Life & Work with Max Kogod of Sherman Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Max Kogod.

Hi Max, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I slowly became interested in wine, particularly French and Italian, after recently graduating from UCLA as a Theater major, pursuing acting. I was working on Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main and taking wine classes at The Wine House in West LA. Quickly, my interest snowballed into an intense passion. I packed all of my belongings into storage and rented a house in Napa Valley, where I began a wine education program at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. My goal was to have a true sense of where I wanted to be in the professional wine world upon completion. I decided to take my certified exam with the Court of Master Sommeliers when I finished at the CIA. I was sure my journey should take me to owning a small wine shop focused on European, terroir-driven wines, to be precise – Wines of Place, as I say.. However, on our last winery tour at CIA, I met a winemaker, Ehren Jordan, of Failla Wines in Napa. He described the work his employees do, covering everything from farming on his Sonoma Coast vineyard to handling all winery-related duties back at the facility in Napa. I decided I had to pursue this job, as I knew getting my hands dirty from the ground up would allow me to speak as informed as possible when I opened my wine shop one day. It was an incredible year in 2011 with Failla Wines in Napa. But, I knew I had to get to the homeland of my favorite variety, Pinot Noir. So, I planned to move to Burgundy, France in 2012 and enroll in beginner French language classes at the University of Dijon. After my classes ended, I was very fortunate to obtain a stage, or internship, with one of France’s great wineries, Domaine Dujac. I did the same with Dujac, from the ground up, working in the vines and the cellar.

After a challenging and supremely rewarding 2012 living in Burgundy, I returned to the U.S.. I knew I had to become familiar with the ins and outs of retail wine, so I applied for a job at the best wine shop in America – Crush Wine & Spirits in New York City. I spent 2013 learning everything about retail wine and getting a better understanding of the producers I already loved, as well as being introduced to new names in Old World wine and American names, both classic and upstarts. I began to get the itch to open my shop after a year in New York, and I knew, as much as I loved LA, I wanted to start this new chapter in Northern San Diego, Encinitas to be exact. I moved out in 2014 and settled next to the Pacific in the idyllic town. By April 2015, my online shop, Kogod Wine Merchant (KogodWine.com) went live. I figured starting online would be the best way to get things going, as I continued to look for a viable brick-and-mortar retail space. However, after year two in business, I realized staying online was best for KWM. Our focus on Burgundy, particularly French and Italian wines, was better suited to online than a local walk-in shop. I wanted to have over 2,000 selections with a big focus on older, rare, and collectible wines. Online gave me the flexibility and exposure that I knew I needed to be successful working with the wines I loved the most. Fast forward to 2025, and we are 10 years old! We have a devoted following throughout the U.S. and a strong local clientele who visit our warehouse for pickups and can receive local deliveries. In 2019, I met my future wife in Sherman Oaks, and by 2020, I had moved into our home in LA. I work from home and commute back to San Diego monthly to taste wines with our team.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Aside from the pains of applying for alcohol licensing, it has been a smooth road. So much of our business is word of mouth, with websites like Winesearcher.com helping shine a light on our selections, where customers can find particular wines they are searching for. It’s been a slow build over ten years to create a loyal following, and we believe we provide the best customer experience in America with retail wine. Often shipping wines the same day of order for maximum enjoyment! And we offer texting and provide immediate communication to ensure we answer customers’ questions immediately.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We are most known for small-production, naturally-produced wines from the classic vine-growing regions. Old World is our specialty, but we have hundreds of amazing California and Oregon wines. We strive to offer wines that are not available at your grocery store or even local wine shop. We really buy what we love to drink. Period. We avoid posting “wine scores” or promoting wines simply because they receive glowing accolades in glossy magazine pages. We are here to promote farmers who produce what they grow in the most honest and passionate manner. We love wines that show gorgeous, ripe fruit, of course, but equally important is freshness and a sense of balance and harmony. We believe wines should not be overpowered by new oak flavors of vanilla, or with dark, inky extraction that obscures the terroir – or its sense of place. Each wine should be unique and speak to the specific part of the world, or even part of the village its from. This is what we believe terroir-driven wine is all about.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We work with select restaurants like Kato, RVR, and Anajak Thai in Los Angeles, and we’re always thrilled to introduce our wines to like-minded restaurants. Our individualized wine club, Kogod Wine Club, is one of a kind. Each member chooses the selection criteria, including the quantity of bottles and price. This allows members to receive personalized wine for their palate, avoiding receiving wines that go out to hundreds of other people. Becoming a member of the Kogod Wine Club and starting your journey is the best way to find the wines you will love. We work with each member monthly to hone in the selections and make tweaks if necessary to hit the bullseye for their palate.

Pricing:

• Our wines start around $35 and go up from there. All wines are stored at 55 degrees to ensure maximum freshness and perfect provenance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kogodwine.com
• Instagram: @kogodwinemerchant
• Facebook: Kogod Wine Merchant
• Twitter: @kogodwinemerchant
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/value-still-exists-in-burgundy-interview-with-max-kogod/id1511119012?i=1000648328503

Image Credits
Self