Wine Influencer: @clayfu.wine - Charlie Fu

XChateau is a podcast about all things wine, from vine to your glass. We tackle the business of wine and keep you up to date with new and exciting developments so you always know what goes into your bottle.In this episode, Robert Vernick and Peter Yeung interview Charlie Fu (Instagram: @clayfu.wine and Wine Berserkers moderator: c fu) about wine collecting and the impact of social media. Robert and Peter discuss how Charlie got into wine, his engagement in Wine Berserkers, and how he uses Instagram and Cellar Tracker to discuss and engage with other serious wine lovers about wine. Other topics covered in this episode include:Charlie’s background - “Attorney by day, wine drinker at all other times”The “epiphany wine” - 2003 Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet SauvignonFavorite wines - Burgundy, Northern RhoneInstagramStarted with photos of his dog, food, then went into wineSplit out a wine-focused IG pageInterested in talking to people who are serious about wineThe importance of honesty and candidness of wine opinionsPuts wine notes into IG, migrates to Cellar Tracker, and posts some to Wine Berserkers for discussionWine Charity AuctionDuring the protests around police brutalitySold raffle tickets for donations and auctioned off wines donated from collectors’ cellarsRaised $60k in 42 hours, plus other contributionsMoney donated to NAACP Legal Defense FundLeveraged Wine Berserkers (largest contributor), Instagram, Reddit, Facebook Wine BerserkersFounding - an offshoot from the Robert Parker web forumUser base - >27,500 users, ~3 million posts, upwards of ~2,400 online at a single timeMostly maleMed age - ~late 40s/early 50sSerious wine collectorsWell educated, high incomeBerserkers DayAn annual event where producers sell their wineCan offer anything, but usually interesting wines at a special priceSome wines balance their budget on that dayBerserkers business accountsAnnual serviceBusinesses can advertise and promote their winesHelps with server costsGrand Cru CruAnnual subscriptionNo adsPriority access to Berserker DayBlurbs on avatarVariable payment (min $25/year)Tips for wineries -> join the communityBeing a “wine influencer”Doesn’t accept wine for freeDoesn’t want taking wine to tarnish his opinionWilling to buy wine and review itIf you loved this episode, we would love for you to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. Until next time, cheers! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.