Born in Great Britain, Matthew spent many years traveling and living in different
parts of the world. During this youthful sojourn Matthew immersed himself
in local cultures, cuisines and wines. Matthew learned to appreciate wine
from his father. Together they spent many years collecting and drinking wines
from around the world.
Later in his life he attended one of the world’s premiere wine schools,
the University of California at Davis, where he obtained a double degree
in Oenology and Viticulture with a minor in Business and Marketing. While
at UC Davis, Matthew was elected President of the Davis Enology and Viticulture
Organization (DEVO). The focus of the organization was to promote wine,
maintain and nurture relationships with other wine schools and raise funds
for scholarship programs. Upon graduation Matthew worked for Grgich Hills
Wine Cellars in Napa Valley California, where he worked in numerous areas
of the winery.
In
1998 Heitz Wine Cellars, one of the premiere wineries in the world, hired Matthew.
It was here that Matthew mentored under the Heitz family and Joe Norman. Later
as Cellar Master/Assistant Winemaker he took over the Cellar Select Chardonnay
program, in addition to his many other tasks.
Matthew arrived in Virginia in 2002 as the Williamsburg Winery’s
new Winemaker. His belief is that Virginia has the potential to be the next
big wine region in America, and each year Matthew hopes to come out with a
new wine that will showcase that potential. So far some of the new wines created
include Cabernet Franc Trianon, Viognier, Rosé and barrel aged Seyval
Blanc. The long-term goals are to continue replanting the vines on the farm
and to continue to create world class wines. Williamsburg wines produced by
Matthew and his team have received both international and national recognition
with numerous awards, including a "Best Buy" rating from "The
Wine Enthusiast" for the 2003 John Adlum Chardonnay.
