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
McConnell’s Ice Creams, Michael Palmer, Santa Barbara, CA
Topa Topa Brewing Company, Jack Dyer, Ventura
Life coach + SLO County Farm Bureau, Kiah Twisselman Burchett + Brent Burchett, Carissa Plains
The Range owners Jeff, Lindsay, + Jade Jackson, Santa Margarita
Beth Vukmanic, Program Director + fitness influencer, Vineyard Team/SIP Certified + Bethercize, San Luis Obispo, CA
Jill Hammond + Joey Baxter, owners, Farm & Harvest + The Howdy, Los Osos, CA
Messermeister Premium Kitchen Knives, Chelcea Dressler-Crowley + Kirsten Dressler-Wilson, vice presidents, Ojai
Corazón 805 Tacos, Pedro Arias Lopez and Crescencio Villar, San Luis Obispo, CA
Dr. Stephen Lloyd-Moffet, author, The Spirit of Wine, San Luis Obispo, CA
Libbie Agran, founder, Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County, San Luis Obispo,CA
Benny’s Pizza, Ben Arrona, San Luis Obispo
Winemaker Samra Morris, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Buellton, California
Heather Daenitz, founder and podcaster, Craft & Cluster, Orcutt, California
Stephy Terrizzi, viticulturist, Giornata Wines, Paso Robles, California
Robin Puricelli, sommelier and winemaker, Locura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, California
Sonja Magdevski, winemaker and owner, Casa Dumetz, Clementine Carter, The Feminist Party Wines, Los Alamos, California
Alondra Torres, vineyard management supervisor, Coastal Vineyard Services, Santa Maria, California
R.H. Drexel, wine writer and publicist, Atascadero, California
Sharde Shepherd, cellarmaster, Santa Barbara County, California
Riley Roddick, winemaker and owner, Hubba Wines, Paso Robles, California
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