Join our Friday Stories with Claire Ducrocq-Weinkauf, owner & winemaker of Picayune Cellars & Mercantile.
Each week hear a story from one of our members, discover their news and projects! JOIN us this Friday on Instagram for 10 minutes live interview with our special guest Claire Ducrocq-Weinkauf, owner & winemaker at Picayune Cellars & Mercantile.
>>> How to participate? <<<
- Follow us on instagram: @faccsf
- Connect this Friday at 12:30 PM and join the LIVE
About our special guest Claire Ducrocq-Weinkauf:
A French native grew up in Auvergne; the land of Volcanoes and fabulous cheeses. Her family would typically start a meal with a glass of Sancerre and go on with some Morgon produced by family friends. She graduated from Toulouse Business School and started accumulating international experiences. Inspired by the power of a Mouton Rothschild 1955, she earned a wine degree in Chile and then embarked for France to work harvest in St Emilion and the Côte du Rhône. While working in South America, she met Paul Hobbs, who hired her to work at Viña Cobos (His award winning venture in Argentina). Then he brought her to California in 2006. After four years working with Paul Hobbs and numerous opportunities to taste amazing wines and meet wine industry leaders, Claire started a consulting company in 2010. Claire de Lune Consulting focuses on helping fantastic producers including Matthiasson Wines, Anomaly Vineyards, Morlet Family Estate, Cowhorn Winery and more to grow their businesses. Claire lives in Calistoga with husband Aron Weinkauf-Winemaker at Spottswoode Winery and their son Hugo.
Picayune Cellars was Started in 2011 by Jennifer Roberts and Claire Weinkauf. They arrived around the same time in the Sonoma Valley. Both share a joint passion for amazing wines and delicious food. Realizing that it often means breaking the bank in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, they pursue the idea that with a négociant business model they can work hard to craft wines of outstanding quality that can be delivered at an exciting price point. This has been the promise of Picayune Wines since 2011. In 2016, Jennifer decided to focus on her family business and Claire bought her out. She remains a great friend and a sounding board in Picayune growth. If you wonder what Picayune (pronounce {pee-ka-ˈyün} ) means, it used to be a Spanish coin worth half the value of the Real. It also means a little bit in French. The key on the label represents the idea of “Unlocking Secret Wines from California” we sign confidential agreements with all the producers from whom we purchase wines, that is why vineyard sources and exact provenance can not be disclosed.