… “It might be the best Cab in the Valley,” one of my dinner mates, winemaker and grower Steve Matthiasson, told me. I have a bit of history with the Matthiasson’s, and I know full well that Steve (a consulting viticulturist with Araujo) knows what the hell he’s doing when it comes to winemaking and grapegrowing. In my mind, it amounted to high praise, despite Steve’s professional relationship with Araujo.
“Bart is totally focused on quality,” Steve added; “he will …
… for inspiration in their white wines, with some spectacular results. In the case of Napa’s Matthiasson, winemaker Steve Matthiasson is also starting to experiment with Friulian red varieties like Refosco (barrel samples I tasted with Steve earlier this year in Napa were promising).
Bastianich’s Tocai Plus is itself not your typically refreshing Friuli white. In fact, the wine is downright obnoxious, but you might love it anyway ; it’s the white equivalent of Amarone (almost …
Post date: December 17, 2009
… to be made or we have truly lost something unique and special in the wine world.
1) 07 Matthiasson White (Napa Valley) : Wonderfully unique blend w/ Ribolla. Tropical, spicy & racy. Haven’t had one like this in a looong time.
You’d be hard-pressed to meet a nicer couple in Napa than Steve and Jill Matthiasson. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a more interesting wine coming out of Napa than their stellar white blend, which magically mixes Sauvignon Blanc, …
Post date: August 3, 2009
… peaches.
That’s right. Peaches.
Jill & Steve, the owners and winemakers at Matthiasson in Napa, are also growers and sellers of peaches. And they can explain how tastes have changed by observing the people that buy different varieties of their peaches.
“It seems to be generational,” noted Steve when I visited the Matthiasson farm in Napa last week. “Older consumers prefer a more mild, balanced, pure peach flavor. You can eat those peaches all day long and …
Joe visits Matthiasson in Napa, tastes some groovy wines, and makes some new bestest friends! Sort of…
Post date: February 2, 2009
… Ok, it’s not really from Pittsburgh. But it’s close enough for government work!
Matthiasson wines are not from the ‘Burgh (they are from Napa), but winemaker Steve Matthiasson’s wife Jill Klein is originally from Pittsburgh, and their wines are made using the same general temperament that has made the city of three rivers famous – grit, determination, care, and hard work.
Lots of care in the vineyard, lots of attention to detail on site selection, probably lots of …
