In light of the resent posts about the Oakville Grocery supplier getting .11 on the dollar. I was thinking what was the worst beat I took in buying or selling wine. Early in my career I was frauded out of $20,000 by Jon Neely a name many of you are familiar with. Resently I was stung again by a guy named Jeff “Krunch” Krretschmar a name you should avoid if at all possible. So I am thinking who else has made a bad deal or two in their wine lives? It is embarrassing but you feel better once you purge yourself of the shame.
Larry, have you seen this in today’s Sun Times?
Cecelia Groark’s post on Yelp, the popular online review site, about Bottled Grapes in Albany Park allegedly yielded an angry response from owner > Krunch Kretschmar> , an internationally known sommelier. She claims he started a blog about her that accused her of “embezzling” from her employer, of having a drug addiction and of “turning to the oldest profession to gain funds need[ed] to support her habits.”
The online battle is detailed in a lawsuit Groark filed this week in Cook County Circuit Court that accuses Kretschmar of posting “malicious and false statements” and seeks more than $650,000 in damages for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Tons of amazing stuff here. What a psychotic POS.
In an interview, Kretschmar — whose website says he has a doctorate in economics from Harvard Business School and is one of only 24 International Grand Confrerie Sommeliers in the world — admits creating the blog.
Great fact-checking FAIL here— according to reports, he has never attended Harvard, and the only Google references to “International Grand Confrerie Sommeliers” link back to Captain Krunch.
What happened with Krunch?
Also watch out for a blog mocking you larry kaplan! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Probably an ex Navy SEAL also.
My Dad got rolled by those ass hats at Montesqieu when he first got into wine. Probably bout $5K worth of horseshit from them over a couple of years before I put the kebosh on it. I then received a sales call from one of their reps after a guy at work suggested she call me since I am into wine.
That conversation spiraled out of control in a hurry after she put the hard pressure sale on and I told her I had no interest in buying manipulated leftovers from other wineries bottlings (that probably weren’t that good to begin with). She started name dropping Derenoncourt as their project winemaker. The call ended shortly after I told her I didn’t give a rat’s ass if Jesus Christ himself were making wine out of the garbage they start with, I wasn’t buying. I was also told that since I am on the Cayuse wine list I am clearly a label whore. Oooohhh. Got me bitch.
burgundy dudes
The reviews for his “business” bottled grapes are hysterical. This guy seems to be a royal a-hole.
yes I saw this LOVE IT should bring all the facts out. I would guess that the lawyer that filed this knows that he can not prove any of the claims he is making and will get everything he can from this guy. Provided that Krunch was not a former supreme court justice and will just kick the case out.
Wow, that sounds worse the a wine shop owner offering to host a charity wine tasting and then backing out two weeks before the event.
Wow. Just wow. A fascinating story that I’ve shared about the perils of the Interwebz…
Bruce
Didn’t they make him the Kaptain ?
But seriously who is this guy ? I’ve never heard of him ?
He is a nobody working scams any which way he can. But here a link I enjoyed about his and his new writing gig click the link and then check out the magazine
I have never heard of that title before. Is there really such a thing as an International Grand Confrerie Sommelier?
Just one little tidbit from his website:
“Distributors/Winery’s: If you are a Distributor or vintner, you have a fantastic opportunity to get your wines into the mouths of Chicagoans. I am looking for distributors/winery’s willing to donate wine for my classes.”
Bruce
Gene, the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin is a reputable group with a long history, and has NOTHING to do with this person’s fictitious credentials. Not quite sure why you are linking to this here.
They’re top secret. Like wine spies or something.
When the news hit, I thought I remembered the name from somewhere. Sure enough…
O.M.G.
I’ve been swindled pretty badly, but in hindsight it was partially due to me not doing my homework and research on something. Although, I’m sure as more time passes and I get more experience, I’ll get burned even worse!
What did krunch sell you?