Matt Dees is the winemaker for three Santa Barbara County wine labels: the luxury brand Jonata, based in Ballard Canyon; The Hilt, based in the Santa Rita Hills; and The Paring, which blends juice not otherwise used for the other two brands. Matt is also a self-professed “plant person,” and he has the resume to prove it. Born in Kansas City, Matt attended the University of Vermont to study soil science, and has worked harvests in New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay and Staglin in Napa. But despite having spent nearly two decades in the Santa Barbara County wine industry, and having devoted his career to winemaking, Matt Dees is no one-trick pony. He can talk about Bach, Grace Slick, and Kansas City barbecue in the same breath, and seems like he might be happy to do so anytime. We talked about his life and career while sharing a table at the new restaurant Highwater in San Luis Obispo.
Website: jonata.com; thehiltestate.com;.theparing.com
Instagram: @jonataestate @thehiltestate @theparing
LEGENDS: Pioneering Rhône varieties and regenerative agriculture with Tablas Creek Vineyard proprietor Jason Haas
LEGENDS: Novo, Luna Red and Robin’s owners Shanny Covey and Robin Covey
Quickie, the delivery app with its wheels on the ground and its mind in the gutter
Composer Brook Munro talks wine and music
Kehoe Carbon Cookware and the legacy of durable heirlooms with Dennis and Kasey Kehoe, Los Osos
Lab-grown meat at the intersection of tech and ethics with Dr. Deb Donig, Cal Poly and UC Berkeley
Food system repair with Shakira Miracle of the Santa Barbara County Food Action Network
My Friend Mike’s Mike Radakovich talks pizza
Hot Vegan Takeout with Matt Martinez of Ziggy’s, SLO and Paso Robles
The Paso Robles Distillery Trail and FarmsteadEd with Lynette Sonne
From sushi to charcuterie with Beerwood’s Jess Saddoff-Bauer and Annie Steinmann
Author Dianne Jacob on the fate of food writing
Happy meals®, soda, Disneyland, and grief with Alexandra Wallace
Pinot noir, baseball, and Armenian roots with winemaker Ryan Deovlet
Bonus episode: Matt Brynildson (Firestone Walker Brewing), Max Montgomery (There Does Not Exist) and Jack Dyer (Topa Topa Brewing) at Consumed Live
The Mountain Air owners Josh and Lindsey Haring on camping and cooking
Coffee roasting in Oceano with John Quint of Deltina Coffee Roasters
Teaching Asian cooking with Annie Yu, San Luis Obispo
Chef/owner Rusty Quirk, Linnaea’s Cafe, SLO
Functional nutritional therapy with Stephanie Killen of Sound Body Nutrition, SLO
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