By Carl Giavanti
Sean Weir grew up in Sonoma Valley, Calif. He enjoyed his first crash course in wine appreciation as a 20-year-old backwaiter at the Domaine Chandon restaurant in Napa Valley. He later worked in Central Coast tasting rooms and winery cellars, ultimately completing three harvest seasons — one of which was chronicled in his acclaimed winemaking memoir, The Mad Crush. He lives in Paso Robles, where he runs a marketing consultancy with his wife, Malei.
Read the 10/29/2024 Press Release. Contact Sean at cw@mooncatcher.com, and learn more about the book at https://www.themadcrush.com/ and Sean at https://www.seanweir.com/
How did you come to wine, and to wine writing?
I grew up in Sonoma and went to high school in Napa, so I was always surrounded by wine. I worked in restaurants in Yountville, where I got an early education in wine appreciation. My fascination took off from there. I’m a writer by nature and by trade, so it was inevitable that these two interests would converge. To this day, I’m still in love with the people and places of wine.
What are your primary story interests?
I like stories about people who go against the grain and chase the extraordinary. The Mad Crush is primarily the story of Bill Greenough, who left a monied upbringing in favor of moving to a remote canyon, digging out an abandoned old vineyard, and making wine off the grid. This is the kind of story that’s right in my wheelhouse, which is why I wrote the book.
How and when did you meet Bill Greenough?
After leaving school early to work the 1991 crush at Kenwood Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, I returned to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo the following fall to finish my degree. I was looking for work and saw a job posting for a cellar rat at Saucelito Canyon. I called, Bill answered, and off I went. Three years later, he asked me to come back and work the 1995 harvest — an experience that ultimately drove me to write The Mad Crush.
What would people be surprised to know about you?
I played soccer from the age of six through high school, and I also played electric bass in high school. I play neither today, due to a bum knee and a tin ear.
What haven’t you done that you’d like to do?
I’ve always wanted to write a novel. I’ve given it a few halfhearted tries, with terrible results. Nonfiction seems to be my forte. But never say never.
Have you made wine since the 1995 crush at Saucelito Canyon?
That was my third and final crush. That was enough for me. I caught the winemaking bug, but it wasn’t terminal.
What is one thing you’d like your readers to learn from your book The Mad Crush?
The Mad Crush uses my experience of working at Saucelito Canyon during the 1995 crush to tell what I feel is a larger and more important story—the story of a vineyard that is today 144 years strong and several generations deep. This small patch of vines has changed so many lives over the decades, all while reflecting the arc of California history. Is there any other beverage besides wine that could author a story like that?
The Mad Crush is also a book for anyone who is curious about wine and how it’s made. It’s an unvarnished and unpretentious look at the process. So many people have told me, after reading the book, that this was the first time they truly understood how wine is made from ground to glass. As someone who’s passionate about making wine approachable and interesting to everyone, this is music to my ears.
Can you describe your approach to writing The Mad Crush?
From a methodology standpoint, my approach was journalistic. Even though The Mad Crush is technically a memoir, it tells a larger story dating back to the late 19th century, much of which I never personally experienced. In that sense, it became a work of narrative nonfiction, and I had to conduct research and interviews to make sure the facts were straight. The book touches on history, ecology and other topics that I needed to get right.
From an execution standpoint, it was challenging. When I wrote the first edition, I was a very busy husband, father to a young boy and a business owner with my wife. Much of my day job involves writing. So finding the time and mindspace to write for “fun” wasn’t easy, and I had to push it into the margins of my life — a weekend morning here, a trip to the café there and an occasional overnight retreat on the coast.
For the expanded second edition, I decided to weave in several remembrances that I left out of the original, things that I believe make for an even richer reading experience. I also added an afterword and a back section called “Prunings,” which features stand-alone mini stories that didn’t quite fit into the main narrative. Stuff like meeting Eddie Van Halen in a tasting room and Avila Beach getting torn up after an oil leak.
Tell us about your day job as a content creator?
I run a marketing consultancy with my wife in Paso Robles. I prefer to be heard and not seen, except when I’m publishing a book every 10 years, haha. My job is to make noise for my clients, not myself.
What are your recommendations to wineries when interacting with journalists?
Think like a journalist, write like a journalist, make their lives easier. This comes from my own personal experience working as a freelance journalist.
What advantages are there in working directly with winery publicists?
The good ones want to help you tell a better story, if you’ll let them.
If you take days off, how do you spend them?
I love roaming around SLO County cafés and wine bars with my wife, Malei, going on hikes and bike rides, watching Raiders games, diving into a good book or three and dreaming about writing my next one.
What is your most memorable wine experience other than Saucelito Canyon in 1995?
My wife is related to the wine collector Bipin Desai, who has incredible connections in France. When we were fresh out of college and not yet married, we had the occasion to meet up in France. Bipin got wind of it and paved the way for us to visit a handful of top châteaux in Bordeaux. We tasted, toured and met the best of the best. Our minds were blown.
What’s your favorite wine region in the world?
I have to say Paso Robles, where I proudly make my home.
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Carl Giavanti
Carl Giavanti is a Winery Publicist in his 16th year of consulting. Carl has been in business marketing and public relations for over 30 years; his background in tech, marketing and project management informs his role as a publicist and wine writer. Clients are or have been in Willamette Valley, Napa Valley, and Columbia Valley https://carlgiavanticonsulting.com/ He also writes for several wine and travel publications https://linktr.ee/carlgiavanti
