032: Product Labels Should Tell Your Brand Story with Matt Dees, Mail Road Wines
Essential Ingredients Podcast
English - April 26, 2022 13:00 - 22 minutes - 17.8 MB - ★★★★★ - 127 ratingsNutrition Health & Fitness Business Entrepreneurship Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Dine and Design Series Part VI
“It's a blessing in any craft, in any profession if you can make a living making a product that you love. It doesn't get better than that.” -Matt Dees
Episode Description:
We tend to love things that are pure, natural, and simple. Think of all the qualities that are prized in a fine wine like a fresh fruit taste, smoothness, and mild tannins. Yet, most wines have confusing names that make it hard for the average consumer or even a pro to know what they're getting when they buy a bottle. What’s missing?
This week on Dine and Design, we’re joined by Mail Road Wines Partner, Matt Dees. The history of Mail Road Wines is a long and rich one, filled with unique twists and turns that tell the tale of a vision, a dream, and pure fascination with the world's most delicious nectar of the gods: wine! In this episode, Matt relates the history of Mail Road Wines- how he and his partners Ron and Nancy Piazza and Michael Palmer work together to create a brand that stands out in its richness. Matt shares the secret to their simple but sophisticated labels, and how vignerons can contribute to improving soil health. To discover what makes wines distinct, you don't have to go far. Tune in!
Meet Matt:
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, Matt found his calling when, as a Soil Science major, he planted a vineyard on the shores of Lake Champlain. Lucky for all of us, he moved from dirt to winemaking.
Matt spent his first years in the trade jetting back and forth between New Zealand (Craggy Range) and Napa Valley (Staglin), where his background in soil led first to interest – and later, to a passion – for things like tannin, acid balance, structure, and texture.
A talented winemaker, Matt is a sucker for a challenge. Throughout his career, he’s built a habit – and a record – of extracting extraordinary results from sites that could only be considered challenging – certainly the case at Mt. Carmel Vineyard. His philosophy is simple: “The vineyard calls the shots. We just (try to) listen and get the heck out of the way.”
Connect with Bridget Cooper (Co-Host, Dine & Design):
A native of NZ, Bridget Cooper moved to NY when she was 18 to pursue a career in Interior Design. This journey started a life of the international jetset for Cooper, as travel became the source of inspiration and resource for herself and so many of her clients.
Her innate ability to seek out the extraordinary is the foundation for curating layered interiors and unforgettable experiences. This has built her a reputation in the design world as the “one in the know” and “to know”.
Bridget’s interior work ranges from chic high-rise apartments in Chicago and NY to modern farmhouses in Northern California. In recent years, Bridget Cooper has expanded her creative talents by working on many commercial projects and events creating unforgettable experiences on both big and small scales. Bridget delights in over-thinking every detail and loves pushing the boundaries to keep things fresh and unexpected.
Currently, Bridget and her husband Rob have moved from SF to Ojai, Ca (a small town north of Los Angeles) where they are building the Iverson House.
Connect with NextGenChef:
Episode Highlights:
01:56 The Fine Wine- Making Mecca
06:21 Plant Your Roots, Grow Your Roots
10:41 Pure and Simple Label
12:29 Vineyards and Soil Health
16:44 Wildfires Effect to Vineyards
20:01 A One-of-a-Kind Blessing