PRESENTED BY: SAVE ME, SAN FRANCISCO WINE CO.

Ethan Taylor recently sat down with Eric Brown and Paulette Maxwell, two adventure-seekers who spent the summer traveling across the country as brand ambassadors for Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. As their journey comes to an end in Boston next month, we’ve asked them to reflect on their experiences and people they’ve met along the way.

ET: Can you tell me a little bit about yourselves and how this adventure began?

EB: Sure, my name is Eric Brown and, as a Sommelier, wine is a passion of mine. I’m constantly finding ways to immerse myself in experiences to feed this passion, so when I heard that Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. was holding a nationwide job search for two brand ambassadors I had to sign up. In the end, I was one of two chosen to hit the road as brand storytellers, meeting other wine lovers along the way.

PM:  My story is similar to Eric’s.  Being a California-native I’m a big fan of Save Me, San Francisco wines and jumped at the chance to work with such a cool brand. You may not know this, but this collection of California wines is a collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning band Train and winemaker James Foster. Some of the stops along our journey coincided with Train’s Picasso at the Wheel Summer Tour, which was so much fun!

ET: For those Boston-natives who may not be familiar with Save Me, San Francisco, can you tell us a little more about the wine?

EB: Of course!  As Paulette mentioned, Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. is a collaboration between Train and winemaker James Foster. Train guitarist Jimmy Stafford has been a wine lover for many years and often received wine from fans as he performed across the world. He found wine was a great way to connect with fans, and this led to the founding of Save Me, San Francisco Wine Co. The brand’s portfolio of California wines include “Drops of Jupiter” Red Blend, “Soul Sister” Pinot Noir, “California 37” Cabernet Sauvignon, “Hella Fine” Merlot, “Calling All Angels” Chardonnay and “Bulletproof Picasso” Sauvignon Blanc.

PM:  Something I like to point out is how Train continues to give back to the city that gave them their start. In addition to Bay Area-inspired wine labels, a portion of proceeds from wine sales go to Family House, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization.

ET: Tell us about your experience on the road so far?

PM: It’s been great meeting people in the various cities and making memories with new friends at each stop. I’ve loved watching everyone try the different varietals of SMSF wine—it seems like everyone has a specific favorite. I’ve experienced adventures that I would never have gotten to do if I didn’t join the SMSF team! These are memories I’ll never forget.  You can check out the pictures we’ve posted on the SMSF Facebook page

EB: I have to admit, one of the coolest parts of the trip has been driving around in the Cadillac DeVille. It’s so old school and classic.

ET: What’s been your favorite stop?

PM: We celebrated July 4^th in Chicago with all of Train, which was pretty epic. They are really nice guys and it was cool to celebrate our nation’s independence with them and everyone else who attended the concert.

ET: What are you most excited to do in Boston?

EB: I’ve never been to Boston, so I’m really excited to take it all in and meet as many Bostonians as I can.  We’re ending the road trip on Exeter St., so I’m already thinking about which wine I’ll be pairing with my lobster roll! With the tricked out Caddy there, anyone who hits Exeter St. will easily be able to find us.