We sit down to chat w/ Michael Cruse for this open episode. Chat about Ultramarine, the Covid situation, and how he got started as a winemaker.
We sit down to chat w/ Michael Cruse for this open episode. Chat about Ultramarine, the Covid situation, and how he got started as a winemaker.
spk_1: 0:01
Here we go. All right. Cool. Mike should pop in here in a minute.
spk_0: 0:06
Great.
spk_1: 0:07
Yes. Oh, this is ah, name to be determined. Podcast. Wine, wine industry spirits, but mostly wine. My name's Jared. Aah! And I'm with my associate. My crew just popped in, and then we're also here with ah, Michael. Crews from Cruise line going through Zlenko. Yeah, cool. So we're getting the word we're gonna get started. Mike, you just popped in. We just kind of chatted here for a few minutes, but yes. So we started this This I guess podcast. Siri's as a way to learn a little bit, Um, and also because we're always learning for one, but also to share something, uh, with the public and with, you know, maybe clients or whoever. Maybe this wine nerds that, um, you know, we'll share some information that, you know, maybe wouldn't be ableto happen before, so I have a little bit of extra time given the circumstance right now. So I figured how can I positively affect, um Or, you know, how could I positively add something to my community? So So I was like, Hey, Mike, Right. Michael, would you do an interview with us, and he actually said, Yeah,
spk_0: 1:35
I'm not doing much
spk_1: 1:36
either, so yes, So I guess, um, tell us a little bit about yourself, Michael. Like, uh, I guess from the beginning. Like what got you into one.
spk_0: 1:47
Um, well, I'm a barrier kid. Uh, grew up in San Francisco in Petaluma, went to college. It's cow. And so I've been in Northern California all my life. Um, and I thought it was gonna be a research scientist and, ah, to make a long story short that didn't work out. And, uh, at 26 found myself working it sent her home, um, in the lab there. And long story short. Now I make one. Ah, I think the thing was for me is that there wasn't any, like, magic bullet or a magic time that I knew that I was gonna be making wine or that that was going to be the the thing. But I think when I sort of left science, I was so interested in doing things with my hands and producing a product that other people could understand. Um, there was something so esoteric about what I was doing in science. That I It was hard for my parents who are great folks but relatively blue collar people. You understand what I was doing? And I felt like there's something about a bottle putting it in front of somebody. That was sort of I don't want to be crazy and say it was a universal language, but people know what y
spk_1: 3:12
e a form of expression, I think.
spk_0: 3:16
Right, Right. It's something that we can all engage in culturally pretty easily. For all the talk of it being Ah, um ah, high end luxury product. And I think there is truth to that, too. For the most part, people know how to open up a cork, you know,
spk_1: 3:34
and then s o is there. I guess one of the things that that really attracted me even before I knew anything about your your winds was because I'm I'm a marketing background guy. So before I even knew Michael, crews are cruise Blanco, ultra Marine. Anything. I have seen a couple of of the bottles on the shelves throughout California, and definitely you're at the time. And I think still, I think there's some kind of imitations now, but at the time it was kind of like unique. You had, like, a play on, like classic oil with spray paint on the front. What's the what's What's the idea behind that?
spk_0: 4:20
Well, I think that it's funny that there's an element of that that is so core to who we are, but it's not actually my work, if that makes it so. Um, I have, ah, design team forcing form there. Two guys who have worked with another projects and friends of friends, and we had already talked from the beginning that I wanted them to do are the crew's labels. Um, and we had talked about kind of what Cruz was about in this idea of it being, uh, this kind of more older take on California wine and and what California used to do prior to sort of, ah, the judgment of Paris and all these other kind of things that have made wine a little more fanciful there, um, and but still acknowledging that you value is not exactly something on everybody's ah, tip of the tip of everybody's tongue. So the idea really was this sort of Maur classic winemaking, which is the old engravings and all that, and then the splash of color being the sort of nod to modernity. And that was kind of it. And it's funny that was actually their second or third revision. I don't remember exactly, but the moment I saw it was like That's it. They did one other revision in which, uh, my sister and I found kind of kicking around the office the other day because I was back in 20 12. I guess when they first did them and it's this, we're gonna make a wine for it. I know big, but it's like this Gothic. If you could envision, like an old English like church Ah, like cemetery churchyard kind of thing. And it was just very like, um, I have no Burton asked or something like that. And it it's Ah, I'm very glad we didn't d'oh because it's it's really quite dark. But, um, I think would be so fun to do for, like, a one off for something. But I think to the sort of bigger question I think labels. The good part about having a small winery like us is that you get to do the whole widget. And there's not eight people discussing whether or not that's the right label or
spk_1: 6:43
decision by whether or not
spk_0: 6:44
we should have a Yeah, exactly. And I think that, like there's this element of, like, Why do we have women on to the petting rats that are both Valley gays and one of the guys? It's not valid. It doesn't matter like that. Those just worked in the context of what we were doing. And I think that that was the That's what I cared more about from the beginning. And it didn't matter. If the some labels makes sense and some don't, it's just there's a unifying thread to all of them, and I just really like that. So
spk_1: 7:17
yeah, no, I I like to you know, the thing is, at this point, um, you know, Instagram is, you know Ah, poor up, You know, some sort of marketing, whether we want it to be right, whether we're happy with it are where we think it bastard sizes or whatever it may be. Um, the visual, you know, like it's it's the same thing with with food, like you eat with, you know, with your eyes before you do with your mouth. So I think I think it's important. But also I think it's it's cool. Thio. There's you could tell there's some people that put a lot of, like thought and effort into it and then some. I don't It doesn't mean that the wine is any better or worse, but I think it is sure. I think it's kind of cool toe Have that especially, you know, as a as a business person toe. Have you know the thought behind the Would you say the details?
spk_0: 8:14
Yeah, exactly. And I think I think I think, with social media generally. The thing that I find so interesting is that we I have never had a moment in our lives where we can communicate with the people that are crafting the things that we enjoy on the level that we have now, right? And I think that like so before we start recording, we're talking about bread baking. And, um, I think it's one thing to you and I can bake bread, and my family has a long history of doing. Am I make bread with my grandma Sardo that's 70 years old or something like that at this point, and I've been making bread all my life, but
spk_1: 8:58
I've only been doing it two weeks.
spk_0: 9:01
Well, perfect, Perfect. But it doesn't matter, right? The point is that we can also go on Instagram and we can see these people that do this professionally and they're still doing They're still at home like us, you know, And we get see them make bread the way that they would do it at the bakery in their own home, and we can see that and we can interact with that. And, um, that's it's amazing, e I find that so while then I think that that's something that, um I really I really appreciate I don't take that for granted that people can text me and be like, you know, I opened a bottle of all terrain and was or text me GM and be like, this was the most amazing wine. How did you do it? You know, And look at two in the morning. I'm not gonna answer everybody, you know, But I do. I do genuinely try to, um to interact with folks because I think that that's especially now is important. It means a lot to me.
spk_1: 9:58
I think it's the connection I think with a lot of things, whether it's food or wine or coffee or whatever. It's a lot of its time in place, but a lot of it's just the connection with. And that's what I don't know. I can't speak for everyone, but it's that's, ah portion of why we like it, right? You know what I mean? That anyone could go down to the corner store and get a really cheap bottle of wine. Um, but I think thankfully, you know, we're in a time where, um, we're willing to, you know, put a little bit more effort into it and put a little bit more value. And I'd rather drink less wine and how something nicer I'd rather eat less meat in the, you know, better, better quality me. Um,
spk_0: 10:46
exactly. And I think the thing is is that it's not, um, we're not trying to get around the butcher. I have this way of talking about how to sell wine online, which I don't I don't want to get too into the business side of here, but I don't want to be the I don't know, the purveyor of like luxury cars or something like that. and be like, You know, I have the new model of this other thing. I only have two of them, and I want you to have it like I don't want to do that. I want to be the butcher, the old fashioned butcher. You come in. Maybe you're just gonna order from ground beef Sometimes I got ground beef for you. You know, we got monkey jacket all day, right? But I do also want to be like, Hey, this older springs won't Kanwar. I only have six bottles of it, you know, to give you. But you and I have a long relationship. We've gone through a lot of things together. A lot of releases together. I want you to have this. This is something that you would enjoy and having that interaction with customers that maybe I've never even met, um is something that I really love. Cool. How are you? I know that went off a little weight.
spk_1: 11:57
No, I think it's kind of Ah, interesting thing. Like how cause are your are you mostly directed? Consumer? You're both half and half are.
spk_0: 12:09
Yeah. I mean, right now we probably are by dollar amount. Let's say 35 40% dtc. Okay, Um, and then maybe another 30% export. And then the remainder is, uh, you know, domestic. Distribute
spk_1: 12:26
Cool. What's what's the on? This isn't not. It is just pure curiosity. What's your poor like? What country's air the most interested? I guess
spk_0: 12:37
it's It's Asia predominately, because that's sort of where we started on exports. So it's, um, Japan number one by a pretty wide margin. Ah, Singapore, South Korea. A little bit of Taiwan, Um, And then on the European side, it's mainly Scandinavia.
spk_1: 12:56
Well, that's cool. You know why I was
spk_0: 12:59
pretty? Well, boot's pretty well, it's not what I expected. Ever put it that nice, Very grateful. I
spk_1: 13:05
guess they talk about ultra Marine a little bit because I think that's what everyone wants toe. Always hear about, learn about, talk about, Um, yeah, we'll get it out of the way early. I love a little Marie. It's I think everyone does. It's one of those things that you're just like. You just knock it out of the park every time. Thank you so like like, what's the back story on all terrain like, How did that start? Did that start first or
spk_0: 13:35
that started first. So So I started that with a couple of buddies, Graham Way Meyer and Ryan Bradley. And ah, even though I'm sort of the figurehead of it. And I do the most of the work too. But But, um, they did start it with me, and we, um we had no idea what we were doing. I think it's really important people have this idea that somehow, like I had an idea that we were trying to do this and that wasn't the case at all. I mean, we basically got drunk on my back back porch and took some extra wine and turned it into the 2008 vintage. And, um, we did that a couple of years, 2000 2009. And then we started. I thought there was maybe some there there and threw together a little bit of money and and talk to Charlie Hunt's. And that would have been the 2010 vintage. Okay, um, and we got very lucky. I mean, it was a great year for sparkling wine. Um, was insane acid, And it was I guess we had an idea of how we were going to make it that that was refined over the years as well. So it's sort of like people kind of asked me, You know what my favorite vintage of ultimate is? And I think the 2010 is the one that it's the 1st 1 It's the one that's, like closest to my heart. But I think probably the fourteen's yeah are like the ones that I actually feel like. Okay, now I know what I'm doing. Sort of. You know, uh, well, not know what I'm doing, but I feel like I kind of have a sense. Thanks. I
spk_1: 15:14
guess I guess just overarching Li like what is, like, what's the thought process for for
spk_0: 15:22
right, Marie? So basically, the idea of ultramarine is that and again, this is after 10 years of reflecting on what the hell we're doing. But I think it was this idea of if we took the techniques of the growers that we really respected and applied it to California. Um, kind of almost is a straight line. What would we get in California where we get something that was like, what the growers were doing, Or do we get something that is a more pure expression of terroir in California but with bubbles in it. And I think we got the ladder. Um, and I think that as we've well, I'll tell you a story like one of the things that was sort of troubling to me about Ultimate is that from the beginning we knew that we could only make about well from Charlie's Vineyard. Maybe 500 cases, something like that. Um, and starting in 13 we tried to add other vineyards onto it and it wouldn't work. I mean, we just couldn't get it to be what we sort of wanted now. Ah, 17 18 19. We added other vineyards up, um, kind of doing the same way as before. But one of one of the things I sort of realized about sparkling wine generally is that when I started working with these other vineyards that the ultra marine way turned out to only work in a small subset of vineyards. Okay, don't get too esoteric here, but basically the there's something about these very cool coastal vineyards that that took the ultra remodeling and still works kind of. And one of the things that we've treatment trying to do the past, maybe five years with Cruz tradition and others. It's taking other techniques and sort of like making them work more broadly with different vineyards. I'm getting in the weeds, but I mean more like playing around with more oxidation. Or which ultra marine, for example. You
spk_1: 17:35
know, I have the tradition, what, two days ago and the oxidation on there was was cool, but yeah, it was. It was definitely you could tell that it was, you know, on purpose, right?
spk_0: 17:50
It feels Yeah, of course. It feels Maur round and welcoming. I think then ultimate, which I think always takes, takes a hard edge. Laser. It's always funny. Lately, it's always funny, like people. People are always like, You know, I expected ultimatum to be like I don't rich or something like that and it's not
spk_1: 18:13
realized. How is the 10 now? How does it taste it? When's the last time you tried? Well,
spk_0: 18:18
that's interesting. I tasted the 10 not too long ago, maybe six months. Um, and it was good. The 11 now is tasting really well, like, just really starting to open up. And you still get the laser precision, but just the Mont Blanc I'm speeding up has a little more kind of smoothness to it. The 11 roses tasting Great Now, too cool. If there's I mean, I think we released 90 cases of that one. I think that I don't know. I
spk_1: 18:54
don't know how much exist. I think I only have a couple left. I don't have any of the 11 but I have last year's allocation of just I think I have the blanket war in the in the rose A left? Yeah, yes. Said
spk_0: 19:07
the fourteen's were great. The fifteens were They need time. Um, but it's the thing is with everything right, it's too early. Just open it and let it sit in the bottle for little. It'll be fine, you know. Let's drink it slower.
spk_1: 19:24
Cool. Um so I guess your style of winemaking like, you know, when we talked, you know, when we first got hooked up together, you're you're like, OK, I'm not a natural winemaker. I'm what you call, you know, natural adjacent, which I think is right. I think is a great description. But can you explain? Kind of like the difference is and your technique or what? You know, I guess what your vision for. You know, that whole thing. I don't want you to compare your fast yourself, but you know what I mean? Like, everybody's different. Everybody makes it different decisions here. But what? What like what? What is that for you?
spk_0: 20:08
For me, I think the it's not even a criticism. But the reason why I said it that way to you is that I just don't love the idea of defining my wine by the winemaking when the vineyards are vastly more important, right? So outside of monkey jacket and tradition, every wine I make I guess that's not true. The nouveau as well. But anyway, outside of those three examples, the rest of the 15 some odd wines I make all have a vineyard on them, right? And I think that that's by far the most important part. I agree for me because I think that what we're trying to do with Cruise Line Cos. Show and I'm not just us. Obviously there's plenty. But, um is trying to show California with, um with a little bit more kind of, uh, pleasure, drinkability and, um, fruitiness. I guess we're not afraid of the sunshine or anything like that. And I think that, um, the vineyards that we work with are all I'll have something to say and I want to let him say that. I
spk_1: 21:17
think a lot of your winds do actually like you could blind. I think you can blind your wines easier than most. I don't know if that's just me could but, um, and I think it's that fruit character. I think you really figured out how Thio embrace that without, um without being, you know, clawing or over the top. I don't know.
spk_0: 21:43
Well, thank you. Yeah, I think there's I think there's truth to that. I mean, I would say that like in terms of the wine making, you know, we're pretty much a unopened book. We don't filter anything. We don't add acid. We don't add bacteria yeast outside of the garage culture. Um, so we're not doing anything weird. Um, generally, we only sell for twice, maybe once in the case, like chardonnay or Muscat or something. But I guess the thing for me is that ah, well, let's see. There's a couple of years We don't work with that Aaron transitioning to organic. I think That's an important part to say. So not all the vineyards you work with organic. So that already puts me out of the running. I think for the natural wine thing and, um, even if they were organic, I still think that that's not necessarily the That title is not necessary. The most important thing for me, that's for sure. So I don't know. It's it's sort of funny. It's like I I understand consumers wanting to use that as a way to sort of cost five folks and and and writers to and everything else, and I think that that's fine. Um, but just ask me about the lines and I'll tell you everything you want to know about him, you know,
spk_1: 23:07
for sure. And that's and that's what I think. In general, there's definitely the people that are gonna go with the dogma. And then there's, I think, Luckily, I think the majority is it's more about that honesty and that, um, just saying, Hey, this is what it iss you know, this is okay, so let
spk_0: 23:30
me give you a good example. Let me give you some examples. So the deming um pet Nat in 18 1 of the best sparkling wines were ever made. Just straight juice. Nothing in it. Um, no. No cell for nothing in 19 th is a little bit higher tonight. He was a lower acid year. Turns out there's a little bit of kind of like mouse Penis if you don't sell for the wine. So we suffered a little bit, and now the wines maybe not as good as 18 but still really quite good. And I don't like the idea that just adding the sulfur somehow diminishes the wine right? Like I didn't do anything crazy. I'm making the wine so that you guys could consume it. And I think that's the thing. And, like, I don't mind having that conversation
spk_1: 24:24
for sure. Nobody wants a mouse you want. No, it doesn't matter. Even if your daddy head, it's Nobody writes that. And and there's got to be certain things within reason that you got that. You got to do that. Ah, to save your investment, your lively sugar. You know, you only get one chance a year, right?
spk_0: 24:45
Right. Exactly. That's the wild part. I mean, if you think about it like I'm 40. I turned 40. The month ago Seems like 18 years ago. But, uh, that was a month ago
spk_1: 24:56
I have ever
spk_0: 24:57
had. Ah, thank you, thank you. And I think that, like, I know how many more shots I get. 30. It's
spk_1: 25:04
crazy, right? There's a what? I
spk_0: 25:07
mean, I
spk_1: 25:08
saw it and interject. There's a guy, not a Don't You know who he is? His name's Kiko Calvo. He's a Spanish wine maker. I forget from where, but supposedly he's been traveling northern and Southern hemispheres. Why making? So he's I don't know if there's any truth to this, that he has most vintages interested out of anyone this because he's been stocking and doing North, Northern and Southern Hemisphere for So, uh, but yeah,
spk_0: 25:40
it's funny. I am. We started opening when we opened up the winery. We did a lot of custom crush work for other people. We still d'oh um, because I'm poor, but, uh, it turns out like an amazing way to learn more, too, because now you're getting instead of your own wines. You also get other folks making their wine, and particularly for sparkling. It was a way for me to kind of instead of doing one to Rajah Year two Terrazas a year I was doing like 40 50 you know. So there was Ah, it was very helpful to learn and still is. But ah, but yeah, you are limited by time in this industry, which is sort of a nod anon Think it speaks more to the generational aspects of, I don't know, being a French winemaker. Burgundian winemaker That's had four or five generations of doing something.
spk_1: 26:34
Yeah, no, it's cool. It's, um it's quite a thing that I think any kind of craft I'm excited about. You know, I own a coffee roastery, and you know, I help distribute wine here in Nevada, said anything that I can relate to That takes a lot of practice and skill and thought, and planning is there's a lot of there's not a lot of debate and involved in that, you know, it's it's a craft. It's kind of like a busted my ass. I try to do what I did, and this is this is what I came out with next year. Well, I think this is
spk_0: 27:14
the thing that I exactly there is, there's, ah, I travel in Japan, a fair amount. I mean, not now, but put it. But I would be Ah, and ah, it's always funny, Like there's this element of why makers getting and I think, a lot of different types of celebrities in Japan getting elevated to some type of celebrity status, period. And I think one of the things that I find funny is that I think all I do is craft, same as you, right? There's no perfect. There's no suddenly I'm done. I finished it where it's it's exactly what I wanted to be and nothing more. And there's also no magic change. It's gonna happen this year about something that is what conservatively, 15,000 years old, you know? I mean, let's say 5000 in the modern, the modern idea of it, kind of like I'm not gonna magically understand something differently than somebody did 3000 years ago.
spk_1: 28:20
That's crazy. How that works, right?
spk_0: 28:24
Yeah. I mean, I have a forklift that's on my press is probably better than they add, but that's about it, you know.
spk_1: 28:30
Yeah, I know. It's Ah, it's crazy. It's crazy to think about. I guess another crazy thing is obviously the climate that that we're living in right now. Today is we're recording this ahead of time. You know, today's April 13th you know, Right. 2020. I've been pretty much not. You know, I have a cafes here in Las Vegas and stuff and that those closed almost a month ago. Um, I just with, you know, the climate. Hopefully, you know, this current virus thing is gonna is gonna taper off soon. It looks like it already is. But it's a new world now, like that's Yeah, You know what I mean without being, you know, crazy alarmist about it. But how do you think? Does that play in the the decisions you make are you know,
spk_0: 29:23
well, it's funny. It's it's it's sort of weird, because down to the brass tacks, I mean, winemaking is essentially a manufacturer, right? So thing is taking a month off for two months off, you kind of have to run your business so that you're built for that, right? Because anything had happened that blocks production of your glass could be stuck in China. I don't use chinese last, but whatever, it could be stuck wherever it is or you know, and so little dips rok. I
spk_1: 29:59
could vouch for that glass. I've carried a lot of those case. It's,
spk_0: 30:03
uh yeah, there's, Ah, there's production elements, right? And that's that's easy stuff. Kind of. What I am really curious about is thes restaurants that have been just the lifeblood and the supporters of me and not just me, but so many other small wineries that people just took chances on. Oh, man. I mean, I want nothing more than go out and eat now, man, I want nothing more than
spk_1: 30:34
that on. And we see it here in Nevada and specifically in Las Vegas. You know, our on site consumption is well over well, over 90%. Yeah. Um, so it's it's it's crazy, and it gives me goose bumps and yeah, we're all Yeah, we're all here to to try to make it work, you know, um,
spk_0: 31:00
well, I mean, that's and that's the crazy part. Like, can you imagine casino like opening up in three months and then every other see is, like, blocked off or something like that. Do you know what I mean? To maintain distance? E like I don't know. I don't know what that world looks like. We
spk_1: 31:17
will soon Yeah, it's crazy. We will see it exactly. No, really very, very soon. You know, um, yeah, I'm hopeful. I'm very hopeful. I think, Uh, I think the one thing that you know, some positives that have come out of this is I think people are gonna You know what you say shed the fat, cut the fat, You know what I mean? They're only they're going to do things that I think make them happy. I think they're in a you know, hopefully, I think people are gonna understand that, um, they're gonna have to vote with third Wall. It's a lot of the time with a lot of decisions. Um, like people hear it. And you see it all the time by local, You know, anything like those things are important. You know what's gonna happen like to that small producer, that small wine producer of that small restaurant or that small wine shop, or you know, any of those things? Um, it's gonna be more.
spk_0: 32:20
I think I think at this point at this point, don't worry about the producers. Do you know what I mean? Like, that's a thing. Like, I think most of us I'm not saying we're not in trouble. We're definitely in trouble. I'm highly leveraged. But But I mean, the thing is, is that the people that I really do worry about are the people that that air shut down completely like you. You're saying with your cafes and the restaurants in the wine shops and things like that, like that's that's why really, uh, worry about, because that's where people are being creative.
spk_1: 32:52
So they're being creative. But that's also that time in place where those things are experienced, right? Those those those moments, that's where those moments happen. And those, uh, those memories happened. Totally. All right, let's take it back up. Um, go. Don't I know, right? It's not that dark, I'm hopeful, but it's, you know, it's the reality that we're living in right
spk_0: 33:18
now. I think it's it's funny. It's You have to be hopeful. And I think, and if we're not, then we're all in the same boat anyway. Kind of, you know?
spk_1: 33:28
Yeah, for sure. So if you, um if you weren't making wine, what do you think you'd be doing right now?
spk_0: 33:35
I mean, that's really funny. I think I probably would be probably figure out a way to go back into science, I think. E think that's probably what I just I'd love
spk_1: 33:48
to like bio Kamer.
spk_0: 33:50
Biochem. Yeah. I still love the research aspect of things, and I still love the ah. Then I was, like about biochemistry. Always like the doing stuff their hands on that to you. You don't mean it. Still had enough wet lab to kind of keep me, uh, keep me working, So I would probably be doing that. Um, that's that's a dumb answer, but if it happened later because this have happened now let's say I could I could drive a forklift in a warehouse if this doesn't work out. You know
spk_1: 34:26
for sure. We all have training in a lot of different things now, so right. Cool, I guess. What? What are you excited about? A ce faras, Like other winemakers. What do you like to drink? Like what's you know, wanted to inspire so
spk_0: 34:45
funny. This has been a This has been a really weird time for drinking because there's no reason not to drink everything right. I mean,
spk_1: 34:53
I'm drinking right now. So have ah, exactly.
spk_0: 34:57
So I've been opening up a lot of stuff. Oh, look at you. Amazing. Um, I've been drinking a lot of things that I thought I wouldn't be opening so soon. Kind of So, um, a lot of the fund bottles that my friends from champagne and given me over the years, a lot of that stuff has been being opened
spk_1: 35:18
on the cool girl. Her stuff, or what are you excited about? It's all.
spk_0: 35:22
It's all basically Grover stuff. I mean, I'm so dumb in terms of leg exciting. Like, I don't really have that many new producers that I ah, drink. But, um, you know, I was gifted in amazing bottle of Marina Bella Drew that I opened up the other day that that's great at 10. Call Sac and Friends of our Drum Pro. And as industry turned, those are all my my go to guy, I guess, um, and they inspire the shit out of me. Truthfully, um, other smaller producers. I mean, let's see, what do we open the other day that I loved? Um, some of Jamie Motley's wines are always impressive to me. Um, any time I get some from Hardy to drink, our, uh, and the mask in stuff. I'm always excited to drink too. I don't know if those air inspiring so much as they are kind of just making sure that we're on the right page or something like that. Yeah.
spk_1: 36:26
Yeah. Cool. Um, do you have anything else to add her to? Anything else that you want to chat about?
spk_0: 36:35
No, I'm just really glad for chapter you and hanging out. Hope every safe.
spk_1: 36:42
I think it's cool. Like definitely, um, this is a first for us, and we're gonna continue to do the s. Um I think hard he's going to come, Maybe do the next one. We're gonna start with a lot of the our favorite domestic producers and then and then go from there. You know my Spanish Harding,
spk_0: 37:02
huh? That nothing.
spk_1: 37:05
You say Hardy. What?
spk_0: 37:07
No, I was just gonna say Hardy's it hard. He's a great and it's gonna be much better than me. Definitely. Release
spk_1: 37:14
Hardy. You can talk to anybody. He's He's like electricity in the room.
spk_0: 37:22
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So hard. He comes from a sales background. I come from a lab background and that's all you need to know about.
spk_1: 37:28
It's okay. It's all right. There's no judgment. You know, I think for us, it's It's just kind of like opening that that door and hopefully, um, people can, you know, listen and just say, Hey, like, I've learned some cool stuff about about Michael. Are, you know, cruise wine, you know, or whatever for us, It's just it's just about, like you said, trying to open up that connection a little bit. Yeah, exactly. Well, cool. Thanks. Thanks for chatting with me today. And, uh, yeah, we'll talk soon.
spk_0: 38:02
Thanks so much. Man. Talk to you. Thanks. All right.
spk_1: 38:06
My name's Jared J. And thank you for listening to TBD to be determined that wine and spirits podcasts