JILL AND STEVE MATTHIASSON
MATTHIASSON
NAPA VALLEY, CA
Winemaking, for us, is a natural extension of farming. We have both worked for many years in the sustainable agriculture and local food movement, and in 2003 we started Matthiasson Wines based on those values — purity, sense of place, respect, responsibility, deliciousness. Our wines are classical expressions of different grape varieties, some well-known like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, and some rare like Ribolla Gialla and Refosco. The deeply flavorful wines are refreshing, complement food, and are moderate in alcohol. Our small family winery is fiercely independent, no partners or investors, just the vision of Jill and Steve and a hard-working and passionate team. Our independence allows us to farm organically, with no compromises in the vineyard or the winery, creating the beautiful wines for which we are known.
JILL MATTHIASSON
Jill always felt that the intersection of nature and culture was the most important thing. She studied botany at Penn, researched ancient farming techniques in Israel, and studied traditional methods for soil health in grad school at UC Davis. She pioneered “farmer to farmer” networking for sustainability in the early 90s while working for a family farming non-profit, and ran programs training farmers on direct sales, such as CSAs and farmers markets, before local food had the momentum that it has now. As the family grew, that passion translated into more local action, like teaching cooking from the garden classes in the local grade school, and serving on the Napa Farmer’s Market board. She runs the business side of the family farming and wine business.
STEVE MATTHIASSON
Steve dreamt of farming his entire life. He became an obsessed gardener, cook, and homebrewer while studying philosophy in college. In 1994 Steve began working for a small sustainable agriculture consulting firm overseeeing vineyards and orchards and in 1999 he co-authored the California manual on sustainable vineyard practices. In 2002 he started consulting on vineyard practices in Napa, and now, in addition to farming their own vineyards, he pays it forward by mentoring marginalized people with the 280 Project and teaching organic viticulture at UC Davis. Steve is a life-long student of the art and craft of viticulture and winemaking, which is why our wine label features a pair of pruning shears, the tool that every viticulturalist wears on their belt for pruning, harvest, or opening beers.