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  • Collage: golden vineyard rows on top, magenta flowers on the Matthews farm below, blog title in the middle

A Year in Review

Matthews farm kitchen at dusk with doors and windows open and the lights inside glowing
Barrel table and chairs placed in the farm seating area with farm rows in the background

Now that we are welcoming in 2021, we want to look back at some of the special moments from last year. It was quite a year, to say the least! If there’s one thing that 2020 taught us, it is to have gratitude for what is happening in the moment: sunrises, harvest, and family dinner around the table. 2020 was a year of many firsts for our family. We asked ourselves, “What do we want to do this year that we can look back in 10 years and celebrate the decisions that we made?” The littlest things took on even more meaning this year. Everything from vineyard pruning to commitments to new vineyards to refining our current process and everything in between. And now as we taste through some of the barrel samples, we know that every single bottle labeled with 2020 will have a story to tell. Read on for some of our favorite moments of the year.

We launched curbside pick up.

Matthews A-board sign saying Curbside Pick-up
Matthews employee carrying a farm box full of produce and a carry case of Tenor wines
Matthews employee handing a wine bag to a customer in their car at curbside pick up
A car pulled up in front of curbside pick up tent

We got some new additions to the uniform, with the same friendly faces underneath!

Matthews employee smiling under mask leaning on counter
Matthews employee behind bar wearing a black mask pouring white wine in glass
Chef Matt Lederman standing outside of the farm kitchen looking off into the distance
Matthews employee behind bar outside wearing a black mask, pouring white wine into multiple glasses

We spruced up the patio and upper lawn for safe outdoor tastings.

Tasting Room upper lawn with string lights, wood tables and chairs, white umbrellas on a sunny day
3 women sitting at a wood table under an umbrella on the upper lawn at dusk
Guests sitting at multiple wood tables under umbrellas at sunset with the string lights glowing

We built a greenhouse!

Farmer Patrick standing in the doorway of the new greenhouse, holding a rake and smiling
Looking over the shoulder of farm employee placing markers in newly planted seed trays
Looking down on baby plants in felt planters
Side view of sprouted plants in trays

Our farm was incredibly healthy.

Dahlia plants climbing up metal trellis on side of building
Magenta flowers in rows with the Matthews building in the background
Close up of green apples on branches
Italian basil in black pots for sale at the Wine Club market

And so were our vines!

Close up of green grape buds on vines
Looking directly down green vineyard rows
Owner Bryan Otis walking down a vineyard row checking on vines
Hands holding green grape buds

We introduced some incredible new vintages.

Close up of Reserve Cabernet Franc bottle on stairs with woman holding a glass full of wine
Man in navy shirt holding bottle of 2019 Reserve Sauv Blanc and full glass
2018 Rose bottle, stemless glass and fresh radishes on stems
Woman with child in her lap sitting on a dock with a seafood boil spread out and Matthews Reserve Sauv Blanc

After 16 years, we reintroduced Cabernet Franc to our portfolio.

Close up of hand holding bottle of Reserve Cabernet Franc
Looking down on a bowl of freshly cut heirloom tomatoes and a bottle of Reserve Cabernet Franc

We launched the new Claret Club! Curated for those who love Matthews wine any day of the week.

Matthews sauv Blanc, Claret and Cuvee bottles places on a wood staircase
Young woman in white sweater standing in greenhouse holding a bottle of Claret
Man in flannel shirt standing at the entrance to a greenhouse holding a bottle of Claret and a stemless wineglass

We donated all profits from our #MatthewsAtHome 3-packs to Mary's Place, a shelter that helps hundreds of families in the Seattle area with food, shelter, community support and advocacy.

Matthews Claret, Cab Sauv and Sauv Blanc bottles places on a shelf with a stack of books to the left and canned goods to the right
Tablescape of fresh grilled veggies, grilled chicken, salad and a bottle of Matthews Sauv Blanc

Food + Wine + People = Community. That has always been our formula. Since we couldn't invite you to our table last year, we launched our weekly family meal boxes so we could still be a part of your table! You also shared all of your experiences with us via the hashtag #MatthewsAtHome.

Woman in white shirt holding a Matthews meal kit full of goods and wine
Looking down on containers of pasta, chicken, a baguette, to-go box and a bottle of Claret
People cheersing at a dining room table with Pasta and Matthews wine bottles
Close up of table with Matthews bottles, candles, full glass of red and a man in a red jacket

We might not have been in the same room, but that didn't mean we couldn't celebrate the little things together.

Looking down on a bowl of fresh clams, grilled baguette and a bottle of Sauv Blanc
A bowl of pasta, silverware, stemless glass and bottle of Cab Sauv on a table
Close up of checkered red table cloth, pan of garlic bread, pot of pasta and a bottle of Claret
Close up of crostinis on cutting board, radicchio, olive, pesto, Matthews bottles and red wine in glasses

We announced that Champoux Vineyards would be featured in our wines for the very first time. You can tell we're happy about it.

Vineyard sign that says cabernet Block 1 Champoux Vineyard
Owner Bryan Otis standing in front of vines looking off in the distance
Owner Cliff Otis, vineyard manager and others talking in a circle in the vineyards
Owners Cliff and Diane Otis smiling in front of a truck
Looking over the vineyard manager pointing at a sheet of paper

We worked around the clock to make your hours happy, and to bring you the best that Washington has to offer!

Vineyard employee in a green shirt carrying a small bin of fruit above his head down a vineyard row
Paper on clipboard sitting on top of a barrel
Male figure holding a wine glass swirling white wine
Clusters of red grapes on a sorting table with hands sorting out unwanted materials

We had an incredible 2020 harvest, adding to another beautiful string of vintages for our family.

Vineyard employee driving a tractor, pulling two large bins of red fruit
Looking down a vineyard row with two workers in the distance carrying buckets
Close up of vineyard worker picking a cluster of red grapes off a vine
Close up of male holding a large cluster of red grapes in his hand
Hand holding a wine glass, opening a tank spout and pouring in white wine

We watched a few sunrises...and sunsets.

Early morning glow looking down a vineyard row
Looking at the sun setting between two vines
Pink and orange sunset over the vineyards
Pink and blue sky over dark green vineyard rows
Pink and orange sunset over wheat fields with vineyards in the foreground

We are wishing you a healthy year ahead. Stay tuned for more surprises coming in 2021!

Small bin on the ground full of red fruit clusters
Vibrant green canopy, looking down a vineyard row
Close up of a single red grape cluster on a vine
Looking down on vineyard rows along a hillside above the Columbia River
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