There’s been plenty of think-piece articles being shared around social media regarding our current culture of ‘busy.’ Most of these pieces share nostalgia for a time when we didn’t glorify being busy, or have “Busy!” as our automatic stock response to, “How are you?”
I have to admit, I fall victim to this occasionally but when I need inspiration from someone who is much busier than I am yet takes it all in stride with nary a mention or complaint, I look to Matt Sherlock.
Sherlock is a quadruple threat in the British Columbian wine world. With partner Michael Cody, he owns Vancouver-based Sedimentary Wines, a wine agency that imports ‘naturalist’ wines, mostly from Europe with a smattering from Oregon.
“There is no agreed upon definition for natural wines,” he explains, “but to us they’re wines whose producers treat them as an agricultural product, farming with integrity and respect for the land, and using the least possible intervention [enzymes, added sulphites, etc.] and, most importantly, taste delicious.”
He walks the walk with these practices, with a winery in Naramata he co-owns with Nichol Vineyard’s Ross Hackworth, called Lock & Worth Winery. The wines he makes there are buoyant and bright, from a citrusy, flinty Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend, to a pale, crunchy Cabernet Franc Rosé bursting with red currants, to an extremely fresh, light and cheery Merlot I’m currently smitten with, all about to hit the market at $20-25. Follow them on Twitter (@LockAndWorth) to be in the loop.
Oh, and Ross Hackworth’s Nichol Vineyard, known for its killer Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Gris? Sherlock’s their sales and marketing director as well.
Back in Vancouver, he also oversees and consults on the wine program at Main Street’s Burdock & Co. As a perfect echo to chef Andrea Carlson’s “rough and refined,” organic dishes, Sherlock’s wine program offers a cohesive study of the style of wines he champions. He is constantly engaged with staff to ensure their comfort and experience with the program’s naturalist wines, featuring many of his own, his imports, and those of Vancouver’s Racine Wine Imports, who share a very similar philosophy.
So how does he do it all? It’s indeed a balance of, yes, a very busy city life living right in the centre of it all around Robson and Thurlow with his partner Jess, and the quiet country life on the sunny Naramata Bench. “I couldn’t do all of this without having awesome partners,” he says, “but, yes, it is like spinning plates sometimes. You attend to the one that’s wobbling the most.”
Anyone who knows Sherlock will attest to his casual demeanor (and very dry humour). Interestingly, when I ask what he enjoys most of both Vancouver and Naramata life, he shares that the Vancouver time with Jess, cooking dinner at home with a vast array of ingredients and wine options within blocks is the highlight of the city. Over in Naramata, it’s the lack of construction, traffic, and the simplicity of sitting on the deck with a great glass of wine, listening to the birds. What I love most about this is that they’re not the responses of someone who feels they’re too busy.
Looking to track down these wines or just want to say hi? Hit me up via KurtisKolt.com or on Twitter at @KurtisKolt.
