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Matt always likes to say mild insanity, but in truth it’s always been a dream. We just thought we didn’t have the financial resources to actually do it. Then we started getting to know winemakers well enough to learn that not all of them started with a fortune (though most still do). If you’re willing to work really hard and sacrifice some sleep and sanity, it can be done. So we dove in.

Matt started working as an intern for a local boutique winemaker at the age of 40, and enrolled on the Winemaker Certification Course at UC Davis. Combining classes with hands-on work involved a steep learning curve, but has allowed us to make the wine we want to make in a short period of time.

Minimal intervention. Meaning I’ll intercede to make the wine I want to make, but never so much that it blocks the expression of place. Place meaning the climate, weather, vineyard decisions, winery, and winemaker all capture and expressed in the bottle. Wine should be different year over year, but also needs to be well-made and responsibly made.

Matt’s winemaking style reflects his wine drinking style. His tastes began with big bold flavors as it’s what California is famous for. However, as he continued exploring, enjoying and working with wine, his palate pivoted to more elegant, cool climate, structured wine. Wine that takes you on a journey. When he began making wine, he decided this was what he wanted to make. As luck would have it, Carolina also enjoys that style of wine. Most fortunately, Santa Barbara County is one of the best places in the world to grow the grapes that give this kind of experience.

Earlier picking, vineyard sourcing, native fermentation, and use of whole cluster winemaking are the tools we use to create wine with complexity, dimension, and elegance.