Personal wine education, unforgettable events, and bespoke travel — guided by Craig Harclerode, with 40+ years of passion, WSET Level 3 expertise, and a life lived among the world's finest vineyards.
"Life's too short to drink cheap wine — and too short not to understand what makes a great one."
WSET Level 3 Certified
40+ Years in wine
Rice University MBA — Jones School
12 Years in Healdsburg, CA
15+ wine regions explored worldwide
Wine Educator · Event Host · Travel Guide · Katy, Texas
Hi, I'm Craig Harclerode — a Rice University MBA graduate, longtime energy industry executive, and someone who has spent 40+ years deeply immersed in the world of wine. My journey took me to Healdsburg, California for 12 years — right in the heart of Sonoma wine country with Napa Valley just down the road.
I've walked the rows in Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne, tasted across New Zealand's North and South Islands, descended into candlelit cellars in Tokaj, Hungary, and followed the Rhine through Germany. I've stood in the Lavaux vineyards above Lake Geneva in Switzerland and explored the wine villages of Croatia's Dalmatian Coast.
"My education didn't stop at the WSET Level 3 certificate — it continued in every cellar, vineyard, and dinner table I was lucky enough to sit at." — Craig Harclerode
Now rooted in Katy, Texas, I bring all of that to you. The same professional rigor from my business career — applied entirely to wine. This isn't a generic class. It's a personal conversation with someone who has genuinely lived this world.
"Life's too short
to drink cheap wine."
— Williamson Wines, Healdsburg · Craig's philosophy in a glass
Every experience is personalized. No two sessions are the same — because no two wine lovers are the same.
More personal than a wine school, more knowledgeable than a wine bar. Backed by WSET Level 3, a Rice MBA, and 40 years of real experience.
Each event takes you somewhere. Craig pours wines from a single world-class region — its top estates, their stories, its food, its culture — right here in Katy, Texas.
You blend your own Napa-style red, name it, bottle it, and take it home with a custom label. Craig guides the entire experience — just as he did at Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley.
Craig has been there. Let him take you there. Each Uncorked event is a single evening in a single wine region — told through Craig's personal experience, photos, maps, and the wines themselves.
🇺🇸 Napa Valley · California
Uncorked: Napa Valley
"That picnic table overlooking Lake Berryessa. Chappellet Cab in our glasses. That's what Napa feels like." — Craig
🇺🇸 Healdsburg · Sonoma County, CA
Jordan · Williamson · Dry Creek · Ferrari-Carano · Seghesio
Craig's home for 12 years. Nobody knows Healdsburg like this.
🇺🇸 Alexander Valley · Sonoma, CA
Jordan · Stonestreet · Seghesio · Stuhlmuller · Rodney Strong
Craig has personal relationships at Jordan. Expect the unexpected.
🇫🇷 Loire Valley · France
Vouvray · Sancerre · Pouilly-Fumé · Chinon · Muscadet
Chenonceau, Chambord, and 1,000 years of château wine culture.
🇭🇺 Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary
Aszú · Furmint · Eszencia
The King of Wines. Craig descended into these candlelit cellars.
🇨🇭 Lavaux · Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Chasselas · Pinot Noir · Valais
UNESCO heritage vines above Lake Geneva. Switzerland's secret wine.
🇳🇿 Hawke's Bay · New Zealand
Cloudy Bay · Felton Road · Craggy Range
Both islands. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.
📸 Croatia
vineyard or
coastal shot
🇭🇷 Dalmatian Coast · Croatia
Plavac Mali · Pošip · Orange Wine
Split, Dalmatia, and the skin-contact wines nobody knows.
You are the winemaker tonight. Craig guides you through five Bordeaux varietals — then you blend, name, bottle, and take home a custom-labeled 375ml of your own creation. Just like Craig did at Raymond Vineyards in Napa Valley in 2021.
Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec — understanding what each brings
Pipettes, graduated cylinders, and Craig's guidance. Your recipe. Your decision.
Every wine needs a name. Your blend gets bottled with a custom KUVEE label.
375ml bottle + custom label + recipe card. A memory that lasts past the last glass.
Texas Wine School teaches wine. Wine bars pour it. What I offer is different — a deeply personal, story-driven education built on 40 years of lived experience, formal WSET training, a Rice MBA, and a genuine love of sharing what I know.
Every session is calibrated to you — your palate, your curiosity, your pace. Whether you're picking up a glass for the first time or preparing for your own WSET certification, I meet you exactly where you are.
The most intimate and tailored experience. We move at your pace, explore what interests you, and I adapt everything to suit exactly where you are in your wine journey.
A wonderful way to discover wine together. Perfect for date nights, anniversaries, or simply wanting to enjoy something new as a pair — with wines, stories, and pairings tailored to both of you.
Bring your friends, book club, neighbors, or colleagues. Group sessions are engaging, educational, and genuinely fun — I make wine approachable and the experience memorable for everyone.
Wine education meets everyone's favorite dice game. Learn, laugh, taste, and play — one of Craig's most popular event formats because it proves wine doesn't have to be serious to be excellent.
Social Event
Lively wine education blended with everyone's favorite dice game. We'll taste, play, learn — and laugh a lot. No experience required.
Learn More & RSVPDestination Series
An evening in Sonoma's most beloved wine town — guided by Craig, who called Healdsburg home for 12 years. Maps, stories, restaurants, and 4 curated pours.
Reserve a SeatThe Blend Lab
You're the winemaker. Blend your own Napa-style red, name it, bottle it with a custom label, and take it home. Limited to 10 guests.
Reserve My SpotTeam building with a wine education component, corporate dinners with a real wine expert, private celebrations, client entertainment — I design completely custom experiences for organizations and private groups of all sizes. Let's talk about what you have in mind.
These aren't destinations from a guidebook. Craig has walked the vineyards, met the winemakers, stayed in the villages, and knows exactly where to take you — and where not to.
Texas Hill Country · Fredericksburg
Healdsburg (12 yrs lived) · Napa
Sonoma · Paso Robles
Bordeaux · Burgundy
Champagne · Loire Valley
Alsace · Rhône Valley
Hawke's Bay · Marlborough
Central Otago · Martinborough
North & South Islands explored
Lavaux UNESCO · Lake Geneva
Valais · Chasselas country
Interlaken & the Alps
Tokaj — The King of Wines
Candlelit cellar tastings
UNESCO World Heritage region
Split & Dalmatian Coast
Plavac Mali · Pošip
Orange wines · Hidden gems
Rhine Valley · Mosel
Also: Italy · Argentina
Mendoza · Switzerland
Whether you're curious about a class, planning an event, dreaming of a wine trip, or just want to talk wine — I'm Craig, and I'd love to hear from you. Every great wine story starts with a conversation.
"Every great wine story starts with a conversation."
— Craig Harclerode