Food & Drink Awards 2019

Page 12 www.lux-review.com LUXlife 2019 Food & Drink Awards For twenty-seven years, one Washington-based winery has been bringing the inspiration of Bordeaux’s blending techniques to America’s northwest. Twenty miles northeast of Seattle in the beautiful town of Woodinville is Matthews Winery, creating exceptional wines with the state’s sumptuous harvest of fruit. Unearth the beautiful flavours and history of Washington’s best family owned and operated winery of 2019. Matthews Winery: Best Family Owned & Operated Winery 2019 - Washington Taking inspiration from the great wine blending techniques of Bordeaux, Matthews Winery has been crafting exquisite-tasting wines that range from flavourful red Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlots, to crisp white Sauvignon Blanc and Rosé. Tipping their hat to traditional methods, the family team at Matthews also embrace the energy and innovation of Washington State’s ascendant wine region. Situated across eight acres of beautifully serene farmland in the heart of Woodinville wine country, just a twenty-minute drive from the thriving city of Seattle, Matthews invites guests to enjoy their wines in a truly outstanding location. Open daily for wine tastings, the Matthews Tasting Room & Farm is the perfect place for all manner of guests, whether seeking to share their seasoned knowledge of the grapevine, or sample wine for their very first tasting experience. Clients range from all ages and wine experiences, and the team of staff are exceptionally trained to interact with experts and novices alike. Seeking to make everyone as comfortable as possible, the atmosphere at Matthews is one of warmth and welcoming from the first step, to the final sip. New fans of the grape no longer have to spend upwards of a hundred dollars per bottle to find an excellent wine. Ensuring total protection of the integrity of winemaking, every step of the process is hands-on. Matthews’ vineyards are grown to 1-2 clusters per shoot to ensure each cluster has maximum concentration of fruit. Once suitably ripe, the vineyards are then hand- harvested in the early hours of the morning, ensuring fruit remains cool in the beautifully temperate dawn. Upon arrival at the winery, the fruit is then hand-sorted to ensure only the highest quality is retained for fermentation in either concrete or stainless-steel tanks before being aged in new French oak barrels. The experts on the winemaking team then evaluate each wine up to fifty times or more. It is only bottled once the full expression of the vintage is mature enough. Having been harvested, fermented, and aged, the finished product is always one of exemplary craftsmanship. Elegant, structured and delivered with masterful control over flavour and taste, there are few wines to match the sensational ones made at Matthews. More than anything, the love and attention to detail that the family put into the crafting process helps enhance every sip. Staff are an integral part of the Matthews experience. The family come together as a group of passionate wine fans alongside their staff, continuing wine education all year round with each new release. Training and development is encouraged through in-house workshops and cross-state vineyard visits to understand the fine art of winemaking. Perhaps most enviably, every staff member is given a bottle of every new release to truly understand it personally, and find a perfect meal pairing. For the team at Matthews, the wine business is really a business of enjoyment. Dealing in flavours and experiences that stand out across Washington’s wine country, it simply comes down to being excited about wine and crafting unrivalled experiences for like- minded lovers of the grape. Website: www.matthewswinery.com Email: [email protected]