Steve Matthiasson is in NYC and Lovin' the Weather

Tonight (rain, sleet, or snow!) we have San Francisco Chronicle 'Winemaker to Watch' Steve Matthiasson coming to the store to pour his amazing white and red wines from Napa. We discovered the Matthiasson wines years ago on a trip to CA Wine Country. Steve and his wife, Jill Klein Matthiasson, hosted us for a bottle and barrel tasting in their ‘winery’ which is actually a tiny garage in an industrial park in Napa. Awesome! This was the first literal ‘garage wine’ we had ever tasted and we were immediately impressed with the wines and the story behind them.

Steve’s first talent in the wine industry is as a viticulturist and vineyard consultant, a livelihood in which he boasts an impressive list of clients including Stag's Leap, Araujo, Spottswoode, David Arthur, and Chappellet -- uh, WOW! This gives him the distinct advantage of identifying special areas within his clients' and his own vineyards from which he is able to secure the fruit for the MATTHIASSON wines. The couple made wine together for years before becoming inspired (by a trip to Italy) to produce wines commercially under their own label.

Tonight from 5 to 7:30pm Steve, a veritable wine virtuoso, will be at the shop pouring his Bordeaux-style red, the 2005 Matthiasson Napa Valley Red Wine (120 cases made), as well as his highly praised French & Italian inspired white blend - the 2007 Matthiasson Napa Valley White Wine (240 cases made). The wines will be 20% OFF regular prices tonight only. We may not get many people stopping by in this weather, but Steve is determined to brave the NYC subway system and make his way down. You should too!!

More about the wines:

2007 Matthiasson Proprietary White Oak Knoll

BOLD: Citrusy, weighty, spicy, complex

This wine was inspired by the wines of Graves, France and Friuli, Italy and is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Ribolla Gialla, Semillon, and Tocai Friulano. The grapes are from three vineyards in the cool southern part of the Napa valley. The wine was inspired by a trip to Italy where viticulturist and winemaker Steve Matthiasson recognized that he could make a white wine in California that boasted great acidity but was also rich and textured. To that end the wine is fermented in 50% texture-enhancing Boutes barrels. Only 240 cases were made.

$38.99 Regularly

$31.19 -- 20% OFF – tonight only.

2005 Matthiasson Napa Valley Red Wine

JUICY: Fresh berry, black plum, herbs, mint, chocolate

This wine is a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. The fruit is from two vineyards, Red Hen Merlot Vineyard and Meadowbrook Vineyard, both located in the Oak Knoll area of Napa. The wine is made to show off the fruit versus highlighting a particular vineyard and aims to balance freshness and richness with weight, but not heaviness. Only 120 cases were made.

$76.99 Regularly

$61.59 -- 20% OFF – tonight only.