Cru Uncorked wine tastings

Longer days and entertaining opportunities abound, so this summer is the perfect time to elevate your wine knowledge and tastes—and there’s no better place to do so than at Cru Uncorked. The countryside chateau, with gracious outdoor patios, ornamental gardens and a garden pavilion, offers the opportunity to taste the best of American viticulture without leaving Northeast Ohio.



“Though our wine list features more than 2,100 selections from around the world, this summer we’ve hand-picked three really interesting American wines to showcase at tastings,” says Cru Uncorked President Chris Oppewall, who is also a sommelier. “From the first swirl, sniff and sip, we enjoy helping people dive deeper into the world of wine. We love our craft and take delight in sharing with others.”

The Wine-Tasting Experience

Each of the restaurant’s wine tastings provides a thoughtfully curated experience and are served tableside to enhance your dinner of Executive Chef Sam Lesniak’s French New American cuisine. During the tasting, one of the staff sommeliers will guide you through selections—which each include five tasting portions along with brilliantly paired petit bites to cleanse the palate—with their expert insights. 

“All guests receive a detailed information packet with tasting notes to take home, and featured wines are available to bring home to the cellar,” says Chris.

Ready for the Sommelier Showdown?

If you’re looking for a more spirited way to learn about wine, Cru Uncorked’s three lead sommeliers—Chris, Janine Poleman and Anthony Taylor—engage in a series of friendly competitions dubbed the Sommelier Showdowns. This summer, you’ll first witness Cru Sommeliers vs. The Staff on Thursday, July 17. On Thursday, August 21, Janine will go up against Chris, the defending champion, before the restaurant’s first battle against Artificial Intelligence, on Thursday, September 11. Don’t miss The Finale on Thursday, October 30, to see which of the top two sommeliers is the new champion. During these competitions, each of the wines is served blind, and each guest may cast one vote per round to help determine whose pairings are the best. During each Sommelier Showdown, priced at $275 per person, guests will enjoy a four-course wine dinner that begins at 6:30 p.m. 

New Summer Menu

The patio, which overlooks several acres of formally designed French gardens, has been newly reopened for the season and is the perfect spot to enjoy Chef Sam’s summer fare. 

“One of our most popular dishes is Matcha Tuna, lightly seared sashimi-grade tuna crusted with matcha green tea and sesame seeds served with coconut sabayon, wasabi pea panna cotta, pickled kumquat, soy-cured egg yolk, and sesame fried rice cake,” he says. 

Dessert is a must, especially when it’s a vibrant, inventive concoction like Coconut Mango Eggs, composed of coconut mousse whites, mango and passionfruit yolk, a sweet kataifi nest, coconut dacquoise and blueberry sorbet.

The combination of elevated menu, wine events and meticulously maintained patios and grounds are an extension of Cru’s core belief that great dining experiences are the sum of place, food, wine, and outstanding service.

Cru Uncorked is located at 34300 Chagrin Blvd. at the intersection of SOM Center Road in Moreland Hills, about a mile east of I-271. Call 440-903-1171 or visit CruUncorked.com for more information or to register for wine events. Reservations are suggested for the patio, as it books up quickly. Gift cards are available online.