When you have a chef-owned wine shop, it makes perfect sense that a wine with a knife on the label would be on the shelves! This Cabernet-inspired blend displays classic notes of cassis, tobacco and chocolate. Focused fruit and shapely tannins shine as hallmarks of the sandy soils and slightly cooler climate of its vineyard sites. A fascinating nose mixes lifted black fruit, savory green herbs and dark notes of grilled bread, espresso and anise. The palate is filled with bright red fruit and black plum, making this wine balanced and refined – a study in elegance.

About the Winery

Made from the vineyard blocks that are either too young or don't fit into the vintage style of the highly acclaimed Jonata and The Hilt wines—The Paring is essentially a "chip off the old block." The grapes are sourced primarily from three Santa Barbara regions on the vanguard: Ballard Canyon, Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Maria Valley.

Armed with a degree in Soil Science from the University of Vermont and vintages at Staglin in Napa, and Craggy Range in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, winemaker Matt Dees has an intrinsic feel for wine, from dirt to glass. Curious and experimental by nature, Matt’s approach to winemaking is grounded in the vineyard first and foremost: attuned to the vines, the weather, the soil, Matt seems almost to be a part of the vineyard.

Matt comes to wine with an untethered philosophy, a mindset embodied in The Paring. At the core of these wines one finds a wide-ranging exploration of style, vineyards and blending. When he's not working with The Paring, Matt can be found making the wines for its big sister wineries - Jonata and The Hilt.

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