“…there’s the delight of people sharing the joy of something that I’ve made, consuming coffee I’ve just roasted..”
About Charlie
“The experience which made me realized I wanted to be a coffee professional, was the first time my roasting profiles succeeded in extracting radical flavors from all the single origin coffees I had. It was so challenging and exciting--being able to taste such different flavors in coffees from all around the world. In addition, there’s the delight of people sharing the joy of something that I’ve made, consuming coffee I’ve just roasted!”
Charlie was born in San Francisco and grew up in Saint Helena. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in sociology and went on to be a commercial film editor based in Santa Monica. He won a Mobius award for a recruitment campaign for the Los Angeles Police Department. He served in The National Guard for six years as an 11B. Charlie’s father, Leon Sange, co- founded The Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company in 1985; when Leon’s health began failing, Charlie moved home to St. Helena to help with the business. “Taking care of him meant taking on the Company and now, along with my mother and brother, it’s evolved into a family business. It’s been an amazing blessing,” he explains. “We get spoiled living in the Napa Valley,” Charlie says. “It’s a place that celebrates good food and wine and spirits and beer. Everyone takes time to enjoy his palate! We wouldn’t be as successful in other parts of country that don’t share the Valley’s celebration of these things,” he says.