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 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 Jamie

Jamie grew up in Orange County, California, but spent most of her early hospitality career in Austin, Texas, where she initially moved to pursue a film degree at UT Austin in 2014. While working at a small wine bar, she dove head first into studying wine and quickly discovered her passion for every aspect of the beverage and culture surrounding it. She passed her Introductory Sommelier Course through the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2016. In 2021, made her way back to Los Angeles where she continued to grow her knowledge and experience in wine. Jamie made the move from restaurant management to join the team at Grand Cru Selections in 2024, and looks forward to honing and sharing her knowledge with her accounts across Los Angeles. When she isn’t drinking or talking about wine, she’s finding new restaurants to try, playing with her dog Griff, cooking with her friends, analyzing Taylor Swift lyrics, and rewatching Parks and Recreation… again.

About Phil

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 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 Ross

Ross grew up in the coastal redwoods of Mendocino, a short hike from the vineyards of Anderson Valley. His formative exposure to the world of food, wine, and hospitality were compliments of teenage jobs bussing tables. Working in the fine dining restaurants along the Mendocino Coast, he became enamored with the energy, elegance, and conviviality of dinner service. Years later, his curiosity for wine became a lifelong fascination while working for Breggo Cellars. Ross delighted in translating the daily rhythm of the vineyards and cellar into compelling stories about great wines and the people who make them. He’s been seeking the next great story, and the next great glass of wine, ever since. Before joining Grand Cru Selections, Ross has been honored to work as Sommelier for establishments such as Bouchon Bistro, PABU Izakaya, and Lazy Bear. He resides in San Francisco with his partner and their cat, Hugo.

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 Lindsay

Lindsay's brother first introduced her to the wine business back in 2016 when he recommended her for the Operations Manager position at Grandes Places Selections. She came from the auto industry with a background in all things finance. Making the change from the car business to the wine business was a welcomed adventure. Learning the business from the ground up was a new challenge that required her to hit the ground running. With the support of her team, she learned not only the operations side of the business but found her passion for wine. Most weekends Lindsay can be found at the barn enjoying her horses or hiking with her husband, Nick, and their two dogs.

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.