Matt Brady

At the University of California, Santa Barbara, the coursework ran alongside the practical pull of Santa Barbara wine country: harvest timing, grape handling, and the day-to-day decisions that shape a finished wine. Matt Brady’s training took hold in that setting, where the work depends on observation, judgment, and the discipline of knowing when to step in and when to hold back.

“He taught me to trust myself and my gut.”

The named wines associated with Matt Brady point to a style built around site and season: Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2021, Zotovich Vineyards Chardonnay 2021, Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2021, and La Vina Vineyard Pinot Noir 2021. Read together, they suggest a winemaking approach that keeps balance and texture in view while leaving room for vineyard character to remain clear in the glass.

The professional record here is defined by the work itself: head winemaker at Jaffurs Winery from 2012 to 2015, then winemaker at Jaffurs Wine Cellars until 2016, followed by winemaker at SAMsARA Wine Co. in Goleta. Those roles mark a career shaped by consistency, trust, and the accumulation of practical cellar experience rather than display.