About Michelle

When her college advisor at Cal Poly suggested the school's new wine program to Michelle, her initial thought was: “wherever there is wine, is a beautiful place to live." She explored this idea further by spending a day at a local winery in San Luis Obispo. Here, she was exposed to the art of winemaking and a friendly business full of people who loved what they were doing and for her, there was no turning back. Michelle went on to graduate with a major in Agribusiness and a minor in Viticulture/Enology with a focus on Wine Business.

Michelle has worked in many areas of the wine industry. For almost 17 years, she worked directly for wineries in various roles - General Manager, National Sales, Direct Sales and even Winemaker Support. Then she went on to the distribution side for a combined 6 years. Her passion is telling the stories and helping others fall in love with the wines. When she is not working you can find her in full Mom mode to her daughter, Bailey.

About Eric

Eric Railsback’s emergence in the wine industry began taking shape in Santa Barbara nearly a decade ago. After stints at the Wine Cask and the Hungry Cat, Eric furthered his exposure to different regions and producers at Osteria Mozza and running the wine program at Gordon Ramsey in Los Angeles. He has a strong connection to the wines of France after working harvests in Burgundy at Domaine Roulot and Domaine Dujac. After Santa Barbara Eric brought his talents to Michael Mina’s RN74 – a premiere Burgundy- inspired restaurant in San Francisco. There, he led a team of sommeliers for over three years before bringing it back full circle to Santa Barbara launching Railsback Frères winery.

About Tyler

Tyler was born and raised in Solano County, California under the ominous shadow of its neighbor, Napa Valley. As a teenager, vineyards were a place to cause mischief, not a place to contemplate the mysteries of the sacred vine. His first interest in wine came while working in a humble Italian restaurant owned by Emiglia-Romagna native, Elena Corsini-Mastro, where he learned the simple pleasures of Italian culture - hand made pasta, passionate conversation and the heart of a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano. In a never ending search for knowledge, Tyler found himself studying through the Court of Master Sommeliers program and now, more than 10 years later, he has occupied virtually every layer of the wine industry from Sommelier, to Cellar Hand, to rockstar Sales Manager. Today, Tyler lives in Sacramento, with his wife, Emily and their daughter Margot. By day he manages Grand Cru Selections throughout Wine Country and by night handles pumpovers and barrel work as winemaker and proprietor for his brand, Commune Regional Wines.

About Justin

Born in Los Angeles and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Justin grew up in a family where food and hospitality were central, and wine often on the dinner table. After a career in college athletics, he returned to Los Angeles to attend business school at the University of Southern California. After graduating with an MBA, Justin spent the next six years working in supply chain operations. Wanting to pursue his passion for wine and hospitality, Justin took a part time position working in the retail and wine bar space at Stanley’s Wet Goods in Culver City while maintaining his full time job in supply chain management. With the desire to take on hospitality full time, Justin left the world of supply chain and took on an opportunity as Wine and Beverage Manager at Jon & Vinny’s/Helen’s Wines in Los Angeles before joining the team at Grand Cru Selections. Currently residing in Manhattan Beach, Justin can often be found on his off hours cooking dinner for friends or sipping a Pacifico at a local South Bay dive.

About Meghan

It was through making cappuccinos during college in Madison, Wisconsin at a cafe aptly called Barriques that Meghan realized wine could be a full-time career. Once that secret was revealed, it was off to explore all the jobs that exist in wine. Opportunities in the industry have brought her from fine dining restaurants in Chicago and Las Vegas to harvest in Sonoma. She spent several years in New York City, where a highlight of her career was being the Chef Sommelier for the Grand Award-winning list at Nice Matin. An opportunity arose to move out west, where she ran Verve Wine in San Francisco for several years before most recently joining the Grand Cru team. When Meghan’s not selling wine, she is probably drinking it while doing the NYT crossword, listening to jazz, and cooking up something new.

About Noah

Noah was working at Target, when his friend Charlie called him to work a wine event for his wine club. Despite knowing nothing about wine, Noah called out of his shift at Target to go work this event. This was pivotal, because this introduction to wine created his desire to learn more. The general manager of the restaurant then offered Noah a full time barbacking job. Noah quit Target and took the barbacking job. While working at this particular wine bar, there happened to be a sommelier working at the restaurant next door, who began teaching Noah how to taste and talk about wine. When Noah turned 21 he got the opportunity to work behind the bar as a wine steward. His wine career continued to expand as he worked at different restaurants as a sommelier and bar tender throughout LA. After working years on the floor of a restaurant he landed a job at a retail wine shop called Woodland Hills Wine Company. There he worked his way up to the buyer position. After two and half years he took the position at Grand Cru. When Noah isn’t slinging wine, you can find him at a movie theater or the local bar shooting pool.

About Rick

Rick grew up in Western New York, not far from the Riesling vineyards of the Finger Lakes where he first fell in love with wine. While attending the Eastman School of Music and, later, Rice University, he traveled throughout Europe and the US performing in orchestras, opera pits and with big bands as a Trombonist. At a certain point, it became time to make a change and he found himself working the floor as a sommelier at Houston’s flashiest steak houses and hotels. After marrying his brilliant wife Nidhi, they embarked on a new adventure to Napa Valley. He spent a few months of dragging hoses, rolling barrels and sanitizing pumps deep in a winery cave before joining the Grand Cru team. These days you’ll find Rick at his home in the woods, chopping logs, brewing espresso and making traditional Indian curries and probably sipping some Riesling.

About Matt

Matt’s passion for hospitality (and later wine) began two decades ago in a St. Louis suburb when he landed his first job bussing tables at Alfonzo’s Pizzeria. After studying at Illinois Wesleyan University, Matt moved to Los Angeles and followed his passion for food and drink into the hospitality industry. Matt worked for over a decade in Los Angeles restaurants starting as a bartender and ending as a wine director; most notably at restaurants Hatchet Hall and Greekman’s. In 2021 Matt, his wife Randi, daughter Mara, and dog George relocated to San Diego. When not visiting Grand Cru Selections accounts all over San Diego County, Matt is either playing with Mara at the park, walking the dog, or proselytizing about the importance of farming in winemaking.

About Elliot

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Elliot spent much of his childhood in a family friend’s Italian deli where he developed a passion for food, learned the value of great hospitality and eventually how wine combined to complete the picture. This interest blossomed during his college years, leading him to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Enology and Viticulture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. After graduating, he spent the next five years working with producers in New Zealand, Australia, France, and back here on the West Coast in California and Oregon before taking a long-term role as assistant winemaker and sales director for a boutique label here on the Central Coast.

Elliot and his partner, Shelby, now call Santa Barbara home and he is excited to have come on board on the Grand Cru Selections California team.

About Phil

About Maz

Originally from NYC, growing up around subways, skyscrapers and taxi cabs, Maz always dreamt of spending as much time away from the city. He innately desired the outdoors and felt most at home near the ocean. That spurred his move out to the Montauk area for college at nearby Long Island University, and where he was introduced to the niche wine world of Eastern Long Island - and drank a lot of North Fork Cabernet Franc (still a favorite of his). A few of years after wrapping up school, a chance visit to San Francisco turned into a full scale move to California and the Bay Area 23 years ago. He came to chase waves, sun and fun - and stayed because of the food, wine and restaurant scene. He has spent his time in San Francisco working at some of the Bay Area's most decorated restaurants as a general manager, partner, wine director and director of operations - including time at RN74 (with Eric), COI, Rich Table, Mister Jiu's and Osito. In between his work in restaurants, and when he's not scouring the coast for a place to surf with his dog Dylan, he also makes wine under his label called Augur Wine Co. which is inspired by the wines of the Mediterranean and Adriatic regions, produced through a coastal Californian lens.

About Jane

Jane’s first career was in the theater in New York City, where, like any good actor, found herself working in restaurants as well! She gradually moved up to top restaurants like Danny Meyer’s Union Square Cafe and it was here she learned about great service, and fell in love with the art of making wine. Self-trained and well-traveled, she learned as much as she could and after moving to San Francisco in need of a second career, the wine industry was a no brainer. For the last 20 years she has been busy making industry friends in Marin and San Francisco, and representing benchmark producers from all over the world. When she is not opening compelling bottles from Grand Cru, you can find her nerding out, singing and acting in local theater.

About Andrea

Andrea found her way into the food and wine world early on in her life when she began working at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle while just wrapping up her freshman year. Proving to reshape her view around dining and all that it encompassed, she relocated her career down to Napa Valley and joined the formative Thomas Keller team at French Laundry and Bouchon. After helping to open Ad Hoc, it was time to make the move down to Los Angeles to finish up her bachelor's at UCLA. She continued working for Thomas Keller, and then moved on to Soho House in West Hollywood. As much as she loved the convivial spirit of the food and wine family in Southern California, she felt the calling to return back home to her Seattle roots to put her decades of acquired knowledge around food and wine to new use- making her own right from her ever expanding homestead! When she's not in front of her computer, you'll find her gardening year round, making herbal tinctures, drying aromatics, and the best part sampling batches of homemade shrubs, ciders, and mead.

About James

A native New Yorker, James has built a diverse and accomplished career in operations management. He began his journey in the fashion industry, focusing on women's fashion as a Domestic Purchaser of items such as belts, hats and scarves. Over the course of two decades, he managed the sourcing of products from international markets, including China, India, and Europe. In 2020, James pivoted to a new opportunity during the pandemic, joining Amazon as an Logisitic Area Manager. His dedication and expertise quickly earned him a promotion, where he successfully oversaw operations for driver teams in Brooklyn, New York. Now venturing into a new field of wines. Looking forward to learn of the operations at Grand Cru as he explores the intricacies of this dynamic field. Beyond his professional pursuits, James is an avid sports enthusiast, often spotted sporting his favorite Collection of 59-50 hats as a proud supporter of the New York Yankees and the Miami Dolphins.