It all started with a glass of $8 Pinot Noir and a bag of potato chips.

Tech entrepreneur Jonathan Strietzel was working on a project, got the munchies and took a break. That fateful snack was so satisfying it became his next major business venture: “I went, ‘Oh my gosh, this is soooo delicious together!’”

Strietzel founded winechips.com in 2017, enlisting the help of his family along with experts in tech, branding, seasoning, even master sommeliers. He opened operations and a commercial kitchen in Huntington Beach in 2019 and launched at the LAWineFest in Long Beach.

Now he’s got $1 million in online orders and his product is carried in 600 shops nationally, offering a cheese line with flavors such as Manchego to pair with rosé; blue with Sauvignon Blanc, smoked gouda with Cabernet Sauvignon and Asiago with Pinot Grigio.

Pairing potato chips with wine is nothing new, but Strietzel sure took his munchies and turned it into a profitable business.