Cru Podcast

Cru Podcast Cru is a podcast that shares the stories of the people behind wine. It wasn't much, but just enough to instill a burning passion for wine. It turns out you do.

At 18, I received a position doing odd jobs around a family owned winery in the mountains of North Carolina. Waking up at 5am and going out in the bitter cold to scrub stainless steel tanks with sulfur in order to prep them for that day's incoming harvest was bliss. Working 12 hours straight, coming home with red hands (and teeth), cut fingers, a sunburned neck, and a meager paycheck; I was in my

happy place. My curiosity in the vineyard and winery led me to concentrate in fermentation science in college and begin the pursuit of owning vineyards and wineries one day. Since those early mornings and long days in the vineyard, I've been intrigued not only by the labor of love that goes into wine, but the people behind this wondrous, mysterious beverage we all love so dearly. That's why I started Cru. I've met so many amazing people with incredible stories, I wondered if people like yourself would want to hear those stories too. I'm proud to be able to share them with you. Thank you.

-Chappy, host

As many of you know, and for those who don’t, my “real-job” is being the Wine Director . As a part of that job I’m chall...
04/24/2020

As many of you know, and for those who don’t, my “real-job” is being the Wine Director . As a part of that job I’m challenged, along with our incredible team, to host the party of the year in Healdsburg dubbed The Pink Party. It’s a day celebration of all things rosé!

This is supposed to be to be the weekend that kicks off the spring in our gardens with 400+ people gathering to enjoy life and drink a TON of rosé. It’s pure joy seeing everyone wear pink, let loose, and converse with the amazing winemakers this weekend. I’m so sad that due to the current situation we can’t celebrate with you, but we’ve got something up our sleeves for later in the year!

Till then, I hope you’re enjoying a bountiful amount of rosé this weekend! The 2019s are coming out and they are 🔥 @ Barndiva

What’s one of your earliest wine moments that got you hooked?One of mine was with this guy .I ha daisy interviewed him f...
04/19/2020

What’s one of your earliest wine moments that got you hooked?

One of mine was with this guy .

I ha daisy interviewed him for the first time on the podcast while I was living in England and he was in the first year of traveling all over the world. If memory serves, I believe he was off to Austria with a layover in London for a few hours and he asked if I was available for lunch on like a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Luckily, I had just quit my job and was working for myself. So I took the 2 hour train from Bristol where I lived to London for lunch at . It was supposed to be at but our luck power to the entire block was out 🤨

We ate a ton of Indian (my favorite), drank & Arbois (my first experience), and spoke about the future. That lunch solidified my wanting to be in the wine industry.

Still owe you lunch

Let’s get into the numbers and reality, shall we??I don’t know about you, but I love to dig into the business side of wi...
04/18/2020

Let’s get into the numbers and reality, shall we??

I don’t know about you, but I love to dig into the business side of wine. Pontificating poetically about wine is a passion, hence me being a sommelier, but discussing the real data and understanding what works & doesn’t when it comes to marketing & selling wine is my other passion. I find it fascinating!

So... Virtual Tastings, IG Live, Happy Hours, and more. What is resonating with consumers? What is resonating with you? What tactics are showing real ROI and tangible value? How will the wine industry come out of this situation perhaps stronger than before?

Join me and of on Monday, 5pm PT on IG Live to discuss all of these things and more.

We’ll be discussing the results of a wine marketing & sales survey taken by wine pros from around the country. Sayings like, “the more you know,” and “rising tides lift all boats,” are the mentality we’re cultivating in this chat. Join us. Let’s share, drink some wine, and all learn something together!

P.S. You can still take the survey —📍link in bio! Thanks 🙏 to everyone who already participated!

While many of us have hit the pause button on work, or at very minimal slowed downed a bit, nature is following her usua...
03/30/2020

While many of us have hit the pause button on work, or at very minimal slowed downed a bit, nature is following her usual path. Continuing to grow, nourish, and produce fruit that we humans have the privilege to attempt to turn into wine.

Double tap if you’ve been walking the vineyard, or are at least dreaming of it!
📸: for

Doin a little special something with on Live chatting tomorrow to discuss marketing wine in a (fully) virtual world an...
03/30/2020

Doin a little special something with on Live chatting tomorrow to discuss marketing wine in a (fully) virtual world and how to use the digital space to share your story as a winery, wine brand, sommelier, restaurant, wine shop, or whatever format you sell and promote wines in. We’ll be chatting partnerships, collaborations, virtual tastings, and the like! Join us at 6pm live on my handle

Double tap if you’ve been asking yourself this question lately. All of us are going through it, but this is a great time...
03/29/2020

Double tap if you’ve been asking yourself this question lately. All of us are going through it, but this is a great time to experiment or try that idea to sell more wine that you’ve been mulling over the last few months. Think about marketing differently, you get different results.

NEW EIPISODE ALERT!I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down with a couple weeks ago to discuss storytelling as it app...
03/24/2020

NEW EIPISODE ALERT!

I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down with a couple weeks ago to discuss storytelling as it applies to wine and how to do so specifically in a visual manner.

For those who don’t know Matt, he is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, photographer, and vintner that’s works with incredible food and wine brands to tell their visual stories. And yes, you saw “vintner” in there too! Matt and the awe-inspiring woman with him in this picture, the legendary Francoise Peschon, are one of a handful of people reviving Charbono, a grape 🍇 with only 70 acres left in the world and all 70 just happen to be planted in Napa Valley.

With all that is going on, so many people working tirelessly to stay afloat in this time, I hope that Matt’s story & advice can help you to share your story in a unique and authentic way.
📸: &

How’s everyone feeling after the first week of isolation? I hope you’re feeling healthy, strong, resilient. I hope you’r...
03/23/2020

How’s everyone feeling after the first week of isolation? I hope you’re feeling healthy, strong, resilient. I hope you’re drinking delicious wine. Find moments to mentally relax. Prepare for another week of brining your A game. Who’s feeling ready for the week? Comment below

There’s a lot of discussion right now about our mental health admits dealing with our current situation. This is just a ...
03/21/2020

There’s a lot of discussion right now about our mental health admits dealing with our current situation. This is just a simple reminder on this beautiful Saturday to find a time today to laugh a little. Here are several ways...

1) Tell yourself a joke 😂
2) Hop on a FaceTime or Zoom chat with friends you are socially distanced and have a virtual happy hour! Many great companies like & are hosting them periodically too!
3) Listen to a podcast like or some of the chats I had on with &
4) Go for a walk, if you can. That always puts a smile on my face! 😊
5) Drink more wine. This idea generally leads to laughing either out of pure humor and a lack of inhibitions, or driven by self-pity. You win some, you lose some 🙃

Either way! Stay positive. Keep smiling. Laugh a little 🤣 It’ll hell to ease you anxiety right now.
📸: the amazing

Mother Nature is a fierce parent that is both nurturing and repressing. She teaches us lessons on how to be at peace, pr...
03/19/2020

Mother Nature is a fierce parent that is both nurturing and repressing. She teaches us lessons on how to be at peace, provides fruitful bounty, while contrarily currently reminding us that she is always in charge.
If you’re able to go outside and be in nature right now, do so to cleanse your lungs, your spirit, and your boredom. But PLEASE do humanity the favor and stay the f**k away from other humans!

📸: for

NEW EPISODE ALERT!Established in 2012, Maître de Chai is the personal project of Marty Winters and Alex Pitts, two frien...
03/16/2020

NEW EPISODE ALERT!

Established in 2012, Maître de Chai is the personal project of Marty Winters and Alex Pitts, two friends who met in the kitchen of the famed two Michelin star Cyrus in Healdsburg, California. Their focus is on showcasing old-vine, organically farmed classic varietal vineyards. With experiences on the floor of The French Laundry and The Restaurant at Meadowood and in the cellar of Abe Schoener’s Scholium Project, Marty and Alex had a tri-fold education with focus on classic cooking and wine producers while experimenting in the cellar with varietals and winemaking techniques.

Together they look to make wines of high quality in a way that best showcases the sense of place where the grapes are grown and the personality of the vineyard. From the ground to the bottle, the character of the wine is the focus of their endeavor. They source grapes from unique and distinct single vineyards that are impeccably farmed here in California.

With all the mayhem and negative 👎 stories right now, listen to something uplifting, positive, and about championing old-vine, organic vineyards (probably the safest places to be right now) 🙏♥️

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231 Center St
Healdsburg, CA
95448

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