Madrid.  In this episode, Fabio and I talk about his story, how we started

Jordane Andrieu (@heritagefinewines) is the owner of Heritage Fine Wines wine store and bar located in Beverley Hills & proprietor of Domain Clos du Moulins aux Moins in Burgundy. Subscribe to our newsletter, Cru Mail, here to learn more about Jordane. In this episode, Jordane and I dig into his story, how he went from working for an engineering company in Paris to running an estate in Burgundy while studying viticulture & oenology and converting the vineyard to organic. He shares with us the trials and tribulations that goes into making world class wine in Burgundy and how Pablo Picasso’s godson designed wine labels for him. We then get into the story behind him moving from Burgundy to Los Angeles without speaking any English. Then on top of that figuring out how to start Heritage, his wine shop and bar in Beverley Hills, jumping through all of the regulatory hoops, and probably the greatest challenge of educating consumers on the wines, how he markets the business, and overcoming the cultural differ

DLynn Proctor (@WineauxDLynnP) is the winemaking ambassador for Penfolds Americas. You may remember DLynn from the movies Somm and Somm: Into the Bottle on Netflix, but in this episode we don’t talk about the movies, but DLynn’s story, who inspired him to become a sommelier in the first place, how he was able to travel the world to learn about wine on other people’s dime as a young somm. Learn more about DLynn with the show notes here. We also dig into the day to day of what being the winemaking ambassador for Penfolds Americas means and how DLynn travels over 300 days per year. He also shares with us stories from working with the legendary Fred Dame and Peter Gago. Before we get into the show, I want to invite you to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave us a review. Doing so helps other folks who are just as passionate about wine as you are find the show and to grow this community. You can subscribe and review the show with the podcast player on your phone, or on iTunes here.

Michael Drapkin is the proprietor, wine educator, and Instagram model behind Kingston Wine Company in the town of Kingston, New York in the Hudson Valley. You can find him wordsmithing wine descriptions on Instagram @kingstonwineco and buy all of his delicious, natural and esoteric wines at KingstonWine.com Learn more about Michael with the show notes here. In this episode Michael and I dig into where his passion for wine comes from, both the books and the people who influenced him, and the art of wine retail, something that Michael feels is as important, if not more important, than the wines themselves. We also chat about great resources for learning about and finding natural wines, one of those being the natural wine app, Raisin. Before we get into the show, I want to invite you to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave a review. Doing so helps other amazing wine lovers, like yourself, find the show and grow this community of folks who are passionate about wine. You can do so on the podcast player on

Michael Cruse (@crusewine) is the winemaker and owner of Ultramarine Wines and Cruse Wine Co. based in Petaluma, California. Learn more about Michael with the show notes here. In this episode, Michael and I dig into his background and how he got into the wine world, the terroir of California and how Michael is working to share that through his wines, and where his love of sparkling wines come from. Before we get into the show, I want to invite you to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave us a review. You can do so on iTunes itself, or with the podcast player on your phone. By subscribing and reviewing the show, you’re helping others discover the show and working to grow this community of people who are also passionate about wine. And if you’re interested, subscribe to our weekly email newsletter, Cru Mail. We send you one email every Monday with the latest podcast episode, so you’ll be the first to hear it, and we send another email on Friday with anything from other podcasts we’re enjoying, wine vide

Jack Mason (@jamasoniii) is one of the youngest Master Sommelier, and is the MS & Wine Director at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston, Texas. Learn more about Jack with the show notes here. Jack achieved MS status at the very young age of 27 and he’s one of the youngest to do so. He is one of only 9 esteemed Master Sommeliers currently in the state of Texas and one of 144 Master Sommeliers in the U.S. He’s been featured in Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list of outstanding young professionals nationwide, Zagat’s 30 Under 30 list in New York City as was named Wine & Spirits Best New Sommelier 2015. He was also featured in the series Uncorked on the Esquire Network that followed his journey to receiving his MS certification. With all of that, I have to say that Jack is one of the most fun and humble people I’ve ever met. Before we get into the show, I want to invite you to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and leave us a review. You can do so on iTunes itself, or with the podcast player on your phone.