The pitch seems to be identical to what he was doing at SommSelect. 1 wine daily, selected by Ian. I went and checked SommSelects website and it seems they scraped Ian out from their About page, saying they were founded in 2014, with no mention of Ian.
What is also strange is the email I used when I signed up for sommselect 10-11 years ago is not the same email he contacted me on now. Not sure how he got ahold of my current email. Purchased a list or just a coincidence?
I wonder why he now decided to spin up the same business as before. Maybe a multi-year non-compete? Why run the same business if the first time there were problems? Thoughts?
A friend shared this thread with me, and I wanted to take a moment to clarify a few things regarding my departure from SommSelect and the founding of my new venture, The Caubleist, that I cannot wait to share with you all.
I resigned from SommSelect in June of 2022 after nearly a decade of helping build the company from the ground up. The company was in a healthy position at the time, but there was stark disagreement amongst various board members and shareholders regarding the vision and direction of the company, so I decided to move on. It was a very difficult decision at the time, but I can confidently say that it was the best decision for me and my family because it opened the door to a series new projects that I’m deeply passionate about, including a collaboration in Sweden with Michelin three-star chef Björn Frantzén, and my Napa label, Method Wines, as well as my newest venture, www.thecaubleist.com, which I’m excited to be launching in the coming weeks.
The Caubleist builds on one of the core ideas that I brought to SommSelect: a single, carefully chosen daily wine offer with rich storytelling behind each bottle. That said, I now have greater autonomy to grow The Caubleist in a way that was previously not possible. Over time, we will expand our footprint to include club offerings (blind tasting packs etc), a private-client division, and live online tastings with importers and winemakers where people can ask questions and purchase wines while we dive into the detaills. These are many things in the works that I’m excited to share with everyone as we mold The Caubleist into a world-class, e-commerce wine platform.
Life undoubtedly throws you curveballs and I’m genuinely grateful for the support and encouragement I’ve received from clients, colleagues, and friends in the wine community. Of equal importance is the perspective gained through life’s twists and turns, which has allowed me to build on past successes, reconnect with old friends, and forge new relationships in the process. I’m beyond excited for this next chapter and can’t wait to share some truly special wines with everyone. The Caubleist’s first offer will set the tone…an 82 Riesling that just arrived from the cellar in the Mosel Stay tuned! Feel free to email me ian@thecaubleist.com with any more questions.
Looking forward for that offer and the many others to come. I was a happy SommSelect customer right at the beginning, and I still hold some precious bottles, like some old vintages of Ahlgren Cabernet and a funky Absentee Red.
Amazing! We will be adding the small stickers so you will know what wines are from us even years from now. Thanks for the support!!! That Ahlgren was incredible. Too bad they don’t make wine anymore, talk about a CA classic!
Cheers! We will have a blast! We are looking at Jan/Feb 2026. You are all welcome to come hang in Napa before then… I am usually around with some good wine to share. Just reach out.
Stay tuned! Feel free to email me 
