



Q & A with Cory Cartwright & Guilhaume Gerard







Q. For people who have not been introduced to Selection Massale, can we get a brief description of the work you do and how it came about?



A. Guilhaume: We import and sell wines online, the kind of wines we drink. We also sell some to the restaurants we like to eat at, the bars we like to drink at, and the shops we like to shop at in California and New York.







Cory: Guilhaume and I met at Terroir in San Francisco when he was bartending. I would go in and slowly drink at least some of every wine on the list, and we’d bullshit back and forth, or argue or whatever. We’re the type of people who would text each other at two in the morning to talk about this wine or that wine.











Guilhaume in Pupillin | Cory tasting with Franz Saumon

Photographs courtesy of Selection Massale







Q. You both have worked in the wine industry prior to working together. What made you decide to create Selection Massale? How are you hoping to make a difference?



A. Guilhaume: The big idea was to bring wines to a price as close as possible to the French retail price. I was one of the owners of Terroir in San Francisco, and it was difficult to see the price difference between France and the States. I thought it wasn't fair to the consumer to be paying so much for simple wines. So we decided to do it all ourselves. Warehouse, import, retail, distribution, and never try to grow too big, so we could handle every wine, every producer as professionally as they deserved.







Cory: We were a little freaked out when we first went to France for the first time. Some other importers had laughed and told us there was nothing left and everything good had been picked over. So while we were in the Loire freezing our asses off in February we found Jerome Lenoir and Frantz Saumon in the same day. That felt good, finding two outstanding producers working honestly who needed importers.







Q. In the spirit of passing it forward, who should we interview in the wine industry next and why?







Bill Brasile from Minetta Tavern



Guilhaume: Because these days, with the sommeliers being the new “rockstars,” we are missing the link between food and wine, and to me, a chef that loves wine, truly, that's someone that needs to be exposed more.







Kris Yenbamroong at Night Market



Guilhaume: In the same spirit, he’s a very talented chef in L.A, who makes some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had, and a true wine lover again.







Anthony Wilson



Cory: He’s a guitarist, so nothing to do with the wine/restaurant world, but he’s one of the most passionate people about food and wine I know. We like people who drink and eat for pleasure. Not to be seen or take precious pictures at hard-to-get-in restaurants, but people who are truly passionate about eating.